Revised Multiple Disabilities Life Skills Map
Social Skills:Themes can be overarching on all grade bands / K – 2
Early Childhood Skills / 3 – 5
Elementary Level Social Skills / 6 – 8
Adolescent Level Social Skills / 9 – 12
Middle/High School Social Skills / Related Theme Units
B. Social Skills and
Teaching the Hidden Curriculum:
The hidden curriculum refers to the set of rules or guidelines that are often not directly taught but are assumed to be known. The hidden curriculum contains items that impact social interactions, school performance, and sometimes safety.
B. Social Skills and
Teaching the Hidden Curriculum:
Themes can be overarching on all grade bands
The hidden curriculum also includes idioms, metaphors, and slang – things most people “just pick up” or learn through observation or subtle cues, including body language.
For example, to most a term such as
“get off of my back” and accompanying body language (frowning, looking irritated, raising voice) communicates that the speaker wants to be left alone, but to somebody who has social-cognitive challenges and predominantly
interprets language literally, the term will have a totally different meaning and be very confusing.
B. Social Skills and
Teaching the Hidden Curriculum:
Themes can be overarching on all grade bands / Beginning Social Skills
1. Listening
2. Using Nice Talk
3. Using Brave Talk
4. Saying Thank You
5. Rewarding Yourself
6. Asking for Help
7. Asking a Favor
8. Ignoring
School-Related Skills
9. Asking a Question
10. Following Directions
11. Trying When It’s Hard
12. Interrupting
Friendship-Making Skills
13. Greeting Others
14. Reading Others
15. Joining In
16. Waiting your Turn
17. Sharing
18. Offering Help
19. Asking Someone to Play
20. Playing a Game
Dealing With Feelings
21. Knowing your Feelings
22. Feeling Left Out
K - 2
Dealing With Feelings
23. Asking to Talk
24. Dealing with Fear
25. Deciding How Someone Feels
26. Showing Affection
Alternatives to Aggression
27. Dealing with Teasing
28. Dealing with Feeling Mad
29. Deciding If It’s Fair
30. Solving a Problem
31. Accepting Consequences
Dealing with Stress
32. Relaxing
33. Dealing with Mistakes
34. Being Honest
35. Knowing When to Tell
36. Dealing with Losing
37. Wanting to Be First
38. Saying No
39. Accepting No
40. Deciding What to Do
K - 2
/ Classroom Survival Skills
1. Listening
2. Asking for Help
3. Saying Thank You
4. Bringing Materials to Class
5. Following Instructions
6. Completing Assignments
7. Contributing to Discussion
8. Offering Help to an Adult
9. Asking a Question
10. Ignoring Distractions
11. Making Corrections
12. Deciding on Something to Do
13. Setting a Goal
Friendship-Making Skills
14. Introducing Yourself
15. Beginning a Conversation
16. Ending a Conversation
17. Joining in
18. Playing a Game
19. Asking a Favor
20. Offering Help to a Classmate
3-5
Friendship-Making Skills
21. Giving a Compliment
22. Accepting a Compliment
Suggesting an Activity
3-5
Friendship-Making Skills
23.
