Social Communication

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Social Communication

• Kar2ouche

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Setting the scene

• The increased inclusion of pupils with ASD in
  mainstream schools in recent years has
  necessitated the training of staff in the use of
  appropriate strategies.

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The key characteristics these strategies share
are

• Visual
• Concrete
• Involve reduced social interaction
• Sequenced
• Presents others perspectives explicitly
• Involves understanding the ASD perspective
• Involves the direct teaching of social skills

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• Social Stories
• Comic Strip Conversations
• However difficult to implement in some cases
  because of

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• Pressure of time.
• Resistance from students and lack of engagement
• Lack of confidence in own ability to produce
  appropriate material.
• Not seen as inclusive.

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A programme needed to be developed with more
generic characters and appropriate activities,
backgrounds and props.
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Kent County Council funded the development of
such a programme and the follow-up training and
evaluation.
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The programme has been given to 95 schools
throughout Kent. Speech and Language Therapists,
Educational Psychologist and Specialist Teachers
have been involved in the cross cluster support
groups.
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How can Kar2ouche help?

• Visual.
• Sequenced.
• Uses speech bubbles and thought bubbles.

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Benefits

• Motivating.
• Inclusive.
• Produces high quality material.
• Generic characters
• Can be closely tied in with the students own
  situation by scanning in their own backgrounds

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Versatile

• Storyboards.
• Publications.
• Animations.
• Using
• Interactive whiteboard
• P.C.
• Lap top
• Worksheets

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Easy to use

• Allows the student control
• Appeals to perfectionism
• Cuts down the need for social interaction
• Gives the student a medium of communication
• Helps the adults to understand the students
  perspective

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Can be used with groups and whole class and in
conjunction with curriculum packages
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To support teachers we are developing a web site
for sharing good practice, for supplying
templates and assessment tools. Also developing
packages related to curriculum targets.