Okay, I’ve been on this autism-school journey for quite a few years now, so I think that I know a little about this subject. It’s a never-ending quest for knowledge, I know that, and I also know that there are volumes that I don’t know. Still, how is it that the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has a section on pragmatic language goals that schools never use, never refer to, and actively avoid?!? I want to shout this from the rooftops!
This discovery is due to another Parent Advocate at the Autism Society of NC (you know who you are), who really knows her stuff. The DPI website is byzantine, to say the least, so it’s not surprising that this link is not well known. In our IEP workshop, we often give parents examples of how to link social skills goals to academic needs (raising your hand, asking for help, etc.). Claire Greer, DPI’s Autism Consultant, has collected a list of possible social skills goals that are arranged by grade level—perfect for IEP goals. Here are some examples of social skills competences that she recommends teaching:
- Accurately expressing own feelings through use of words and non-verbal cues
- Initiating questions to extend conversations (in the context of social scripts)
- Identifies types of situations in which to ask for clarification
- Asks for clarification during conversations and class discussion
Here is an excerpt (with my emphasis):
“This document represents various objectives that address pragmatic language development within the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The intent is to clarify that teaching staff and related service personnel are responsible for assuring the development of these competencies. Providing instruction in these objectives assures both access to the standard course of study and to functional communication skills that will promote access to other objectives and skills. The variables and objectives identified within this document are taken from Foundations (at the preschool level) and the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (grades k-8).”
Please tell me how schools could possibly refuse to include social skills goals, when DPI makes such a statement? I hope this encourages parents everywhere to insist upon social skills goals in their child’s IEP. Good luck—and let me know if you succeed, so we can share those stories.
Tags: autism, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, social skills
I\’m a school psychologist in NC who has used the information from the DPI website regarding pragmatic language/social skills objectives to develop IEP goals some of the students I work with who have autism spectrum disorders.
One problem is that the NC DPI website is static – there isn\’t a way for people to sign up for alerts when a web page is updated with new content and links to additional resources.
That is so exciting to hear that a school psychologist is using this information–could you please come work in my school district?! Congratulations on your diligence, truly.
I agree that it would be great to have alerts when the DPI website is updated, especially for the sections that present \”best practices\”. That might be worth sending to Claire Greer and others who post such useful information.