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Book Details
Abstract
Introducing a Social Theatre™, this book provides guidance on how to deliver fun and transformative activities to develop social skills in teenagers and children.
Drawing on ideas from Social Thinking®, CBT, mindfulness and assertiveness training this book develops games, skits and short plays which can be adapted to suit children and teenagers including those who are gifted, typical, and those with mild to moderate cognitive abilities. These activities will help participants become more assertive and flexible as well as improving confidence, focus and self-esteem.
Social Theatre™ can be used in small groups, in class or throughout the school, as well as in group therapy sessions. It provides a new and inclusive way to teach social skills and collaborative learning and is especially useful for those with anxiety, ADHD and ASD.
Shawn Amador is a brilliant pioneer in the field of improv and social skills training! In her book she provides many gifts to practitioners of all levels: an eloquent historical perspective, step-by-step guides to using improv in therapeutic settings, and detailed explanations of the emotional and cognitive influences.
Kristin R. Krueger, PhD, clinician, researcher and member of the Therapy Players
Shawn has crafted a work that is immediately applicable while also being transformational in its approach. It combines the practice of improv and comedy with the theory behind Social Theater and offers a GPS on how, when and why to use each activity. You can't go wrong!
Izzy Gesell MS Ed, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)
Improvisational theatre games are increasingly finding a place in group psychotherapy, and this is a wonderful resource for clinicians working with children and teens, particularly with kids whose social skills may be impaired by attentional or anxiety problems.
David Carbonell, Ph.D., psychologist and founding member of The Therapy Players, comedy improv troupe, Chicago, USA
Shawn Amador is a school social worker who runs an afterschool comedy troupe, and is a part time therapist. She lives and works in Illinois.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teaching Social Skills Through Sketch Comedy and Improv Games – A Social Theatre™ Approach for Kids and Teens including those with ASD, ADHD, and Anxiety, by Shawn Amador | 3 | ||
| Breakdown Chart by Social Thinking® Profile Level and Target Skills | 8 | ||
| Preface | 10 | ||
| Acknowledgements | 12 | ||
| 1. History of Social Theatre™ | 13 | ||
| Social Theatre™ in Classrooms, Afterschool Programs, and Therapeutic Environments | 14 | ||
| Research-based Practice | 15 | ||
| Modified Improv Games for Different Ability Levels | 20 | ||
| “My Idea” Versus “Our Ideas” as Building Blocks | 21 | ||
| Setting the Purpose and Motivation | 22 | ||
| 2. The Creation of Groups | 23 | ||
| Social Thinking® Social Communication Profile: Helpful in Developing Social Theatre™ Therapy Groups | 24 | ||
| Small Group Format (for Therapy Groups) | 29 | ||
| Classroom Group Format | 31 | ||
| 3. The Collaborative Script-writing Process | 32 | ||
| Important Trends to Remember | 32 | ||
| First Step: Brainstorming Rules | 33 | ||
| Second Step: Two Questions to Brainstorm | 35 | ||
| Third Step: Preparation for Evaluating, Increasing Cognitive Flexibility | 36 | ||
| Fourth Step: Group Ideas from Brainstorms | 37 | ||
| Fifth Step: Validating Each Other’s Ideas While Evaluating, and Re-writing | 38 | ||
| Sixth Step: Role Assignment | 39 | ||
| 4. Activities/Skits to Teach Joint Attention and Focus | 40 | ||
| The Martha Game | 40 | ||
| Playing Boo | 41 | ||
| Mirroring | 41 | ||
| Foundation Improv Activity | 42 | ||
| Background of Slow Motion Snowball Fight | 42 | ||
| Slow Motion Snowball Fight | 43 | ||
| Dance Party | 44 | ||
| Mindfulness with Others: Scarf Juggling—1-2-3 Throw | 44 | ||
| Blanket Folding | 46 | ||
| Self-monitoring and Adjusting Behavior through “Room Chi” | 47 | ||
| “The Buzz Kill” | 47 | ||
| Go White Sox???? | 48 | ||
| That Magic Isn’t Real!!! | 49 | ||
| 5. Practicing Recognition of Social Cues | 51 | ||
| Using Stage Levels | 52 | ||
| Conversational Reciprocity Improvisational Game | 53 | ||
| Practicing and Understanding “Awkward” | 53 | ||
| Question–Comment format from Superflex Curriculum® | 54 | ||
| Teach the Skill of Entering a Group | 55 | ||
| Chairs!!! | 55 | ||
| Why Did You Do That? | 57 | ||
| Wanna Hang Out? | 58 | ||
| Match the Feelings (Pairs with “Stop Chasing Me!”) | 60 | ||
| Stop Chasing Me! | 61 | ||
| Feelings Recognition Sequence | 62 | ||
| Call Me When You’re Down | 62 | ||
| By Accident or on Purpose? | 64 | ||
| By Accident or on Purpose? | 65 | ||
| 6. Practicing Self-Regulation Skills | 68 | ||
| “Emotional Coping” Exercises | 68 | ||
| Feelings Charades | 68 | ||
| Levels of Emotions | 69 | ||
| Feeling or Action? | 69 | ||
| Voice Levels Activity | 70 | ||
| Understanding, Teaching, and Discussing Cognitive Distortions | 70 | ||
| The Missing Bunny | 72 | ||
| Being Flexible | 74 | ||
| The Small Change | 75 | ||
| Magnification and Minimization | 76 | ||
| Matching Reactions Improv | 77 | ||
| Big Problem or Little Problem? | 78 | ||
| Chain Reaction and “Projection” | 81 | ||
| Chain Reaction | 82 | ||
| 7. Practicing Perspective Taking | 84 | ||
| Using Magic to Teach Perspective Taking | 84 | ||
| Magician’s Code | 85 | ||
| The Puppeteer Improv Game | 87 | ||
| Hello Jello! | 87 | ||
| 8. Performing When Anxious and Shy…and Clowning!!!! | 91 | ||
| Decreasing Performance Stress Levels | 91 | ||
| Clowning, a Powerful Tool, with Caution | 92 | ||
| Setting Rules for When Clowning Should and Should Not be Used | 92 | ||
| Graduated Exposure and Character Development | 93 | ||
| Catch That Fly! | 94 | ||
| Leap Frog | 95 | ||
| Hide and Seek | 96 | ||
| Scary Movie | 97 | ||
| Clown Surgery | 99 | ||
| 9. Being Confident to Defeat Bullying | 102 | ||
| Practicing Styles of Communication and Assertiveness Skills | 102 | ||
| Styles of Communication Activity | 103 | ||
| If You Want to be Cool | 104 | ||
| Invisible Girl | 107 | ||
| 7 Ways to Defeat a Bully | 110 | ||
| You, Me, and Individuality | 115 | ||
| 10. Social Theatre™ – How Can I Use It? | 119 | ||
| School-wide and in the Community | 119 | ||
| In Classrooms and Community Programs | 120 | ||
| In Group Therapy, Clinical Settings | 121 | ||
| Performance and Confidentiality | 121 | ||
| In Smaller, Non-clinical Groups | 122 | ||
| With Individuals in Educational or Community Settings | 123 | ||
| Appendices | 124 | ||
| References | 133 | ||
| Index | 137 |