Semin Speech Lang 2022; 43(04): 277-298
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1750815
Review Article

Social Thinking Metacognitive Strategies to Support Self-Determined Social Goals in Autistic Youth

Pamela J. Crooke
1   Think Social Publishing, Inc., Santa Clara, California
,
Michelle Garcia Winner
1   Think Social Publishing, Inc., Santa Clara, California
› Author Affiliations

Abstract

On any given day, the social mind is taxed with attending to and making sense of a myriad of social events. The social mind is at work when trying to imagine the experiences of others and their inner mental worlds, and is equally active when people seek to approach, connect with, and sometimes avoid one another. Ultimately, the social mind is responsible for thinking about (social) thinking, or social metacognition. Social metacognitive teaching strategies can be helpful for supporting social learners as they observe social landscapes, interpret what is observed to problem solve, or decide whether and how to produce social responses. This article describes how social metacognitive strategies from the Social Thinking Methodology have been used to support the self-determined social goals of two autistic students. Visual frameworks and their underlying theories are provided as evidence-aligned tools for supporting clinical journeys.



Publication History

Article published online:
27 July 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 
  • References

  • 1 Frith CD, Frith U. Mechanisms of social cognition. Annu Rev Psychol 2012; 63: 287-313
  • 2 Ford JA, Milosky LM. Inferring emotional reactions in social situations: differences in children with language impairment. J Speech Lang Hear Res 2003; 46 (01) 21-30
  • 3 Gallese V, Keysers C, Rizzolatti G. A unifying view of the basis of social cognition. Trends Cogn Sci 2004; 8 (09) 396-403
  • 4 Winner MG, Crooke PJ. Social communication strategies for adolescents with autism. ASHA Lead 2011; 16 (01) 8-11
  • 5 Crooke PJ, Winner MG, Olswang LB. Thinking socially. Top Lang Disord 2016; 36 (03) 284-298
  • 6 Winner MG, Crooke PJ. Social Thinking-Social Competency Model: Exploring Sensory Processing, Anxiety Management and Screen Time Overload. Accessed January 30, 2022 at: https://www.socialthinking.com/Articles?name=social-competency-model-attend-interpret-problem-solve-respond
  • 7 Frith CD. The role of metacognition in human social interactions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 367 (1599): 2213-2223
  • 8 Desoete A, De Craene B. Metacognition and mathematics education: an overview. ZDM 2019; 51 (04) 565-575
  • 9 Strydom P. The cognitive and metacognitive dimensions of social and political theory. In: Routledge International Handbook of Contemporary Social and Political Theory. Routledge; 2011: 328-349
  • 10 Efklides A. Affect, epistemic emotions, metacognition, and self-regulated learning. Teach Coll Rec 2017; 119 (13) 1-22
  • 11 Briñol P, DeMarree KG. Social metacognition: thinking about thinking in social psychology. In: Briñol P, DeMarree KG. eds. Social Metacognition. New York: Psychology Press; 2012: 1-18
  • 12 Briñol P, Petty R, Wagner BC. Embodied validation: our body can change and also validate our thoughts. In: Briñol P, DeMarree KG. eds. Social Metacognition. New York: Psychology Press; 2012: 219-240
  • 13 Yzerbyt YV, Demoulin S. Metacognition in stereotypes and prejudice. In: Briñol P, DeMarree KG. eds. Social Metacognition. New York: Psychology Press; 2012: 243-262
  • 14 Miranda A, Berenguer C, Roselló B, Baixauli I, Colomer C. Associations with Executive Functions. Social cognition in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Associations with executive functions. Front Psychol 2017; 8: 1035
  • 15 Hutchins TL, Prelock PA, Morris H, Benner J, LaVigne T, Hoza B. Explicit vs. applied theory of mind competence: a comparison of typically developing males, males with ASD, and males with ADHD. Res Autism Spectr Disord 2016; 21: 94-108
