The Hidden Curriculum

1
The Hidden Curriculum

• Practical Solutions for Understanding Unstated
  Rules in Social Situations
• Brenda Smith Myles
• Melissa L. Trautman
• Ronda L. Schelvan

2
Introduction

• Each of the strategies presented can be effective
  tools when teaching students with socio-cognitive
  challenges.
• The goal is to assist the students identify
  hidden curriculums and understand the rules,
  mores, manners and gestures embedded in the
  activities.

3
Social Intuition

• Most people have social intuition
• Lifeline used daily basis
• Helps us navigate in emotional or physical
  situations to avoid harm
• Lets us avoid social disasters

4
Social Intuition

• We are constantly surveying for unwritten rules
  that will apply to each of our interactions
• The unwritten rules are our hidden curriculum.
  
• After surveying, we consider and proceed
  successfully within context of the interaction
• Translate to what we consider good social
  skills
• for people who exhibit string cognitive and
  language skills

5
Some individuals miss the boatbecause they lack
tools.
social
emotions
language
inferences
rules
6

• Students with atypical neurological development
  struggle to navigate social situations because
  they lack some of the necessary tools.

7
Personal Characteristics

• This group includes individuals with
• Strong cognitive skills weak social skills
• Gaps in cognitive skills
• Lacking an intuitive sense
• Emotionally withdrawn or experiencing gaps in
  emotional development

8
So, who are these students?

• Autism
• Apsbergers
• PDD
• ADHD
• ADD
• Nonverbal learning disabilities
• hyperlexia

9
Michelle G. Winner Author Inside Out What
Makes a Person with Social Cognitive Deficits
Tick?

• recognize their inability to develop social
  skills and interpret the social nuances of those
  round them brings deep and lifelong challenges
  that impact their lives in a multitude of ways,
  including .

10
Life impacted
social
emotional
behavior
recreational
vocational
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What is the Hidden Curriculum?

• Rules or guidelines not taught directly but taken
  for granted that everyone knows.
• Affects
• social interactions
• school performance
• safety
• idioms
• metaphors
• slang
• body language

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Exampleget off my back

• When one understands hidden curriculum.
• We read both
• idiom and body language
• Message received is Leave me alone

• Not able to access hidden curriculum
• Literal interpretation
• Piggy back ride is over!

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Phrases that include hidden curriculum

• I shouldnt have to tell you, but..
• It should be obvious that..
• Common sense says
• No one ever..
• Everyone knows that
• Do you have the time.
• Can you give me a hand.
• shut up! different connotations teens vs
  adults

14
Reading the Hidden Curriculum of Body Language
Body Part Action Interpretation
Head Leaning to one side not understanding, listening, thinking
Face Whole face scowl Displeased, intimidated, bullying, anger
Eyes Wide open Almost closed Surprise, amazement Disbelief doubt
Eyebrows Knit brows Thinking, confused
Mouth Corners lifted up Corners down Opened wide Greeting, happy Sad, unhappy, disappointed Surprise, shock
15
Examples of body language
Body Part Action Interpretation
Chin Lifted, pushed forward Proud, tough, defiant
Body Pointing a finger Giving directions, threat, getting in trouble
Body Hands on hips Frustrated, bored, questioning/ expecting an answer
Body Shrugging shoulders Questioning, dont know
Body Arms folded across chest Unapproachable, Listening/ taking in info
16
Hidden Curriculum Points to consider

• Hidden Curriculum differs with age
• Hidden Curriculum differs with gender
• Hidden Curriculum differs depending on who you
  are with
• Cultures have their own unique Hidden Curriculums

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Impact of the Hidden Curriculum

• When an individual is unable to interpret a
  Hidden Curriculum, they may be
• bullied
• ignored
• teased/ taunted
• misunderstood

18
Hidden Curriculum in School

• Schools have many unwritten rules that need to be
  taken into account for success of all
• How to dress
• the right backpack
• Greetings
• cool hang outs
• Free-time activities
• Must have technology
• Many students are motivated figure out the
  unwritten rules and do so by observing the
  perceived popular kids, advertisements, and adapt
  to their personal style.

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Teacher Expectations Hidden Curriculums

• Hidden Curriculums- Rick Lavoie
• classroom rules
• what to do when the bell rings
• physically- how to travel in the building
• administrative structure
• daily schedule
• extra- curricular connections
• Strategy what most students pick up at the
  start of school, should be taught to
  neurologically
• atypical students.

