Description
For many children on the autism spectrum, social skills pose greater challenges than academics! This series of social skills activities are designed to help elementary-aged students with autism spectrum disorder and other social-cognitive deficits succeed in the social realm. Group lessons are organized under four types of skills necessary for these success: fundamental skills, social initiation skills, getting along with others, and social response skills. Each lesson is highly structured and organized, making it easy for teachers and other group leaders to implement successfully. A series of practical checklists and other instruments provide a solid foundation for assessing students’ social skills levels and subsequent program planning. Judith Coucouvanis, MA, NP, PMHCNS-BC, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and clinical specialist at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Nursing at the University of Iowa. As a clinician, she specialized in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorders for 30 years. She consults to educational programs and speaks regularly on the topics of social skills training, behavior support, and toilet training, offering practical information to both parents and professionals. Judith was the 2006 recipient of the International Society of Psychiatric Services Clinical Practice Award and her book The Potty Journey won Gold in the 2010 NAPPA Parenting Resources Competition. She serves as an editorial board member of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing.