  • 16 Gould S. Multimodal introspection theory. In: Self-Observation in the Social Sciences. New Brunswick and London: Transaction; 2013: 121-146
  • 17 Thompson L, Cohen TR. Metacognition in teams and organizations. In: Briñol P, DeMarree KG. eds. Social Metacognition. New York: Psychology Press; 2012: 283-302
  • 18 Flanagan RM, Symonds JE. Children's self-talk in naturalistic classroom settings in middle childhood: a systematic literature review. Educ Res Rev 2022; 10: 100432
  • 19 Knupsky A, Caballero MS. Do we know what they are thinking? Theory of mind and affect in the classroom. Teach Learn Inq 2020; 8 (01) 108-121
  • 20 Mary A, Slama H, Mousty P. et al. Executive and attentional contributions to Theory of Mind deficit in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Child Neuropsychol 2016; 22 (03) 345-365
  • 21 Myles BS, Trautman M, Schelvan R. The Hidden Curriculum for Understanding Unstated Rules in Social Situations for Adolescents and Young Adults, 2nd ed. AAPC Publishing; 2012
  • 22 Fabes RA, Gaertner BM, Popp TK. Getting along with others: social competence in early childhood. In: McCartney K, Phillips D. eds. Blackwell Handbook of Early Childhood Development. Blackwell Publishing; 2006: 297-316
  • 23 Pugliese CE, Anthony LG, Strang JF. et al. Longitudinal examination of adaptive behavior in autism spectrum disorders: influence of executive function. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 46 (02) 467-477
  • 24 Leung RC, Vogan VM, Powell TL, Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. The role of executive functions in social impairment in autism spectrum disorder. Child Neuropsychol 2016; 22 (03) 336-344
  • 25 Wallace GL, Kenworthy L, Pugliese CE. et al. Real-world executive functions in adults with autism spectrum disorder: profiles of impairment and associations with adaptive functioning and co-morbid anxiety and depression. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 46 (03) 1071-1083
  • 26 Bednarz HM, Trapani JA, Kana RK. Metacognition and behavioral regulation predict distinct aspects of social functioning in autism spectrum disorder. Child Neuropsychol 2020; 26 (07) 953-981
  • 27 Goos M, Galbraith P, Renshaw P. Socially mediated metacognition: creating collaborative zones of proximal development in small group problem solving. Educ Stud Math 2002; 49 (02) 193-223
  • 28 Gardner MK, Smith MM. Does perspective taking ability contribute to reading comprehension?. J Read 1987; 30 (04) 333-336
  • 29 Brinton B, Fujiki M. Social competence in children with language impairment: making connections. Semin Speech Lang 2005; 26 (03) 151-159
  • 30 Orpinas P. Social competence. The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology. 2010. 30. 1-2
  • 31 Leaf JB, Cihon JH, Leaf R. et al. Concerns about ABA-based intervention: an evaluation and recommendations. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52 (06) 2838-2853
  • 32 Beauchamp MH, Anderson V. Social: an integrative framework for the development of social skills. Psychol Bull 2010; 136 (01) 39-64
  • 33 Crick NR, Dodge KA. A review and reformulation of social information-processing mechanisms in children's social adjustment. Psychol Bull 1994; 115 (01) 74
  • 34 Bandura A, Walters RH. Social Learning Theory. Prentice Hall; 1977
  • 35 Mundy PC. Autism and Joint Attention: Development, Neuroscience, and Clinical Fundamentals. Guilford Publications; 2016
  • 36 Mundy PC, Acra CF. Joint attention, social engagement, and the development of social competence. In: The Development of Social Engagement: Neurobiological Perspectives. Oxford University Press; 2012
  • 37 Tomasello M. A Natural History of Human Thinking. Harvard University Press; 2014
  • 38 Mundy P. Joint attention and social-emotional approach behavior in children with autism. Dev Psychopathol 1995; 7 (01) 63-82
