Social Behavior Mapping
Social Behavior Mapping is a technique developed by Michelle Garcia Winner. Ms. Winner has written and presented on a number of fabulous ideas for working with children with Autism and other Social-Cognitive difficulties. The mapping technique is based on the principle that what you do has an effect on others around you, which in turn effects you. Many children with Social-Cognitive difficulties have a very difficult time relating their own actions to the consequences. For example, a child may not understand that their time out was a result of pushing several students out of the way when rushing to the book bin. Alternately, they may not understand that a positive consequence may result from using kind words or actions.
Within a small group, I helped develop the following map of the expected behavior of “compliments”. We then chose one item from each column to talk about the sequence of events. When I start with a nice word to another, I end up happy.
For more of Ms. Garcia’s ideas, visit her website at www.socialthinking.com
Your blog makes me want to cry! It is so nice to finally meet someone that has some “out of the box” thinking. I can’t wait to read EVERYTHING in your blog. I hope to become life long friends.
Mom of a special needs child…Christa
Even children without special needs can benefit from this map. I’m thinkin’ my almost 4-yr old might finally catch on to actions => consequences vs. actions => rewards if I’d use something like this!
Hi CC! Thanks for visiting The Wonderwheel tonight – I enjoyed taking a look at yours, too! I LOVE Michelle Garcia Winner! You would probably appreciate the writing I’ve done at The Family Room blog where I’m an SLP guest-blogger. Here’s a link to one on some social mapping that I thought you’d enjoy: http://susanetlinger.typepad.com
/the_family_room/2007/09/map-it.html
I’ll look forward to reading more here!