Social Thinking

Social Thinking is a learning strategy that aims to invest persons with cognitive social deficits, most commonly autism spectrum disorders (particularly high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, with the capacity to encode and DECODE the unspoken social conventions which their neurotypical counterparts acquire intuitively. Initially developed in the late 1990s by speech-language pathologist Michelle Garcia Winner, Social Thinking has come to enjoy a warm reception from a wide range of professionals who work with these populations.

Social Thinking curriculae are distinct from social skills instruction. To illustrate, consider the act of making eye contact so prized in Western culture. A social skills approach invites overgeneralization of this behavior resulting in an autistic child who, rather than fail to make eye contact, fails to break it, and gives the antisocial impression of staring. A Social Thinking approach teaches the child that the eyes are important as indicators of another's emotions, responses, and intentions--purposeful and (socially welcome) eye contact follows.

Books

• Winner, Michelle G., Inside Out: What Makes a Person with Social Cognitive Deficits Tick. San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing, 2000
• Winner, Michelle G., Worksheets! for Teaching Social Thinking and Related Skills. San Jose: Think Social Publishing, 2004
• Winner, Michelle G., Think Social! A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students. San Jose, CA: Think Social Publishing, 2004
• Buron, Kari, B., A 5 is Against the Law!. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company, 2007. ISBN 1-931282-35-8

Winner, Michelle Garcia, Think Social: A Social Thinking Curriculum for school age students (2005) Book Winner, Michelle Garcia, Social Behavior Mapping (2005) Book Winner, Michelle Garcia, Strategies for Organization: Preparing for Homework and the Real World (2005) Book Winner, Michelle Garcia, Sticker Strategies: Practical Strategies to encourage social thinking and organization (2007) Book Winner, Michelle Garcia, Growing Up Social (2007) Book Winner, Michelle Garcia, Thinking AbOUT You Thinking About Me, 2nd EDition (2007) Book Winner, Michelle Garcia, Social Behavior Mapping (2007) DVD Winner, Michelle Garcia, and Stephanie Madrigal, Superflex: Superflex takes on Rockbrain and the Team of Unthinkables (2008) Book Winner, Michelle Garcia, and Pamela Crooke, You are a Social Detective: Explaining Social Thinking to Kids (2008)