  • 39 Saulnier CA, Klin A. Brief report: social and communication abilities and disabilities in higher functioning individuals with autism and Asperger syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 2007; 37 (04) 788-793
  • 40 Tomasello M. Why We Cooperate. Boston: MIT Press; 2009
  • 41 Uljarević M, Phillips JM, Schuck RK. et al. Exploring social subtypes in autism spectrum disorder: a preliminary study. Autism Res 2020; 13 (08) 1335-1342
  • 42 American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub; 2013
  • 43 Hewitt L. Social anxiety and pragmatics in autism spectrum disorders: cognitive behavioral therapy and its relation to speech-language pathology. Perspect Lang Learn Educ 2014; 21 (01) 5
  • 44 Nowell SW, Watson LR, Boyd B, Klinger LG. Efficacy study of a social communication and self-regulation intervention for school-age children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2019; 50 (03) 416-433
  • 45 Bauminger-Zviely N, Alon M, Brill A. et al. Social information processing among children with ASD, SLD, and typical development: the mediational role of language capacities. J Spec Ed 2019; 53 (03) 153-165
  • 46 Tseng A, Biagianti B, Francis SM, Conelea CA, Jacob S. Social cognitive interventions for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review. J Affect Disord 2020; 274 (274): 199-204
  • 47 Bishop-Fitzpatrick L, Minshew NJ, Eack SM. A systematic review of psychosocial interventions for adults with autism spectrum disorders. In: Volkmar F, Reichow B, McPartland J. eds. Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer; 2014: 5-16
  • 48 Tarshis N, Winner MG, Crooke P. What does it mean to be social? Defining the social landscape for children with childhood apraxia of speech. Perspect ASHA Spec Interest Groups 2020; 5 (04) 843-852
  • 49 Müller E, Cannon LR, Kornblum C, Clark J, Powers M. Description and preliminary evaluation of a curriculum for teaching conversational skills to children with high-functioning autism and other social cognition challenges. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2016; 47 (03) 191-208
  • 50 Weston L, Hodgekins J, Langdon PE. Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy with people who have autistic spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev 2016; 49 (49) 41-54
  • 51 Crooke PJ, Winner MG. Research to Frameworks to Practice: The Social Thinking Methodology - Layers of Evidence. Accessed January 30, 2022 at: https://www.socialthinking.com/Articles?name=social-thinking-where-is-the-evidence
  • 52 Crooke PJ, Winner MG. Respecting neurodiversity by helping social learners meet their personal goals. Accessed January 30, 2022 at: https://www.socialthinking.com/Articles?name=respecting-neurodiversity-help-social-learners-meet-goals
  • 53 Crooke PJ, Winner MG. Social Thinking® Methodology: evidence-based or empirically supported? A response to Leaf et al. (2016). Behav Anal Pract 2016; 9 (04) 403-408
  • 54 Rubin E, Prizant BM, Laurent AC, Wetherby AM. Social communication, emotional regulation, and transactional support (SCERTS). In: Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer; 2013: 107-127
  • 55 Winner MG, Crooke PJ. Social Thinking® Frameworks Collection - Set 1. Core Social Thinking vocabulary. Accessed January 30, 2022 at: https://www.socialthinking.com/Products/social-thinking-teaching-frameworks-set-1
  • 56 Winner MG, Crooke P. You are a Social Detective!: Explaining social thinking to kids. Santa Clara: Think Social Publishing; 2021
  • 57 Zweber-Palmer K. Are you teaching deeply or redirecting social behavior? Using the social thinking vocabulary terms expected and unexpected. Accessed April 20, 2022 at: https://www.socialthinking.com/Articles?name=using-terms-expected-unexpected
  • 58 Winner MG, Crooke PJ. Social Thinking® Frameworks Collection - Set 2. Practical Treatment Frameworks. Accessed January 30, 2022 at: https://www.socialthinking.com/Products/social-thinking-teaching-frameworks-set-2
  • 59 Dessalles JL. Conversational topic connectedness predicted by Simplicity Theory. CogSci; 2017