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Hidden Curriculums - Community

• Public bathroom protocols
• health and personal safety ramifications
• Public library use
• varying rules for use as a child versus teen
• Dating and personal relationships
• Accessing public transportation
• Strategy prepare for what can be anticipated
  with
• social stories or comic strips

21
Workplace Hidden Curriculums

• The workplace can be a trap when it comes to
  understanding hidden curriculums.
• Assumption that adults know work place mores, and
  can master in a short time.
• Less tolerance and higher stakes for breaking the
  hidden rules.

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Workplace Hidden Curriculums

• Hidden Curriculums in the workplace are
• Personal emailing on company account
• Casual dress
• Offering suggestions
• the customer is always right defined
• Disagreeing with your boss
• Adding work responsibilities
• Negotiating a raise
• Bring lunch or out to eat
• lunch hour defined
• Break protocols
• Dealing with anger towards coworkers

23
Workplace Hidden Curriculums

• Suggested Strategy
• Directly teach the differences between a company
  manual organizational flow chart and the chain of
  command that is actually followed.
• - Important for individuals with socio-cognitive
  challenges who tend to be rule-bound.

24
Teaching the Hidden Curriculum

• Instruction is key to learning hidden curriculums
  for people with socio-cognitive challenges.
• May need different instructional strategies to
  cover the wide range of hidden curriculums.

25
Teaching Strategies

• Safe Person
• Situation-Options-Consequences-Choices-Strategies-
  Simulation SOCCSS
• Seek-Observe-Listen-Vocalize-Educate SOLVE
• Power Card Strategy
• Social Autopsies
• Direct Instruction
• An Item A Day
• Incredible 5-Point Scale
• Video Modeling
• Social Narratives
• Social stories
• Cartooning

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Teaching Strategies

• Safe Person
• Identify someone students are comfortable asking
  for help.
• Need to identify and teach who the safe person is
  AND types of questions to ask.
• Dont limit safe person options.
• Safe person characteristics
• Knows student s characteristics and perspectives
  
• Respectful
• Listen non-judgmentally
• Knows when to just listen and when to offer
  suggestions
• Take anothers perspective
• Problem solve without power struggles
• Adjust facial expression to discussion (matter of
  fact animated)
• Knows triggers for individual
• Able to set realistic boundaries a nd follow
  through

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Safe Person Probing Questions

• Phrase questions to get the information needed to
  continue with instruction
• Suggestions
• What does ___________mean?
• Help me understand.
• When a person says/does ________, what do they
  mean?
• Show me a better way to

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Teaching Strategies

• Situation- Options- Consequences- Choices-
  Strategies- Simulation
• Jan Roosa
• Tool for understanding social situations
• Helps teach problem solving skills using
  sequential format
• Teacher directed
• Helps individuals grasp cause and effect
• Realize their decisions can influence outcomes
• Used to help individual interpret what happened
  to them
• Can also use to teach social skills
• Identify situations students may struggle and
  prepare plan before situation occurs.

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SOCCSS- Situation- Options- Consequences-
Choices- Strategies- Simulation

• SSituation
• Social problem occurs -----gt
• Help student identify who, what, when,
  where, and why.
• Goal student independently connect
• the dots
• In the beginning, safe person takes
  active role in prompting answers

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SOCCSS- Situation- Options- Consequences-
Choices- Strategies- Simulation

• O Options
• Together brainstorm several behavioral options
  student could have chosen.
• Accept and record all ideas without judgment.
• May need to initially prompt more than one idea
  for the situation.

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SOCCSS- Situation- Options- Consequences-
Choices- Strategies- Simulation

• C Consequences
• For each behavior option identified in step 2,
• list consequence (s).
• List all possible consequences for any option.
• Role play may help. Students often struggle with
  cause and effect, so identifying consequences is
  hard.

32
SOCCSS- Situation- Options- Consequences-
Choices- Strategies- Simulation

• C Choices
• Prioritize options and consequences
• Use numerical rating OR
• Yes/no response for each
• Student chooses the option that
• feels he can complete AND
• will most likely get what they want.

33
SOCCSS- Situation- Options- Consequences-
Choices- Strategies- Simulation

• S Strategies
• Develop a plan to carry out the Option
• when the situation occurs again.
• Collaborate, but have the student generate the
  plan. This places the ownership of the decision
  and responsibility on the student.

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SOCCSS- Situation- Options- Consequences-
Choices- Strategies- Simulation

• S Simulation
• Practice
• Visually imagine carrying out the strategy
• Role play
• After simulations, evaluate whether or not have
  students have the skills and confidence to follow
  through.
• If answer is No- do more simulations.

35
Teaching Strategies

• SEEK-OBSERVE-LISTEN-VOCALIZE-EDUCATE
• SOLVE
• Empowerment strategy
• Way of viewing the world
• Can be used in most environments and situations
• SEEK actively look for hidden curriculums that
  permeate
• our environments. Theyre everywhere. We
  need to take an active approach to find them .

36
SEEK-OBSERVE-LISTEN-VOCALIZE-EDUCATE(SOLVE)

• OBSERVE
• One way of learning hidden curriculums
• Take time to evaluate social situation before
• participating in it.
• Look for
• how people act
• movements
• solitary vs. group

37
SEEK-OBSERVE-LISTEN-VOCALIZE-EDUCATE(SOLVE)

• LISTEN
• Listen for topics of conversation
• -movie, mutual friends, music, books, concert,
  TV
• Attend to conversations to join in
• Important know what people are NOT talking
  about
• company parties- no shop talk

38
SEEK-OBSERVE-LISTEN-VOCALIZE-EDUCATE(SOLVE)

• VOCALIZE
• Quietly ask to have unfamiliar slang, idioms and
  gestures explained
• Ask about appropriate dress for event
• An identified "safe person can give you advice
• Asking and cracking the hidden curriculum codes
• Keeps you from feeling uncomfortable,
  misunderstood, or ostracized

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SEEK-OBSERVE-LISTEN-VOCALIZE-EDUCATE(SOLVE)

• EDUCATE
• Share the information you have learned by
  figuring out hidden curriculums.
• Educating can come from a safe person or
  others if needed.
• Prefice with script such as Can I help? or
• The last time I went to __________, I didnt
  know that.

40
Teaching Strategies

• Social Narratives
• Direct instruction
• Describes social cues and appropriate responses
• Teaches new social skills
• Written for students at their instructional level
  
• Use pictures or photos
• Identifies content, promote self-awareness,
  self-calming, self-management
• Loose guidelines
• Samples

41
Teaching Strategies

• Social Stories (Gray)
• Type of social narrative
• Very popular
• Individualized story describing a social
  situation from students perspective
• Description includes
• why situation occurs
• how others feel or react to situation
• what prompts feeling or reactions
• Framework individualized to specific situations,
  and individuals abilities and lifestyles
• Written- can be paired with pictures created by
  staff, families student input when feasible
• Most successful socio-cognitive disabilities
• Resource www.graycenter.org

42
Teaching Strategies

• Cartooning
• Visuals enhance social understanding by making
  abstract
• concepts tangible and static.
• Opportunity to reflect.
• Way for those with socio-cognitive challenges to
  visualize
• Includes carton figures
• stick figures
• comic strips
• symbols

43
Teaching Strategies

• Comic Strip Conversation Pointers
• Step 1 Engage in small talk
• Step 2 Draw about a specific situation
• Step 3 Present Perspective
• Step 4 Provide sequence or structure
• Step 5 Summarize the Cartoon
• Step 6 Identify New Solutions

44
Teaching Strategies

• Chit- chat before discussing a problem situation
• included figure drawing with the chit chat
• Goal is to strengthen rapport and build
  confidence
• Talk about weather, weekend activity, pets,
  sports

45
Comic Strip Conversation Pointers

• Step 2 Draw about a specific situation
• Student draws OR gives input as staff draws
• Artistic talent not required stick figures are
  fine!
• Label or give stick people identifying
  characteristics
• Guide drawing with questions for details
• Where are you
• Who else is there
• What did you do
• What do others do

46
Comic Strip Conversation Pointers

• Step 3 Present Perspective
• Adults share insights during the drawing process
• Capitalize on natural opportunities
• Students need to have as much control as possible
  at this step
• Adults work to achieve balance of student
  perspective insights AND sharing accurate info

47
Comic Strip Conversation Pointers

• Step 4 Provide sequence or structure
• When drawing comic strips- use boxes to keep
  order
• Drawings should be in order
• Number the boxes to assist with organization

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Comic Strip Conversation Pointers

• Step 5 Summarize the Cartoon
• Review to give student an opportunity to
  synthesis the information
• View and summarize in order of occurrence
• Student verbally reads the comic strip
• Staff provides clarifying comments only as
  needed
• Summarizing insures that everyones on the same
  page

