CAS Social Skills Development Competency 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Video modeling is considered an evidence-based practice for social skills instruction primarily because it:
- Eliminates the need for generalization practice
- Provides a clear visual demonstration of target behaviors for visual learners (Correct answer)
- Replaces the need for peer interaction
- Is the least time-intensive intervention available
Correct answer: Provides a clear visual demonstration of target behaviors for visual learners
Video modeling capitalizes on the visual learning strengths common in many individuals with ASD by showing a clear, repeatable example of the desired social behavior.
Question 2: The 'hidden curriculum' in social skills refers to:
- Academic content excluded from the standard curriculum
- Unwritten, implicit social rules that neurotypical individuals learn informally (Correct answer)
- Behavioral expectations documented in a student's IEP
- Social skills goals embedded within academic lessons
Correct answer: Unwritten, implicit social rules that neurotypical individuals learn informally
The hidden curriculum consists of the unstated social norms and expectations that most people learn incidentally through observation, which individuals with ASD often must be taught explicitly.
Question 3: Comic Strip Conversations, a strategy developed by Carol Gray, help individuals with ASD by:
- Improving academic reading comprehension through visual aids
- Providing a visual map of social interactions to clarify what people say, think, and feel (Correct answer)
- Teaching drawing and artistic expression
- Replacing written social stories for nonreaders
Correct answer: Providing a visual map of social interactions to clarify what people say, think, and feel
Comic Strip Conversations use simple drawings and color coding to visually represent social exchanges, helping individuals with ASD process the thoughts and feelings of all participants in an interaction.
Question 4: When selecting participants for a social skills group for individuals with ASD, the most critical consideration is:
- Ensuring all members are the same chronological age
- Matching participants on cognitive and social skill level to maximize learning (Correct answer)
- Requiring all members to be verbal communicators
- Limiting the group to participants from the same school
Correct answer: Matching participants on cognitive and social skill level to maximize learning
Matching participants on similar social skill levels ensures that practice interactions are productive and that group members can learn from and with each other appropriately.
Question 5: In the context of autism social skills, 'scripting' refers to:
- Writing dialogue for a school play
- Repeating memorized phrases or lines from movies or TV in social situations (Correct answer)
- Following a written social protocol step-by-step
- Using AAC scripts to initiate communication
Correct answer: Repeating memorized phrases or lines from movies or TV in social situations
Scripting is a common behavior in autism where individuals use memorized dialogue from media or past conversations in social contexts, which can serve as both a coping mechanism and a foundation for building flexible communication.
Question 6: Which cognitive-behavioral strategy teaches individuals with ASD to recognize internal emotional states and apply self-regulation techniques in social contexts?
- Discrete Trial Training (DTT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (CBI) (Correct answer)
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
- Functional Communication Training (FCT)
Correct answer: Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (CBI)
Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (CBI) adapted for ASD helps individuals identify emotions, challenge unhelpful thoughts, and use coping strategies, supporting social participation and emotional regulation.
Question 7: Which of the following Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) emphasizes adult-child play routines and joint engagement to build social communication?
- Social Thinking curriculum
- Discrete Trial Training (DTT)
- JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation) (Correct answer)
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) clinic model
Correct answer: JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation)
JASPER is an NDBI that targets joint attention, symbolic play, engagement, and regulation through naturalistic play-based routines between a child and a communication partner.
CAS Social Skills Development Competency 2
Video modeling is considered an evidence-based practice for social skills instruction primarily because it: