Teaching neurodivergent kids how to create the reputation they want

I often struggle to describe exactly what I teach to the students in the program here at Starfish. Partly because my ADHD brain has a hard time translating my thoughts into words sometimes, and partly because there is just SO much that goes on here!  

I usually use the term 'social skills' to describe what students learn, but really I only use that term because it's what people know and recognize. We also work on:

*life skills

*problem-solving skills

*communication strategies

*self-advocacy

*emotional regulation

*conflict resolution

*decision-making

*relationship building.

Yeah, it's a lot!  

Over the next couple of months, I'm using my solo podcast/YouTube episodes to dive deep into each one of the four modules that make up the program here, called SC3 Academy. 'SC3' stands for socially competent, confident, and connected.  

In this week's episode, I'm breaking down the 8 weeks of our module called 'Identity'. This is the content I teach live in the groups in August through October, and I consider it to be the foundation of the program.  

Here's a clip from the episode:

Because of this, our kiddos very, very rarely get helpful social feedback. So if all that's happening is, you know, every time it's recess time the other kids run away from you, or you know, the other kids keep telling you that you're annoying but you don't know why, how can you possibly create a different outcome for yourself? How can you possibly start to make friends and have conversations with kids when you don't know why the kids are running away from you? Or you don't know why they're calling you annoying? Or you don't know why everybody stops talking when you walk up to the group in the hallway? This is one of my biggest soapboxes if you will about social is everybody in the world deserves to have helpful social feedback. And so lesson seven, week seven, I teach our students how to give each other helpful social feedback.  

Listen to the podcast.

Watch on YouTube.

On a personal note: I moved out of Texas a few months ago, and it is currently 2F/-17C and snowing in my new home! My kitty and I are holed up inside because I'm not even pretending like I know how to drive in the ice and snow! Wishing everyone in the US a safe week as most of us are experiencing the chill right now!

I'll see you again next week, and I'm glad you are here!