Super skills - Judith Coucouvanis

To many children on the autism spectrum, social skills pose greater challenges than academics! This series of social skills activities are designed to help elementary-aged students with autism spectrum and other social cognitive deficits succeed in the social realm. Group lessons are organized under four types of skills necessary for social success: fundamental skills, social initiation skills, getting along with others, and social response skills. Each lesson is highly structured and organized, making it easy for teachers and other group leaders to implement successfully. A series of practical checklists and other instruments provide a solid foundation for assessing students social skills levels and subsequent program planning.

Judith Coucouvanis, MA, APRN, BC, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and behavior specialist at the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She specializes in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and is a behavior consultant to several schools. She speaks regularly on the topics of social skills training, behavior support, and ASD, offering practical tips for parents and teachers. She serves on the board of directors of the Autism Society of Michigan and as an editorial board member of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing.