Building A Social Skills Club: A Pilot Project with the Break Ins

The importance of social exchange for our well being is immeasurable. We crave sharing our thoughts with people we encounter in life. Social interaction leads to some of the most meaningful human experiences. Because the value of human exchange is so great, what happens when socialization is compromised? People with autism spectrum disorders often struggle to form social bonds. The social skills club format can be the beginning of and the bridge to establishing quality social experiences. Human social behavior is nothing short of incredible.  We are capable of transmitting an amazing amount of information with relatively subtle signals.  By assessing just how often and how complexly we use social skills to navigate through our world, we bring to light behaviors that have become second nature to us.  During your next visit to the grocery store, church, or local restaurant objectively observe yourself and others in the constant give and take of social behavior, and take note of the subtle cues, gestures, expressions, vocal patterns, and indicators used in those social exchanges.  Taking these skills for granted is an easy thing to do.

The importance of social exchange for our well being is immeasurable.  We crave sharing our space and ideas with our friends or others we encounter in life.  Social interaction leads to some of the most meaningful human experiences: friendship, courtship, marriage, laughter, politics, philosophy, parties, etc.  Because the value of human exchange is so great, we are forced to assess what adverse effects may occur if socialization is compromised.  Children and adults with autism spectrum disorders can benefit from increased access to social events.  The social skills format can be the beginning of and the bridge to establishing quality social experiences.

Our social skills club began in the summer of 2005 as a result of Individualized Positive Behavior Support Training through the West Virginia Autism Training Center.  As we got to know the people that we work for, we realized that they had a great sense of humor and basic social skills; however, using these talents in an unstructured environment was very difficult for them.  After visiting an established social skills club in a neighboring state and researching available resources on the subject, we began a social skills club in Morgantown, West Virginia.  There are now two additional social skills clubs in our state that came to be as a result of our pilot project two years ago.  These clubs are mainly facilitated by parents and have built their own ‘style’.

Our presentation will include a parent’s perspective on how the club has helped their child, how the club got started, video clips and descriptions of activities as well as how theatre and theatre activities can greatly assist people on the spectrum to understand social skills.  This area will be addressed by Andrew Nelson, who is the co-founder of ATRAN, a website dedicated to theatre and autism.  We will also provide to participants a comprehensive manual which includes basic instructions on how to begin a club, suggested paperwork, examples of several activities that address social skills in a fun format and references.

1.  The participant will recognize and enjoy the sense of humor of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

2.  The participant will learn about suggested guidelines to facilitating a social skills club.

3.  The participant will learn about activities used in a social skills club setting.

4.  The participant will understand how theatre activities can be instrumental in teaching social skills to people in the autism spectrum. 

5.  The participant will learn how a structured social skills club can highlight strengths embedded within the autism spectrum.