There's a lot of confusion about "social skills interventions" today.

One one hand it's difficult to watch students struggle to make friends, form relationships, and navigate social situations. 

Explaining the "rules" often doesn't seem to work because students don't generalize from one setting to another.

Many kids they don't seem motivated to work on "social skills, and it's we often aren't sure if traditional behavior management is the right way to go... 

Yet when your clients are showing signs of distress in school and other daily scenarios, it can be hard to know how to help.

I know as an SLP, I used to have a million questions running through myhead. Like:

... How can I help my students initiate a conversation, instead of walking around the playground alone? 

... How do I help them make real friends, instead of sitting at the lunch table by themselves?

... Will my student find a date to prom? Or ever be able to date, period? 

... What will happen when they go to college? Will they make friends and thrive, or lock themselves up in their dorm room? 

... Will they be able to support themselves as an adult? Will they learn the skills they need to keep a steady job? 

... Will they ever learn to read social cues and relate to people? How do I help them do this? 

... Is "social skills training" the right thing to do? How do I help my students without being ableist?

I'm Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan, and I used to ask myself all of those same same questions. Until I found a framework that helped me put all the pieces together.

Here's what I've learned about social skills training: 

A lot of it is cookie-cutter and completely nonfunctional. 

Flash cards, pre-made stories, and worksheets...they're not going to cut it. 

If we want to truly make an impact, we have to focus on the right tasks...

And what I've found is that when SLPs aren't seeing results with pragmatic language goals...

It's usually because they need to make at least one of these shifts.

Shift #1: Focus on "effective" social behaviors instead of "appropriate" behaviors.

There's a lot of emphasis on making children with ASD and other disabilities act "normal".

But who gets to decide what "normal" is?

Social rules and behaviors are determined by culture, location, and other things that have to do with the environment.

We know our clients with social-pragmatic issues have a hard time interpreting clues from the environment to know what behaviors will allow them to succeed in different contexts.

The problem is that one person's "normal" may not look like the next person's "normal".

This is extremely confusing to our clients.

It's too hard for them to apply those "appropriate" and "normal" behaviors at the right time because they struggle to read social cues in the moment.

So instead, they resort to getting their needs met any way they can.

...Instead of politely complying with directions at school, they throw their papers on the floor in protest because it's the only way they know how to communicate their frustration.

...They hide under a desk instead to get out of an difficult task they don't want to do.

...Or maybe they do some other behavior that could cause harm to themselves or others.

But here's where a lot of social interventions go wrong.

When clients DO show some progress, they get no positive feedback because they still aren't being "appropriate" and "normal" enough.

Maybe instead of doing a self-injurious behavior, they bluntly tell the teacher they don't want to do their work.

A step in the right direction, but they still get in trouble for being rude.

Or maybe instead of throwing themselves on the floor, they quietly get out of their chair and start pacing.

But then they get in trouble for getting out of their chair.

Getting out of your chair while the teacher is talking is not "normal" enough.

So they get no input that they're moving in the right direction.

So what happens? The student starts to give up.

They start to withdraw even further, because they STILL get negative feedback when they make steps towards behaviors that are "effective", but not what the world has deemed "appropriate".

As clinicians, we often make this mistake because we're subjected to those same preconceived notions about how we're "supposed" to act.

We even get pressure from people we work with to "fix" our clients' behaviors and make them fit in to that mold.

But our clients won't ever succeed if we spoon feed them a bunch of arbitrary rules about what's "acceptable" and "appropriate".

Instead, we need to help them master three components of social interaction (Bellini, 2008):

Here's how it works:

How you think impacts how you feel. How you feel impacts what you do.

What you do impacts what OTHERs do, and you react to their behaviors, and form your thoughts about the situation.

You then have feelings about those thoughts, which causes you to act in certain ways.

It's a complete cycle.

But most social skills interventions don't address all three of these things together.

In fact, many address the DOING, without considering the THINKING or FEELING.

But if we shift our approach and help students master these three components, they'll finally be able to:

....Accurately interpret social cues and responses of other people.

....Process their feelings about what's happening in social settings, so they can determine how effective their behaviors are.

...Use that information to inform how they act in the future.

When they learn to integrate the way they think, feel, and act across settings, this is what makes them able to generalize and choose behaviors that are FUNCTIONAL and EFFECTIVE, rather than simply APPROPRIATE.

But they need our help to do it.

Successful integration of these three areas is not going to happen if students are punished for not behaving perfectly 100% of the time.

Instead, we shape their behavior along the way as they learn to integrate these three components.

Shift #2: Identify the area of need BEFORE focusing on strategies, data collection.

I get a lot of questions about how to take data for pragmatic language goals.

I also get a lot of questions about how to use different strategies, like social scripts.

