Social Skills-Neurodiverse, Emotional Awareness, Executive Function; 50 Min

Each session focuses on a fresh and essential social skill, allowing you to join at any point without feeling left behind. 

This class is designed with the needs of neurodiverse learners in mind, our class offers step-by-step instructions, visual aids, and practical examples to enhance your social skills. You'll have the opportunity to actively engage in role-playing exercises, receive constructive feedback, and practice the newly acquired skills in a supportive environment. Who knows, you may make some new and amazing friends along the way!

How classes are structured: 

1.  Initial instructions of the new skill

2.  Role Playing the Skill

3.  Providing Corrective Feedback

4.  Opportunities to practice the skill


A variety of social skill will be worked on during conversations in class that are prompted by the teacher. 

Here are some goals that learners will hope to improve on while taken this course: 


**Week 1: Don't Be Space Invaders**
- Goal: Recognize the concept of personal space and its importance.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-control and respecting personal boundaries.
- Learning Perspective: Understanding personal space in the context of making friends and talking to new people.

**Week 2: Listening and Conversational Skills**
- Goal: Understand the basics of starting, maintaining, and ending conversations.
- Executive Function Skill: Initiation and planning (starting conversations), organization (maintaining conversations), and self-control (ending conversations).
- Learning Perspective: Applying good listening skills when making friends and talking to new people.

**Week 3: Interrupting and Practice Conversations**
- Goal: Differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate times to interrupt during conversations.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-control and flexibility (waiting for the right moment to speak).
- Learning Perspective: Learning how interruptions can affect initial interactions with new people.

**Week 4: Greetings**
- Goal: Master the art of greeting others appropriately in various social contexts.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-control and flexible thinking (choosing appropriate greetings).
- Learning Perspective: Recognizing the importance of friendly greetings in making new friends.

**Week 5: Knowing When to Stop Talking**
- Goal: Recognize cues that indicate it's time to stop talking and listen.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-control (knowing when to pause), self-awareness (recognizing social cues), and flexibility (transitioning between speaking and listening).
- Learning Perspective: Understanding how balanced conversation contributes to forming connections with new people.


**Week 6: Joining in Play**
- Goal: Develop the ability to join ongoing play or activities smoothly.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-control and flexibility (adapting to join play).
- Learning Perspective: Applying social skills to join and engage with new friends in activities.


**Week 7: Keeping Calm and Managing Emotions**
- Goal: Learn strategies for managing emotions during conversations and interactions.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-regulation and self-control (managing emotions).
- Learning Perspective: Recognizing the role of emotions in making friends and talking to new people.

**Week 8: Showing Understanding of Others' Feelings**
- Goal: Enhance empathy skills and demonstrate understanding of others' emotions.
- Executive Function Skill: Social awareness and perspective-taking.
- Learning Perspective: Applying empathy to understand the feelings of new people and potential friends.


**Week 9: Accepting "No"**
- Goal: Understand and practice accepting "no" as a response.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-regulation (managing disappointment or frustration) and self-control.
- Learning Perspective: Recognizing that not everyone may want to be friends, and that's okay.


**Week 10: Dealing with Mistakes**
- Goal: Develop resilience and the ability to handle mistakes positively.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-regulation (managing emotions related to mistakes), problem-solving, and self-control.
- Learning Perspective: Learning from mistakes in social interactions when trying to make new friends.


**Week 11: Dealing with Teasing**
- Goal: Gain strategies for responding to teasing and handling it appropriately.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-control and problem-solving (choosing appropriate responses).
- Learning Perspective: Recognizing the impact of teasing on forming connections with new people.


**Week 12: Trying When Something is Hard**
- Goal: Cultivate persistence and effort in challenging situations.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-regulation (motivating oneself to keep trying).
- Learning Perspective: Applying determination when facing challenges in making new friends.
- Task: Integrate the Kanban board to set goals and track efforts in challenging social situations.

**Week 13: Compromising**
- Goal: Understand the concept of compromising and apply it in conflicts.
- Executive Function Skill: Problem-solving, flexibility (finding mutually beneficial solutions), and self-control.
- Learning Perspective: Finding common ground and compromising when building friendships.


**Week 14: Dealing with Fears**
- Goal: Learn techniques to manage common fears in social situations.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-regulation (managing fear and anxiety) and self-control.
- Learning Perspective: Addressing fears and anxieties that may arise when talking to new people.


**Week 15: Dealing with Triggers**
- Goal: Identify personal triggers and develop strategies to manage them.
- Executive Function Skill: Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-control.
- Learning Perspective: Recognizing how triggers can influence one's perspective and reactions when meeting new people.

**Week 16: Becoming Flexible When Change Occurs**
- Goal: Enhance adaptability and the ability to cope with changes in plans or routines.
- Executive Function Skill: Flexibility, adaptability, and self-control.
- Learning Perspective: Adapting to new social situations and people.


**Week 17: Changing the Topic Properly**
- Goal: Understand how to change the topic appropriately during conversations.
- Executive Function Skill: Flexibility (transitioning between topics).
- Learning Perspective: Valuing the importance of transitioning between topics to accommodate different perspectives and interests.

**Week 18: Staying on Topic**
- Goal: Practice staying on topic during conversations.
- Executive Function Skill: Organization (maintaining focus on the current topic).
- Learning Perspective: Understanding how staying on topic contributes to effective communication with new people.

**Week 19-20: Review, Application, and Making Friends**
- Goal: Apply and integrate the skills learned throughout the course in real-life scenarios, especially in the context of making new friends.
- Executive Function Skill: Generalization and application of executive function skills in various contexts.