49
Comic Strip Conversation Pointers

• Step 6 Identify New Solutions
• Adult student work together to find new
  outcomes for the pictured event.
• Written all solutions down
• Encourage student do as much as possible
  independently
• Student reflects on each new written outcome
• Student and staff analyze each item
• Discuss advantages and disadvantages of each
• Student keeps list- serves as plan for future
  situations
• Organization suggestion keep in binder for easy
  access

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Teaching Strategies

• Power Card Strategy
• Visual aid
• Uses students special interests to understand
  social situations, routines, meaning of language,
  hidden curriculum
• Consists of a script and a Power Card

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Power Card Strategy

• Scripts
• brief scenario
• written at their comprehension level
• utilizes their hero, or special interest to
  address challenging behavior or situation
• statement written to with rationale for positive
  behavior
• statement includes the hero
• 3-5 step strategy presented in the script
• problem solving strategy is used successfully by
  the hero in the strategy
• strategy is generalized to the student with a
  note encouraging student to try the strategy
• Script can include pictures or graphics of
  special interest/ hero

52
Power Card Strategy

• Power Card
• size of trading or business card
• pictures the special interest or hero
• contains summary of solution
• portable
• use in multiple environments
• goal is for eventual generalization

53
Teaching Strategies

• Social Autopsies (Lavoie)
• Goal help students with social problems
  understand
• social mistakes
• Similar to SOCCSS
• designed to dissect a social error to understand
  the parts
• student is an active participant
• verbally based strategy
• Starts with What happened?
• Adult asks clarifying questions
• - A constructive problem solving strategy
  identifying cause and effect

54
Social Autopsies (Lavoie)

• After the information is gathered and all are on
  the same page.
• Student is prompted to
• Identify the error
• Determine who was harmed by the error
• Decide how to correct the error
• Develop a plan to prevent error from happening
  again

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Social Autopsies- Pointers

• Constructive strategy
• Identifies cause and effect
• Needs to be done in a timely manner
• All adults working/ living with student should be
  versed
• One-on-one sessions
• Student actively participates
• Succcess lies in structure of practice, immediate
  feedback, and positive reinforcement

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Teaching Strategies

• Direct Instruction
• Points
• Teacher led
• Frequent interactions
• interactions may be scripted
• brisk pace
• teacher models correct behaviors
• solicit student responses for understanding
• responses can include
• verbalizing, role play, specific feedback
• Practice of skills needs to be done if not yet
  mastered at a 90-95 rate

57
Teaching Strategies An Item a Day

• Makes instruction manageable
• Hidden curriculum covers infinite set of items
• Helps with mastery
• Start each day reviewing one hidden curriculum
• Use teachable moments as hidden rules occur

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Teaching Strategies

• Incredible 5- Point Scale
• Developed by Burn Curtis
• Helps students better understand their emotions
  and reactions to events
• Goal- independently modulate responses
• Scale options-
• obsession index
• stress scale
• meltdown monitor

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Incredible 5- Point Scale

• Process
• Students taught to recognize stages of
  behavioral outbursts
• learn self calming methods for each level
• MRHS resource text
• The Incredible-Point Scale by Buron Curtis

60
Teaching Strategies

• Video Modeling
• Students learn hidden curriculum items or social
  skills through videos of people engaging in the
  activity.
• Video can be of the student performing the
  activity.
• Types of video modeling
• video self-modeling
• Video instruction
• Benefits of video modeling
• supports learning through visual learning style
  
• motivating to students
• proactive
• Works well for students with ADHD, selective
  mutism, social anxiety, ASD

61
Video Self-Modeling (VSM)

• Child watches self perform a task
• Video tape can be role playing
• Views tape to see self participating in
  appropriate
• responses
• Two types of self-modeling
• positive self- review
• video feed-forward

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Video Self-Modeling

• Positive Self- Review (PSR)
• Designed for situations where student had
  completed the skill in the past but does not
  currently use it.
• Video student performing the skill with
  assistance
• Before viewing-edit the assistance out of the
  video
• Student sees self completing the skill
  independently
• Serves as a refresher for the student

63
Video Self-Modeling

• Video Feed-Forward (VFF)
• Used for students who knows the components of
  the skill BUT cannot string them together into a
  cohesive, complete skill.

64
Video Instruction (IV)

• Another type of video modeling
• Students view others completing specific tasks
• May show a series of skills in isolation
• Combined in a way to be used in real life
• Can use to review previously acquired skill not
  used consistently for mastery
• Can teach body language if student can grasp the
  differences in social contexts.