The problem is that many people asking these questions haven't fully diagnosed the specific area where the student needs support.

Which of course, if you aren't sure where the disconnect is happening, it's very difficult to determine what skills you're teaching.

And the strategies you choose, the goals you write, and how to measure them are all irrelevant if you don't know what you're teaching in the first place.

But the good news, is that once you have a clear roadmap for identifying the area of need...

Picking the right strategy, goals, and data collection methods become clear.

Developing that roadmap start with understanding the six categories of social problem-solving.

Those six areas are:

When you understand these six areas, you'll be able to:

...Quickly determine WHY your students struggle in certain situations.

...Identify a set of key skills they need to succeed.

...Write measurable, objective goals that are easy to track.

...Choose evidence-based strategies to help meet those goals.

Shift #3: Recognize the difference between skill deficits and performance deficits: 

There are two types of deficits that limit one's ability to function in social situations.

If a social skills intervention is failing, it's usually because the people doing the intervention are not addressing one of the deficits described below (Bellini, 2008; Oltmanns et al., 2002):

Treating a skill-based deficit may require a lot of direct teaching in a less-distracting setting.

Pull-out and small group structured activities work great for these types of deficits.

They don't work as well when you have kids who ALSO have performance-based deficits.

Those students need additional support in more functional contexts; so if you're not providing those contexts, you're likely to see poor generalization.

The opposite is true for kids who have skill-based deficits.

If you ONLY focus on providing therapy in less structured, more functional (and often, distracting) contexts, they'll often end up very frustrated.

Instead, those students may need more explicit intervention in more structured settings because they don't yet have the skills to apply them to functional situations.

The key to EFFECTIVE intervention across the board is identifying skill-based deficits vs. performance deficits and planning intervention accordingly.

If you've seen poor progress in social skills interventions, it's likely because you need to make at least one of these shifts.

But the good news is that it's possible for you to turn it around with the right roadmap, so you can help your students:

Successfully engage with peers and enjoy regular social interactions.

Have real connections and friendships with peers and navigate social gatherings effectively.

Understand how to navigate academic settings so they can meet necessary expectations and guidelines needed for future success.

Develop the skills they'll need to find and keep a job as an adult, so they can support themselvs.

Empower them to be the best version of themselves so they can lead productive and happy lives.

That's exactly what you'll learn how to do inside

The Social Language Roadmap 

The Social Language Roadmap is a self-led online course for SLPs that guides you through social problem-solving intervention that gets real, functional results.

“I've just finished your course, and I love it! You've simplified it to the essentials.”  

~ Carol White , Speech-Language Pathologist

The Social Language Roadmap gives you a simple and effective process for focusing your therapy on the social skills students need to thrive in the real world.

When you join The Social Language Roadmap, you will: 

Stop using behavior charts and other reinforcement strategies that don't motivate students. 

Stop doing contrived exercises that don't result in generalization. 

Learn why most "social skills interventions" fall short, and what to do instead. 

Learn exactly how to choose the right strategy to meet your students social language needs. 

And...

Start focusing your therapy on the social problem-solving skills your students need to thrive, so they can reach their full potential in life. 

Here's what SLPs are saying about my resources:


  • "I definitely feel more knowledgeable about vocabulary learning and intervention!
  • "Dr. Karen leaves out the fluff and gets straight to the facts. I love how she utilizes current research and breaks it down into practical solutions." 
  • "I work with children just like you described and you have given me incredible ideas and it made my job even more fun than ever before." 
  • "Not many companies (large or small) in the field of speech–language pathology put out ONLY evidence-based products. Dr. Karen Speech & Language, however, is one of them. THANK YOU for giving us the best of the best, Dr. Karen!" 
  • "Great evidence-based resources that are so practical and helpful for pediatric SLPs and their clients!" 
  • "I love Dr. Karen's no-nonsense style. She gets straight to the point and helps clinicians use solid, evidence-based approaches to help children with language deficits."  

What’s inside The Social Language Roadmap?  

The Social Language Roadmap consists of 6.5 hours of training designed to guide you through the tenets of effective social skills and a protocol for writing goals and planning intervention.  

Here's how it breaks down...  

Section 1  

Learning why you need the "road map" and what it looks like.  


Highlights from this module include: 

  • The biggest mistakes practitioners make when implementing social skills interventions — and some common misconceptions behind social skills trainings. 
  • The myths preventing most practitioners from getting real results, plus the truth about why some students withdraw or isolate themselves from social gatherings.  
  • Why having a massive list of strategies is NOT what you need to help your students, and what you need to create sustainable growth in your students' habits and behaviors. 
  • What it takes to truly have effective social interactions, and why many "pre-made" materials miss the mark. 
  • Why teaching social skills is different from academic skills, and how we need to plan our interventions accordingly. 