24. Sharing
25. Apologizing
Skills for Dealing with Feelings
26. Knowing Your Feelings
27. Expressing your Feelings
28. Recognizing Another’s Feelings
29. Showing Understanding of Another’s Feelings
30. Expressing Concern for Another
31. Dealing with Your Anger
32. Dealing with Another’s Anger
33. Expressing Affection
34. Dealing with Fear
35. Rewarding Yourself
Skill Alternatives to Aggression
36. Using Self-Control
37. Asking Permission
38. Responding to Teasing
39. Avoiding Trouble
40. Staying Out of Fights
41. Problem Solving
42. Accepting Consequences
43. Dealing with an Accusation
44. Negotiating
Skills for Dealing with Stress
45. Dealing with Boredom
46. Deciding with Boredom
3 - 5
Skills for Dealing with Stress
47. Deciding What Caused a Problem
48. Answering a Complaint
49. Dealing with Losing
50. Showing Sportsmanship
51. Dealing with Being Left Out
52. Dealing with Embarrassment
53. Reacting to Failure
54. Accepting No
55. Saying No
56. Relaxing
57. Dealing with Group Pressure
58. Dealing with Wanting Something that Isn’t Mine
59. Making a Decision
60. Being Honest / Beginning Social Skills
1. Listening
2. Starting a Conversation
3. Having a Conversation
4. Asking a Conversation
5. Saying Thank You\
6. Introducing Yourself
7. Introducing Other People
8. Giving a Compliment
9. Asking for Help
10. Joining In
11. Giving Instructions
12. Following instruction
13. Apologizing
14. Convincing Others
Skills for Dealing with Feelings
15. Knowing Your Feelings
16. Expressing Your Feelings
Skills for Dealing with Feelings
16. Understanding the Feelings of Others
17. Dealing with Someone Else’s Anger
18. Expressing Affection
19. Dealing with Fear
6 – 8
Skill Alternative to Aggression
20. Rewarding Yourself
21. Asking Permission
22. Sharing Something
23. Helping Others
24.Negotiating
25.Using Self-Control
26. Standing Up for Your Rights
27. Responding to Teasing
28. Avoiding Trouble with Others
29. Keeping Out of Fights
Skills for Dealing with Stress
30. Making a Complaint
31. Answering a Complaint
32. Sportsmanship after the Game
33. Dealing with Embarrassment
34. Dealing with Being Left Out
35. Standing up for a Friend
36. Responding to Persuasion
37.Responding to Failure
Skills for Dealing with Stress
38. Dealing with an Accusation
39. Getting Ready for a Difficult Conversation
Skills for Dealing with Stress
40. Dealing with Group Pressure
41. Deciding on Something to Do
6 – 8
Planning Skills
42. Deciding What Caused a Problem
43. Setting a Goal
44. Deciding on Your Abilities
45. Gathering Information
Planning Skills
46. Arranging Problems by Importance
47. Making a Decision
48. Concentrating on a Task / Follow Directions
1. Look at the Person
2. Say, “okay”
3. Do task Immediately
4. Check Back
Accepts Criticism/Consequences
1. Look at the Person
2. Acknowledge
3. Don’t’ say anything else
Asks Permission
1. Know what you want to do
2. Go to the adult in charge
3. Ask politely in the form of a question
4. Comply with answer (don’t argue, whine, or ask someone else)
Greeting Others
1. Look at the person
2. Use a pleasant voice
3. Say “Hi” or “Hello”
Disagree Appropriately
1. Look at the person
2. Use a calm/pleasant voice tone
3. Make an empathy statement
9 – 12
Disagree Appropriately
4. Tell why you feel differently
5. Give a reason
6. Listen to the other person without interrupting or arguing
Respect Space of Others
1. Stay arm’s length away from others
2. Keep hands and feet to self
3. Do not bump others when passing
4. Ask before hugging or touching
Peer reporting
1. Think it through
2. Talk to peer
3. Seek adult help
4. Explain instead of complain
5. Follow adult’s advice
6. Check back with adult
Accept No
1. Look at the person
2. Say “Okay”
3. Stay calm
4. If you disagree, wait until later to bring it up
Get Teacher’s Attention
1. Look at the teacher
2. Raise hand
3. Wait for acknowledgement
4. Ask question in a quiet voice
9 – 12
Gives Criticism
1. Look at the person
2. Use a calm voice
3. Ask to talk with the person
4. State the problem specifically
5. Give a reason
6. Listen to the person
Resist Peer Pressure
1. Look at the person
2. Use a calm voice
3. Say clearly that you do not want to participate
4. Suggest something else to do
5. If necessary, continue to say “No”
6. Leave the situation
Take Responsibility for Actions
1. Admit mistakes
2. State role in problem
3. Make “I” statements
Problem Solving
1. Ask to discuss problem
2. State problem honestly
3. Discuss the options
4. Choose a solution
5. Follow through with solution / Working on a skill is different than teaching and practicing the skill like nose blowing.
Variety of instructional strategies:
Hidden Curriculum
Book Strategies:
-Situation-Options-Consequences-Choices-Strategies-Simulation (SOCCSS)
- Seek-Observe-Listen-
Related Theme Units
Vocalize-Educate Strategy (SOLVE)
-Social Narratives
-Cartooning
-Power Card Strategy
-Direct Instruction
-Incredible 5 Point Scale
-Video Modeling
-Circles Program
When My Worry Gets to Big – K-2
Related Theme Units
1