The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Current research findings identify children on the Autism Spectrum as struggling to process social motion. This presentation will provide a conceptual framework for watching social movement to build social knowledge, a list of engaging, pre-selected YouTube videos (preschool to young adulthood), and a range of activities to expand social understanding. Current research has identified students on the Autism Spectrum as struggling with the processing of social motion.  This research will be briefly outlined, and the argument will be made that materials incorporating social movement are an important therapeutic tool therapists, teachers, and parents can easily use. 

This presentation will emphasize that the more we understand what makes social relationships work, the greater our success will be when we venture into the world. Third party material such as YouTube videos can be an effective teaching tool for children on the Autism spectrum.  It can be challenging to ask students to look critically at their own behavior, particularly at skills with which they are just becoming familiar.  Before asking students to think about how they themselves handle social situations, we can introduce and solidify their understanding of important social concepts through viewing and discussion of engaging YouTube videos – rich with wonderful characters and storylines.  

When we examine social thinking goals for students (often written as a part of IEPs, or Individualized Educational Plans), we need to recognize the social concepts that underlie those goals.  A number of IEP goals will be used as examples, breaking each down into social concepts and suggesting YouTube videos that are available to target this learning.

The presentation will next review how these aspects of social learning that can be supported using YouTube materials.  Concepts will be broken down in the categories: (1) feelings: general vocabulary, tracking over time, (2) internal processes: perspective taking, flexibility, inner voice/problem size/perseverance, (3) relationship processes: cooperation, compromise and kindness, “not getting along” behavior, and bumps in and repairs of relationships and (4) empathy: cognitive, emotional and compassionate. 

Discussion of pre-selected YouTube videos will be two-fold.  First, “Top Picks 2014” will review a list of videos that are appropriate for use with social learners.  Then, one YouTube video will be described in greater detail, with the presentation of structured YouCue activity cards.  These activities will cover the four social learning categories presented earlier.   A graduated hierarchy of activities will be discussed, moving from activities that focus on the YouTube characters (The Big Idea, Help It Happen, and Spark the Learning), to activities that apply more to students themselves (Take It Further, and To Assist Generalization). 

Throughout the presentation, emphasis will be placed on the importance of knowing what goal or skill is being targeted, and that “just watching” with the hopes of something useful transpiring is not best practice.  Issues of accountability and tracking of progress will also be included.  Attendees will leave with ideas that can immediately be implemented with students from preschool through young adulthood.

Learning Objectives: