Mike’s Crush: Social Signals – Full Curriculum – DVD + Lesson Plans

Description

High school is hard for everyone.

With all the rules for friends, crushes, boyfriends and girlfriends changing, it’s confusing!

Most high school students have crushes; but how they are acted upon can be the difference between a budding romance, an embarrassing situation, sexual harassment, or even stalking charges.

But for teens on the autism spectrum, it’s even harder.

Teens with autism and intellectual disabilities want friends and romantic connections, just like their peers – but face extra challenges in developing these relationships. Many lack basic social skills and have difficulty understanding social signals. This often leaves them lonely and isolated, making them at higher risk for crossing social and legal boundaries or being victims of abuse.

Many students who have disabilities demonstrate poor relationship and romantic relationship skills.

Mike’s Crush was designed as a fun way to teach teens with autism, Asperger’s and intellectual disabilities about high school relationships.

Mike’s Crush – Social Signals – Full Curriculum – DVD + Lesson Plans

By Nancy Nowell

The innovative Mike’s Crush curriculum/video program teaches these young people how to establish healthy and safe relationships with their peers, including friendship and romantic relationships. It is a curriculum about social relationships for teens with autism or other special need. It is PEER AND ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP SKILLS for adolescents who are on the autism spectrum or have intellectual disabilities.

The 8 lessons cover many aspects of middle and high school social interactions. For example, students learn how to identify positive and negative body language, recognize when peers do (or don’t) want to be friends, and understand social and legal lines that must not be crossed.

Mike’s Crush uses research-based teaching strategies that are recommended for students on the autism spectrum. These include visual learning techniques such as video modeling and video self-modeling along with role-playing and other interactive methods.

A key instructional tool is the engaging two part video story (Mike’s Crush) that demonstrates all the pieces of a social interaction puzzle, including communication, body language, friendship, hygiene, and personal space. Through exaggerated examples, the video illustrates how a teen can incorrectly “read” a social situation, as well as how to respond appropriately.

Used together, the lessons, videos and activities help students learn and practice new social behaviors in the safe environment of a classroom.

The Mike’s Crush curriculum is versatile and easy to teach. It is written for use by a variety of school personnel as well as by professionals and group leaders in the community. Instructors can use the lessons as written, adapt them, or use the videos alone to problem-solve relationship issues that are occur in their classrooms.

The Mike’s Crush curriculum and videos include:

 Evidenced based treatments as defined by the National Autism Center’s National Standards Project

• A “Very Bad Day” Video (9:38 minutes) with Easy-to-Identify incorrect behavior if you have a crush
• A “Very Good Day” Video (7:09 minutes) that demonstrates healthy ways to handle having a “crush”
• 5 separate video chapters that compare Bad Day and Good Day segments;
• Demonstrations of the right and wrong way to approach a girl (or boy) that you have a crush on. Students learn how to identify positive and negative body language, recognize when peers do or don’t want to be friends and understand social and legal lines that must not be crossed.
• Video Self Modeling (V.S.M.) lessons.
• Visual models for all 8 lessons.
• Eight teacher-tested lessons within a 112 page curriculum manual with detailed teacher instructions
• Multiple activities that practice healthy relationship skills
• Lessons that teach reading both positive and negative responses in a romantic situation.
• Lessons designed to be fun and engaging for students with a wide range of abilities.
• Detailed instructions for teachers to support in teaching this material
• Student assessment, worksheets, quizzes, blank script, and the video scripts
• All handout materials are included on the DVD
• The lessons can be taught by regular school staff and can be easily adapted as needed

Target Audience:

All middle and high school special education classes and related services including; special education, learning support, and emotional support teachers, guidance counselors, health teachers, social workers, speech pathologists, psychologists, and behavior consultants. Classroom tested for middle and high school students who have learning and intellectual disabilities as well as students on the autism spectrum.

Other professionals using the Mike’s Crush curriculum are; therapists, community based behavior consultants, professionals working with problematic/ offending sexual behavior, community based socialization groups, sexuality educators, organizations and agencies that provide services to adolescents and young adults who are on the autism spectrum, have learning or intellectual disabilities.

Recommended for ages 11-24

Length: 8 one-hour lessons

Who is Nancy Nowell?

Nancy Nowell MPA MEd CSE