Section 2 

The three pillars of social interaction, and why they're the key to success. 

Highlights from this module include: 

  • The three components we all need in order to have effective social interactions, why they're the key to helping our students stay regulated and adjusted across settings.
  • The often-overlooked components we need to address to help students read social cues effectively. 
  • Why "knowing" how to act in social settings is not enough to facilitate generalization; plus the skills students need to carry out appropriate social behaviors at the right time. 
  • The commonly-missed skills your students need to read social cues accurately and apply skills you teach them in real-life situations. 
  • The impact of social anxiety on social functioning, and why it might be the culprit holding your students back from generalizing. 
  • How to help your students manage responses to anxiety-inducing triggers, so they can process and respond to social cues more effectively. 

Section 3  

Social-pragmatic intervention planning 

 

Highlights from this module include: 

  • The six categories of social impairment, and how to use them to diagnose and treat your students' biggest challenges.
  • How to use the "categories of impairment" to ensure therapy is focused on the right skills, so you get the most out of therapy time. 
  • The difference between "skill" and "performance" deficits, and why confusing the two can be the culprit behind limited progress. 
  • How to identify "skill" vs. "performance" deficits, and why this is the key to sustainable carryover. 
  • How to translate “problem behaviors” in to tangible goal statements that give you massive clarity on your intervention focus. 
  • How to target social language goals with evidence-based interventions that help your student function across settings. 
  • How to pick the right intervention based on your students' deficit areas and therapy goals, so you can shave hours off your planning time.  

Section 4 (NEW!)

Advanced Intervention Tutorials 

Highlights from this module include: 

  • A protocol for video modeling that enables to students to generalize skill-based deficits across settings. 
  • The essentials of your social script and narrative protocol; including why this strategy is so much more than just the script itself. 
  • The strategy and framework behind crafting good social scripts, narratives, and videos that yields true, sustainable results. 
  • The technical elements of creating social scripts, social narratives, and videos for video modeling (including how to store and share files).
  • How to quickly create engaging videos and stories for your students with free images and tools you already have.
  • The role-play strategy that helps you bridge the gap between therapy sessions and functional social situations.
  • How to motivate students and break down belief patterns and misconceptions preventing them from experiencing success in social situations. 
  • How to help students with conditions like ADHD and ASD stay regulated and attend.
  • A strategy that will "prime" your students for upcoming situations and help them learn how to use social skills flexibly.
  • How to use behavior charts and data to motivate students to make lasting positive changes to their social habits.  

BONUS #1 

Member's exclusive discussion group

 

All members will get exclusive access to a private Facebook group called the "Language Therapy Insider's Club".  

  • Get answers to questions so you can nail your therapy implementation. 
  • Connect with like-minded therapists in a safe, supportive environment. 
  • Get access to monthly Facebook live Q & As hosted by Dr. Karen to answer your therapy questions.  

BONUS #2 (NEW!)

Materials Library

 

Get exclusive access to tools and resources you can use to cut hours off plan time and still make GROUNDBREAKING results. Includes:

  • Peer mentor consent forms you can use to easily recruit "peer helpers" to reinforce social behaviors across the school day. 
  • Video/image consent forms to help you stay legally compliant while making meaningful, individualized social scripts and videos. 
  • Video modeling/social script schedule to ensure your students "practice" and review outside of therapy.
  • Social skills data chart to motivate students and efficiently track progress on social behaviors across settings. 
  • Video modeling components handout to help you create simple, effective videos for teaching social behaviors.
  • Social script outline to help you craft individualized social narratives and mantras without spending hours planning. 
  • Role-play plan handout to help you bridge the gap between therapy and real-life situations. 
  • Pros and cons handout to guide you through and evidence-based way to build positive social beliefs, increase motivation, and create permanent positive changes to habits.
  • Tests of evidence handout to guide you through a tried-and-true way to help students effectively interpret social situations and form stronger relationships. 
  • Cognitive priming handout to help you "prime" students for upcoming social situations and help them problem-solve during challenging scenarios.  

Want a peek inside? If so watch this "Advanced Intervention Tutorials" tour: 


“Dr. Karen takes the stress out of speech therapy by focusing on the underlying skills kids need to succeed. She brings a much-needed element of simplicity to an otherwise very broad area of "language therapy”  

~ Rachel S., Speech-Language Pathologist

Join The Social Language Roadmap today for just $197. 

CLICK TO JOIN THE SOCIAL LANGUAGE ROAD MAP TODAY

Streamline your therapy in the next 60 days… or your money back.

My promise to you is simple: 

Work through the training modules, use the done-for-you activities and resources with your students, and reach out to me at talktome@drkarenspeech.com when you need help.  

When you enroll in The Social Language Roadmap, I’m giving you 60 days to put it to the test.  

If you still don’t feel confident and focused with your intervention...  

