Return to Lesson List

Editing Sensitive Topics

Steps

1. Sensitive Topics are things you should not talk about because they make others feel bad, upset, hurt, sad, or mad.
2. When you think of something you want to say, decide if it is a sensitive topic like:
   1. Something negative about how they look.
   2. How old they are. (Okay to ask children but not adults.)
   3. A physical difference (uses wheelchair, missing limb, blind, or deaf).
   4. A learning difference (difficulty reading or understanding class work).
   5. A behavioral difference (difficulty paying attention or sitting still, saying odd things).
   6. A loss of a job or death of a family member or friend.
3. If it is a sensitive topic
   1. Do not talk about it unless they bring it up.
   2. Except for questions about looks, you may be able to ask permission to discuss a sensitive topic. For example, "Can I ask you a question about a sensitive topic?"

Practice

Who will I try this with?

When?

What Happened?

How did I do?

Suggested Activities for Parents and Teachers to Reinforce Skill

1. One way to begin teaching this skill is to walk into the room with something odd looking like a bag for a hat, a fake huge pimple on your nose, or toilet paper stuck to your shoes. Do not say anything about it unless a student asks. Pretend that you do not know what they are talking about until other students also point it out. Then begin a discussion about "sensitive topics" pointing out that you may see something odd about someone, but you may not want to say anything to protect the person's feelings.
2. This skill is difficult to role-play because the right response is to do nothing. Thus the rehearsal necessary is entirely a thought process rather than an outward behavior. As such, it is helpful to discuss numerous situations rather than act them out. You may decide to adopt a "game show" format to review these situations with play money for prizes. For each situation, students can indicate whether they think it is a sensitive topic and if they would say anything. Example situations:
   1. You think someone has nice sunglasses. (okay)
   2. You think someone has really thick glasses. (insensitive)
   3. Someone says it's a nice day. (okay)
   4. A student asks how old his teacher is. (insensitive)
   5. A teacher asks how old her students little brother is. (okay)
   6. You want to know whether your friend gets any special help for math and reading. (insensitive)
   7. You ask why the boy in your class is so strong. (okay)
   8. You ask why the boy in your class is fat. (insensitive)
   9. You ask why the girl in your class is so good at gymnastics. (okay)
   10. You ask why the girl in your class can not read her assignment. (insensitive)
   11. You heard you friend's grandfather died. (insensitive)
   12. Your teacher has a large belly and you wonder if she is pregnant. (insensitive)
   13. You heard that your friend's dog died. (insensitive)
   14. You heard that your friend won a spelling bee. (okay)
3. Bait the skill.
   1. For example, purposely do something strange to change your appearance and see if the student can refrain from saying anything negative.
4. Correct insensitive remarks explaining why the remark can hurt others feelings.
5. Provide rewards or possibly negative consequences
   1. Consider using warnings followed by loss of privileges for making insensitive remarks only if you are certain the youngster knew the remarks were hurtful.
   2. Give tokens, pennies, or points for periods in which the student refrained from making sensitive remarks or asked an adult for guidance about whether its is okay to say something. When he or she gets five tokens, give a special reward (e.g., snack, stickers, or privileges to play special game).

Return to Lesson List

Social Skills Training for Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and Social-Communication Problems, by Jed E. Baker
$34.95
To order go to www.asperger.net and click on book titles.