Social Skills Activities for Secondary Students with Special Needs, 2nd Edition

About This Book v

About the Author v

Preface xv

Part One: Learning Basic Social Skills 1

Chapter 1 Skills to Make a Good Impression 3

Skill 1: Making a First Impression 6

Instructor Pages 6

Worksheet 1: What Is a Good Impression? 7

Worksheet 2: Your Appearance 8

Worksheet 3: Your Attitude 10

Worksheet 4: Getting Prepared 11

Worksheet 5: Asking Appropriate Questions 12

Skill 2: Thinking About My Behavior 14

Instructor Pages 14

Worksheet 6: Picked out of a Crowd 16

Worksheet 7: Ways to Blend In 18

Worksheet 8: Unusual Behaviors 19

Worksheet 9: Behaviors That You Can’t Help 20

Worksheet 10: Neutral Behavior 21

Skill 3: Getting Rid of Annoying Tendencies 22

Instructor Pages 22

Worksheet 11: Invading Personal Space 23

Worksheet 12: Interrupting 25

Worksheet 13: Repeating Yourself 27

Worksheet 14: Bodily Noises 28

Worksheet 15: Being Bossy 29

Skill 4: Having a Pleasant Voice and Breath 30

Instructor Pages 30

Worksheet 16: Voice Volume 32

Worksheet 17: Voice Tone 33

Worksheet 18: Using Appropriate Language 35

Worksheet 19: Just Answer the Question! 36

Worksheet 20: Bad Breath 38

Skill 5: Being a Good Listener 39

Instructor Pages 39

Worksheet 21: Identifying a Good Listener 41

Worksheet 22: How to Be a Good Listener 43

Worksheet 23: Important Listening Situations 45

Worksheet 24: What Problems Do You See? 46

Worksheet 25: Skit Revisited: Identifying the Listening Skills 48

Skill 6: Sharpening My Communication Skills 50

Instructor Pages 50

Worksheet 26: What Is Communication? 52

Worksheet 27: Communication Through Behavior 53

Worksheet 28: Communication Through Expressions 54

Worksheet 29: Messages 55

Worksheet 30: Practice Your Communication Skills 56

Skill 7: Sizing Up My Reputation 57

Instructor Pages 57

Worksheet 31: What Others Say About You 59

Worksheet 32: Developing a Reputation 60

Worksheet 33: Misjudging Others 62

Worksheet 34: What Kind of Reputation Do You Want? 64

Worksheet 35: Changing Your Reputation 65

Chapter 2 Skills for Self-Improvement 67

Skill 8: Having a Good Sense of Humor 71

Instructor Pages 71

Worksheet 36: Benefits of a Sense of Humor 72

Worksheet 37: Creating Humor Appropriately 73

Worksheet 38: Easing Tension with Humor 74

Worksheet 39: Laughing WITH, not Laughing AT 75

Worksheet 40: Using Humor to Include Others 77

Skill 9: Expressing Myself Appropriately 78

Instructor Pages 78

Worksheet 41: Expressing Myself with Words 80

Worksheet 42: Waiting Before Responding 82

Worksheet 43: Avoiding Getting Upset 84

Worksheet 44: Public vs. Private Conversations 85

Worksheet 45: Communicating via E-Mail 86

Skill 10: Viewing Things Realistically 88

Instructor Pages 88

Worksheet 46: Making Realistic Changes 90

Worksheet 47: Improbable or Impossible? 91

Worksheet 48: Making Changes for the Better: Habits and Friends 93

Worksheet 49: Making Changes for the Better: Attitudes and Actions 95

Worksheet 50: It Could Happen . . . 97

Skill 11: Standing Up for Myself 99

Instructor Pages 99

Worksheet 51: That’s Not Right! 101

Worksheet 52: What Do I Believe? 103

Worksheet 53: Why Do I Think That Way? 104

Worksheet 54: Beliefs and Behavior 105

Worksheet 55: What’s the Problem? 107

Skill 12: Making Good Decisions 108

Instructor Pages 108

Worksheet 56: Questions to Ask Yourself 110

Worksheet 57: A Decision-Making Chart 112

Worksheet 58: What Decision Need to Be Made? 113

Worksheet 59: When You Need More Information 115

Worksheet 60: Head vs. Heart Decisions 117

Skill 13: Controlling My Emotions 119

Instructor Pages 119

Worksheet 61: Why Should We Control Our Emotions? 120

Worksheet 62: First Reaction 122

Worksheet 63: What Triggers Your Emotions? 124