… Then all you need to do is email me within 60 days your purchase at talktome@drkarenspeech.com, show me that you’ve made a reasonable attempt to implement the strategies and follow the system, and I’ll give you a full refund — no hassle.  

Questions you might have about The Social Language Roadmap...

How does this program work?

The Social Language Roadmap is an online course for SLPs who work with school-aged children that are affected by language processing difficulties and disorders. It includes 6.5 hours of training, plus a materials library. 

It's 100% online with self-led video trainings and an exclusive Facebook group where you can ask questions.  

When you join the program, you get a login to an online members area where you can log in and watch the trainings and download course materials.

You'll have lifetime access to all of the trainings. That means if you get behind, you can always catch up later. You'll also be able to go back and re-watch trainings as many times as you want.

How do I know if this program is right for my caseload?

The Social Langauge Roadmap IS for K-12 students who have social-pragmatic language issues that impact their ability to socialize and interact with others across settings (academic, social, vocational). 

The strategies and framework you'll find inside the program can be applied with students identified as having pragmatic language difficulties due to any condition that may impact social functioning (e.g., autism). 

The course won't address techniques for students who are only learning functional communication (like those who need AAC) and are in the severe to profound range.  

It also might not be relevant if you only work with very young students (preschool and under). The course is most appropriate for early elementary through early secondary. 

What is your refund policy?

When you sign up for The Social Language Roadmap, you have 60 days to implement the material. 

If you aren't satisfied after making an honest effort to use the techniques, I'll just have a form for you to fill out where you can show me the 60-days worth of work you've put in, and I'll give you a full refund. You'll just need to email me at talktome@drkarenspeech.com for support.  

Can I earn CEUs for this program?

You will earn professional development hours (PDHs), which are similar to CEUs (formerly CMHs). This is what your professional development hours are called if you earn them from an organization not directly sponsored by ASHA.

ASHA will accept PDHs as professional development hours “non-ASHA” sponsored organizations such as mine, and there is information about the translation from PDHs to CEUs here, as well as what you’d need to do in order to track them. I will provide certificates you can use to document your hours in the case you are ever audited.  
State licensing boards vary as far as whether they accept PDHs or CEUs — if you’re not sure, check the requirements for your specific state.

You will earn a total of 6.5 CMHs for Social Language Roadmap coursework.  

Will my employer reimburse me for this? 

Some of our students have successfully sought reimbursement from their employer, while the majority have paid for the program with their own funds and are now reaping the benefits (you can read some of their stories on this page). Over the past 15 years, I’ve noticed that the most successful SLPs with the highest job satisfaction are often the ones who are willing to invest in themselves and surround themselves with the support they need to succeed. 

The people who enroll in this program are committed to their own personal and professional growth — and if that sounds like you, you’re in a great position to see incredible results with this program.  

 

Still have questions? 

Just send me a note by emailing talktome@drkarenspeech.com and I'll be happy to answer.

Join us in 3 easy steps:

 STEP 1 Use the buttons on this page to select your payment plan and complete payment via our secure checkout.  

 STEP 2 You’ll receive your login information to your online learning portal via email within 15 minutes.  

  STEP 3  

Start working through module 1 as soon as you’re ready. 

And then…  

Take just a few minutes to celebrate the fantastic decision you've just made and the committment you've made to change your students' lives!  

To recap, when you enroll, you'll get...

  • Core training modules to walk you through the roadmap to social-pragmatic intervention planning ($497 Value).
  •  Advanced intervention tutorials to show you a in-depth guide to evidence-based techniques ($997 Value).
  • BONUS 1: Exclusive member's discussion group ($497 Value).
  • BONUS 2: Materials library filled with tools and resources designed to cut hours off plan time ($297 value). 

TOTAL VALUE $2288 when sold separately.

So if you're tired of:

🤷‍♂️Digging through materials and activities that don't help your students generalize...

🤷‍♂️Stressing about whether or not you're "doing EBP" or taking the right kind of data...

🤷‍♂️Targeting that tired old "will make appropriate eye contact" goal...  

🤷‍♂️Seeing your students miss out on genuine social connections...

🤷‍♂️Explaining the "rules" over and over again without making a dent in your student's understanding...

🤷‍♂️Worrying that your students will never hold down a steady job or have friendships...

And you're finally ready to: 

👍See your students relating to other people in both a functional and authentic way...  

👍See that your students take ownership in learning what you’re teaching them...

👍Help students make lasting friendships and enjoy social interactions...  

👍Help your students thrive in ACADEMIC and SOCIAL settings...  

👍Unlock your students' capacity to adapt to social situations...  

Then join me in The Social Language Roadmap Today for just $197. 

CLICK TO JOIN THE SOCIAL LANGUAGE ROAD MAP TODAY