The terms “expected” and “unexpected” are used in the Social Thinking® Curriculum by Michelle Garcia Winner. Michelle started using these terms because she felt the terms appropriate and inappropriate were often used to scold or redirect rather than teach the student at a deeper level. Michelle's Social Thinking website has a variety of articles, products, and free resources to support social skills including the article below which explains the importance of teaching expected/unexpected in a meaningful way:
Why Do We Use the Expected-Unexpected Social Thinking Vocabulary?
Behaviors will impact how people feel. How people feel will influence how they act. By focusing on the expected (rather than on the unexpected) feelings can remain positive. We have found many examples across the Miami Valley of teams directly teaching students this important social skill. Today's Sensational Social Skills post will feature these teams along with the Pillars of Performance created by our Speech and Language Pathologist, Carol Dittoe.
Using our Pillars of Performance (PoP) framework, we created a PoP card to help students Excel at the Expected. PoP is a framework we use to help students acquire and apply social skills. The pillars include: PRACTICE, PRIME, PROMPT & PRAISE. We have created a series of PoP cards to directly teach critical social skills.
Click the image below for a free handout of the Excel at the Expected PoP card. Print,
cut out and laminate the card to use as a visual support when teaching this
skill.
First, introduce the concept of doing what is
expected with a social narrative like the one below:
Social Narrative:
Doing what is expected can be a challenge. There are so many rules
and exceptions to the rules. When we do what is expected, people are calm and
happy. When we do something unexpected, people may feel confused or upset. When
this happens, we can learn from it. The more we learn, the better we will do! Practice these skills to excel at doing the
expected.
Let’s PRACTICE!
In order to master any skill your student will need to deliberatly practice the skill. This makes it much easier to apply the skill in the moment when it is needed the most. Try some of these practice activities to strengthen skills. Repeat, repeat, then repeat.
- Create visuals to state the rules in specific areas or for specific situations. If the student struggles with impulse control, practice the expected behavior in a structured setting prior to expecting the behavior in a natural setting.
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| Social Story Checklist Tim Sullivan Springfield High School, Springfield |
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| Question Visual Cues Brittany Zurn Helke Elementary, Vandalia |
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| Voice Level Visual Mary Schuler Fairborn Intermediate, Fairborn |
- Use video clips to discuss unexpected behaviors in a non-threatening way
- Watch videos that model the expected behaviors. You can create your own videos or find them online. Model Me Kids is a great video modeling curriculum with lessons and workbooks on a variety of social expectations.
- Teach the rules of conversation and collaboration. Use roleplaying to practice.
- Refer to the unexpected proactively to make comparisons during the teaching process. Avoid focusing to the unexpected in the moment of the behavior as this may feel punitive and could develop a negative association with the intervention.
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| Expected and Unexpected Posters Created by Students Annette Baker and Jodi Egbert Miami East Elementary, Miami East |
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| Expected/Unexpected Visual Supports Nancy Cera Brookville Elementary, Brookville |
- Check out this Social Thinking video on Youtube describing teaching strategies for expected/unexpected
2. Look for the clues- Teach students to look for the clues to determine what’s expected by asking these 6 questions:
o What are other people doing? (talking, listening, working, playing, helping)
o Who am I with? (a friend, a teacher, a stranger or a family member)
o Where am I? (in the library, outside, in the cafeteria, in the classroom)
o When is it? (free time, teacher instruction, small group work, individual work)
o How do others feel? (happy, sad, irritated, bored, worried, confused)
o Why do they feel that way and how should I respond?
· The book You are a Social Detective! is a great resource for additional ideas and lesson activities.
3. Ask for help- Teach your student to find a helper. Identify key adults and peers that
the student can trust. Encourage supportive and respectful relationships
between peers. Develop a plan for mentoring and modeling expected behaviors.
Schedule mentoring sessions when the student can meet with a peer or adult to
talk about challenging situations and get advise on what to do or say. Help the
student identify who they can go to for in-the-moment help in different
settings.
4. Use a Calming Strategy- Unexpected behaviors often occur when an individual is
feeling anxious. Dysregulation often leads to impulsive behaviors and emotional
responses. Help the student identify a quick in-the-moment calming strategy
such as deep breathing or palm presses. Practice it regularly so that this
strategy can be applied when the student is feeling anxious. Our Breathing Folder is a great visual support for teaching deep breathing skills. Click the handout below for more information and click the image for a template to create your own folder. 
Time to PRIME!
Use a visual tool to help the student make a plan for what to do during situations that are known to be challenging. Present this tool as a positive priming tool rather than a punative reaction. A contingency map or flowchart can help the student see the long term benefits of doing what is expected. By giving the student the power to make good choices rather than cohersing the student to comply, you will help develop the student’s intrinsic desire to take responsibility and do the right thing.
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| Contigency Map with Picture Icons |
Use the priming bullets on the Excel at the Expected card or a more specific visual tool to review the strategies you have practiced.
If these
strategies are fresh in the mind of your student, the student is more likely to
apply the strategies. Make a point of reviewing these strategies prior to
situations where the student may demonstrate unexpected behavior. If a Social Behavior Flowchart has been
completed for a situation that may occur, this is a good time to quickly review
it. If you have been practicing a
script, provide the script to visually prime them for expected language.
Finally, have the student engage in the calming strategy for a minute or more. These are all strategies that have been
practiced so the student should be very familiar with how to implement them.
The priming session should be a positive pep talk to review these strategies
and instill confidence in your student. By priming the student, you are setting
them up for success.
PROMPT
Even with a priming session, the student may become anxious and forget to do what is expected. Use the Excel at the Expected card as an in-the-moment, nonverbal prompt.
Consider other nonverbal prompts such as tapping on a visual (written or picture) to cue expected language or behavior. If the student is showing signs of escalation, prompt or model the use of the calming strategy.
Give PRAISE!
Our final pillar is the most important. We know
that in order to increase any skill we need to actively reinforce the skill. Focus on catching them doing the expected. By
giving your attention to the expected behaviors you will reinforce them. Too
often attention is given to the unexpected behaviors. If your student seeks
attention, any attention, good or bad, will reinforce the behavior.
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| "Catch Them Doing Good" Class Chart Tara Henriksen Beavertown Preschool, Kettering |
When you give praise, it helps to give praise specific to
the target behavior. You can give praise verbally or in a written note.
If your student needs more tangible reinforcement, they can earn a token or small edible when they demonstrate the target expected behavior.
For more ideas on using the 4 Pillars of Performance to teach social skills check out our previous posts:
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