Worksheet 64: Controlling What You Show 126

Worksheet 65: Alternative Reactions 127

Skill 14: Making Good Friends 128

Instructor Pages 128

Worksheet 66: Is This a Good Friend? 130

Worksheet 67: Ways to Make Friends 131

Worksheet 68: Are You a Good Friend? 132

Worksheet 69: Friends Affect Us 133

Worksheet 70: Why We Want Friends 135

Skill 15: Using Common Sense 137

Instructor Pages 137

Worksheet 71: What’s Common About Common Sense? 139

Worksheet 72: Looking for Clues 140

Worksheet 73: Thinking Harder 141

Worksheet 74: Thinking Smarter 143

Worksheet 75: Using Your Common Sense 145

Skill 16: Having a Good Work Ethic 146

Instructor Pages 146

Worksheet 76: Understanding the Job 147

Worksheet 77: Staying on Task 148

Worksheet 78: Knowing When to Ask for Help 149

Worksheet 79: Making a Quick Decision 151

Worksheet 80: Job Completion 153

Chapter 3 Skills for Being Around Others 155

Skill 17: “Reading” Other People 159

Instructor Pages 159

Worksheet 81: A New Kind of Reading 161

Worksheet 82: Facial Expressions 162

Worksheet 83: Tone of Voice 163

Worksheet 84: Body Language 164

Worksheet 85: Sincerity 165

Skill 18: Knowing Expectations 166

Instructor Pages 166

Worksheet 86: Knowing What to Expect: People 168

Worksheet 87: Knowing What to Expect: Situations 169

Worksheet 88: Knowing What Is Expected: Tasks 170

Worksheet 89: Knowing What to Expect: Past Experiences 171

Worksheet 90: Knowing What Is Expected: Commonsense Clues 172xxx

Skill 19: Negotiating or Compromising 173

Instructor Pages 173

Worksheet 91: Negotiation as a Social Skill 175

Worksheet 92: Why You Can’t Always Have Your Own Way 177

Worksheet 93: Situations to Negotiate 178

Worksheet 94: Things That Aren’t Negotiable 179

Worksheet 95: Practice Negotiating 180

Skill 20: Understanding Another’s Point of View 181

Instructor Pages 181

Worksheet 96: Introduction to a Different Viewpoint 183

Worksheet 97: Identifying Different Points of View 184

Worksheet 98: What’s the Basis for This Point of View? 185

Worksheet 99: Changing Your Situation, Changing Your Opinion 186

Worksheet 100: What Are Your Opinions? 187

Skill 21: Being Flexible 188

Instructor Pages 188

Worksheet 101: Handling Changes 190

Worksheet 102: Changing Your Plans 191

Worksheet 103: Changing Your Mind 192

Worksheet 104: Being Open to New Things 195

Worksheet 105: Reflecting 197

Skill 22: Respecting Authority 198

Instructor Pages 198

Worksheet 106: Interacting with Your Supervisor 200

Worksheet 107: When Your Boss Is Wrong 202

Worksheet 108: Other Authority Figures 203

Worksheet 109: Other Types of Authority 205

Worksheet 110: What Would You Do? 207

Skill 23: Making Others Feel Comfortable 208

Instructor Pages 208

Worksheet 111: The Play 210

Worksheet 112: Embarrassing Moments for Others 211

Worksheet 113: Helping Others Through Stressful or Uncomfortable Situations 212

Worksheet 114: Ordinary Times to Be Outgoing 213

Worksheet 115: Things to Beware Of! 214

Skill 24: Working with Others 215

Instructor Pages 215

Worksheet 116: Sharing a Job 217

Worksheet 117: Working as a Team 219

Worksheet 118: Cooperating with Authority 220

Worksheet 119: Brainstorming 221

Worksheet 120: Carrying Out Your Responsibilities 222

Skill 25: Dealing with Strangers 223

Instructor Pages 223

Worksheet 121: Being Overly Friendly to Strangers 225

Worksheet 122: Strangers Who Ask Too Much 226

Worksheet 123: When You Want Something 227

Worksheet 124: Rude Behavior of Others 228

Worksheet 125: From Stranger to Friend 229

Skill 26: Reacting Appropriately to Peer Pressure 230

Instructor Pages 230

Worksheet 126: Feeling the Pressure 232

Worksheet 127: Everybody’s Doing It 233

Worksheet 128: Positive and Negative Peer Pressure 234

Worksheet 129: When There’s a Conflict 236

Worksheet 130: Resisting Negative Pressure 237

Skill 27: Revealing Yourself to Others 238

Instructor Pages 238

Worksheet 131: Mysterious or Just Plain Quiet? 240

Worksheet 132: Why Tell About Yourself? 241

Worksheet 133: Revealing Things to Be Polite 242

Worksheet 134: Revealing Things to Make Conversation 243

Worksheet 135: Take a Risk, Open Up 244

Part Two: Using Social Skills 245

Chapter 4 Using Social Skills at Home 247

Instructor Pages 247

Worksheet 136: Getting Along with Parents 251

Worksheet 137: Getting Along with Siblings 252

Worksheet 138: Balancing Responsibilities and Desires 253xxxxxxx

Worksheet 139: Intrusions on Privacy 255

Worksheet 140: Handling a Divorce or Family Split 256

Worksheet 141: Living with Abusive or Dysfunctional Family Members 258

Worksheet 142: Spending Quality Time with My Family 259

Worksheet 143: Learning About My Family 261

Worksheet 144: Becoming Independent 262

Worksheet 145: Forgiving Others 263

Worksheet 146: I’m Embarrassed About My Family 265

Worksheet 147: Being Proud of My Family 267

Chapter 5 Using Social Skills at School 269

Instructor Pages 269

Worksheet 148: Getting Along with Teachers or Authority Figures 273

Worksheet 149: Managing a Social Life 275

Worksheet 150: Asking for Help 277

Worksheet 151: Failing Classes 278

Worksheet 152: Discipline Problems 279

Worksheet 153: Intimidation from Other Students 280

Worksheet 154: Developing a Bad Attitude Toward School 281

Worksheet 155: Getting Involved in Extracurricular Activities 283

Worksheet 156: Giving Extra Effort Toward Excellence 284

Worksheet 157: School Goals 285

Worksheet 158: Work-Study Options 286

Worksheet 159: School Safety 287

Chapter 6 Using Social Skills at Work 289

Instructor Pages 289

Worksheet 160: Getting Along with Your Supervisor 294

Worksheet 161: Getting Along with Coworkers 296

Worksheet 162: Understanding the Skills Required for the Job 297

Worksheet 163: Developing Good Work Habits 298

Worksheet 164: Following Instructions 299

Worksheet 165: Dealing with Complaining Customers 300

Worksheet 166: Being Resourceful 301

Worksheet 167: Taking Initiative for Promotion 302

Worksheet 168: Sick Days 304

Worksheet 169: Cell Phones at Work 306xxx

Worksheet 170: What Not to Wear, Say, Do 308

Worksheet 171: Workplace Work Space 309

Chapter 7 Using Social Skills with Peers 311

Instructor Pages 311

Worksheet 172: Respecting Others as Individuals 316

Worksheet 173: Developing Healthy Relationships with the Opposite Sex 317

Worksheet 174: Taking Advantage of Social Opportunities 319

Worksheet 175: Deciding How Much Influence Others Will Have over You 320

Worksheet 176: Getting Involved with People with Problems 321

Worksheet 177: Feeling Outcast 323

Worksheet 178: When a Friend Is in Trouble 324

Worksheet 179: Choosing to Befriend Someone 325

Worksheet 180: Becoming a Good Conversationalist 326

Worksheet 181: Being a Peer Role Model 328

Worksheet 182: Misunderstandings 330

Worksheet 183: Taking and Giving 331

Chapter 8 Using Social Skills in the Community 333

Instructor Pages 333

Worksheet 184: Having Respect for the Property of Others 336

Worksheet 185: Demonstrating Good Manners Toward Others 337

Worksheet 186: Respecting Community Authority Figures 338

Worksheet 187: Being Aware of Local Issues 339

Worksheet 188: Supporting Efforts to Improve the Community 340

Worksheet 189: Dealing with Unhelpful People 342

Worksheet 190: Volunteering at Agencies 343

Worksheet 191: Your Local Newspaper 344

Worksheet 192: Helping Each Other 345

Worksheet 193: Promoting Your Community 346

Worksheet 194: Getting to Know People in Your Community 347

Worksheet 195: Participating in Community Events 348