Social Play Program: Pizza Parlor Scenario

Social Play Program: Pizza Parlor Scenario

Objective: To aid young children with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in interacting with their peers in an imaginative, play scenario. By creating an environment promoting appropriate, social interaction and intrinsic reinforcement, opportunities occur for the strengthening of peer to peer interaction amongst young children with ASD.

Materials Needed: Materials listed are the materials used in implementing the pizza parlor scenario at Ottawa Area Center. Materials can be altered depending on available resources.

· Child size table with checkered table cloth (for pizza parlor effect) with chair

· Plastic place setting-plate, cup, spoon, fork, knife, napkin

· Pizza Parlor menu- 3 laminated pages, 1-menu cover, 2-drink choices, and 3-pizza choices- drink and pizza choices should be presented in print and picture on the menu and priced with coin stickers for the children to match the coins

· Apron for the waiter

· Play pizza in a pizza box

· Pitcher for waiter to pour (pretend) drinks

· Note pad and pencil if waiter chooses to write a bill

· Wallet/change purse and real coins

· Dry erase board to make pizza parlor sign

Script: The following is a suggested general script for the pizza parlor. Changes may need to be made to accommodate different children. Also, important to note is the script does not include pre-teaching or prompts. Necessary pre-teaching and basic prompts precede the script.

**Before starting pizza parlor, the roles of waiter or customer have to be given to the children. This is done by asking the children which role they want to play. When the roles have been decided, the child who is the waiter has the job of setting the table for his/her customer, while the customer waits with a tutor. When the table is set, the waiter announces to the customer that his table is ready and shows the customer to his/her seat.

Pre-teaching: Before beginning pizza parlor, it may be necessary to pre-teach certain vocabulary words related to the scenario as well as the different coins. When implementing this program at Ottawa Area Center, pre-teaching of coins was done with each student in a one-on-one setting with a tutor. The focus of the pre-teaching was labeling the coins (verbally or receptively) and matching them to the coin stickers used on the pizza parlor menu (see sample menu in back of folder). The worth of each coin was slowly introduced while running the social play program. The initial run-through of the scenario with students may as well be considered pre-teaching, as the program is new to the children. When beginning the program, the script will most likely need to be entirely prompted by the tutor. As the program continues to be run, the tutor will decrease prompts as necessary.

· Waiter: “Your seat is ready sir.”

· Customer: (follows waiter to seat)

· Waiter: “Here is your menu.” (giving the customer the menu), “What would you like to drink?” “Milk, pop, or juice?” (The waiter points to each drink as he/she says it)

· Customer: “I want ____ please.”

· Waiter: (the waiter then fills the cup with the pitcher- the tutor should encourage pretend pouring noises) “There you go!”

· Customer: “Thank you.”

· Waiter: “What would you like to eat? One piece, two pieces, or a whole pizza?” (The waiter should point to the pizza options while saying them)

· Customer: “I want ____ please.”

· Waiter: (serves the selected choice of pizza to the customer)

· Customer: “Thank you.”

· While the customer is eating and drinking the waiter can write a bill on the notepad or sweep the floor (these are examples). The waiter also may ask the customer “How is the pizza?” or “Do you want anything else?” before asking the customer if she/he is done.

· Waiter: “Are you finished?”

· Customer: “Yes I am finished” (or, no I am not finished).

· Waiter: (cleans up pizza and place setting) It is time to pay (opens menu to drink page) “You had ____ to drink, you pay ____¢ please.”

· Customer: (matches the coins to the correct drink and hands the waiter the money) “Here you go!”

· Waiter: (opens menu to pizza page) “You had ____ pizza, you pay ____¢ please.”

· Customer: (matches the coins to the correct pizza choice and hands the waiter the money) “Here you go!”

· Waiter: “Thank you, and have a nice day!”

· Customer: “Thank you! Bye!”

· Waiter: “Bye!”

· The customer leaves the pizza parlor and waits with a tutor while the waiter cleans up the table and surrounding area.

Basic Prompts: The following are basic prompts for the pizza parlor scenario. These prompts are likely going to be modified for each student, so it is important to note that they are basic, or general, and not necessarily specific.

· When beginning pizza parlor, the tutor is likely going to verbally prompt the script for the students. These prompts are going to be slowly faded throughout the continuation of the program. For example, at first the tutor may verbally prompt John, say here you go to the waiter. After running the program several times, the verbal prompt may change to, John, what do you say, and/or, John, what’s next? As the prompts are faded, verbal prompts can fade to gestural prompts. For example, the tutor may point in the direction of the waiter to elicit the child’s response.

· Also, a basic prompt is the tutor verbally beginning the first sound of a word. For example, to help the student say penny, the tutor may say, pa pa pa.

· When a child becomes distracted and begins to focus their attention elsewhere, the tutor should begin with the least intrusive prompt. Try gesturing for the child’s attention to be brought back to pizza parlor. If gesturing does not work, verbally prompt John, we are playing pizza parlor. If a verbal prompt is unsuccessful, physically redirect the child back to pizza parlor. Physical redirection may be gently facing the child’s body in the direction of the pizza parlor.

Role of the Tutor: When beginning pizza parlor, the students are going to be dependent on the tutor for prompts and cues to follow the general script. The extent of interference by the tutor in the program is dependent on each child. However, whatever the beginning extent of interference of the tutor, the prompts and cues are going to be slowly faded from that point, (specific to each child). It is important for the tutor to realize their presence is not to make sure the script is run word for word, rather that the students are interacting with one another. Remembering the main objective of this program is to aid young students with ASD in peer interaction is extremely important. The tutor should intervene as little as necessary. It may be that little as necessary means verbally prompting the entire program and using hand over hand guidance. Intervening as little as necessary may as well mean little verbal prompting and some gestural prompts. The tutor should also never forget this program was created for these children to experience fun and enjoyment with their peers, in effort to motivate future interaction with their peers.

Other Info: The following is extra information important to running the pizza parlor program. This information comes from first hand experience implementing the social program from the very beginning.

· Ask the student if they would like to play pizza parlor, do not tell them they are going to play pizza parlor. This program was created to promote social interaction, and when the interaction is forced there are fewer opportunities for intrinsic motivation.

· When running the program allow for student spontaneity. The pizza parlor is not for the tutors, it is for the students as well as a place to have fun!!

· Before beginning the program it may be helpful to observe typical children play pizza parlor for examples of “appropriate” peer interactions.

· When running the program with children who are echolalic, be careful when verbally prompting, so the child is not simply repeating the tutor.

· Respond to problem behaviors, such as tantrums, with extinction as often as possible. Due to the emphasis on social interaction the child should not receive any attention (reinforcement) of problem behaviors. Do not allow problem behaviors to stop the program. When the program has begun it needs to be completed.

· The most important “information” to remember is that pizza parlor is created for the children to have fun!! Remember the general script provided is GENERAL. Allow the children to add their own creativity to the program. Never discourage a child’s creativity.

“START Project Materials 2012”