Social Skills Activities for Secondary Students with Special Needs

Darlene Mannix, M.A., has 30+ years of experience as a classroom teacher. She has taught both general education and special education, and has worked with students ranging from learning disabled and mentally challenged to language disordered and severely emotionally disturbed. Mannix is the bestselling author of numerous books for special educators, including Social Skills Activities for Special Children, Life Skills Activities for Special Children, Writing Skills Activities for Special Children, and Character Building Activities for Kids.

• About This Book iiiAbout the Author iiiPreface xvPart I: Personality Traits: What Are You Like? 1Chapter 1 Investigating Personality Traits 7Skill 1: Identifying the Big Five Personality Traits 8Worksheet 1: Are You Honest? 9Worksheet 2: Are You Kind? 10Worksheet 3: Are You Trustworthy? 12Worksheet 4: Are You Friendly? 13Worksheet 5: Are You Hardworking? 14Skill 2: Identifying Yourself on Common Personality Traits:How You Function in a Group Setting 16Worksheet 6: Lead or Follow 18Worksheet 7: Micromanage or Let Go 19Worksheet 8: Working Alone or with Others 20Worksheet 9: Introduce New Ideas or Wait to Be Asked 22Worksheet 10: Accept or Resent Criticism 23Skill 3: Identifying Yourself on Common Personality Traits:How You Organize Things 24Worksheet 11: Visually in Place or Looks Chaotic 26Worksheet 12: Big Picture or Detail-Oriented 28Worksheet 13: Planner or Spontaneous 29Worksheet 14: Own or Delegate 30Worksheet 15: Ask for Help or Figure It Out 31Skill 4: Identifying Yourself on Common Personality Traits:How You Make Decisions 32Worksheet 16: Quick Decision or Think It Over 34Worksheet 17: Regret Mistakes or Accept and Move On 36Worksheet 18: Get Advice or Make a Good Guess 37Worksheet 19: Weigh Pros and Cons or Go with Gut 38Worksheet 20: Opportunities or Disasters 39Skill 5: Identifying Yourself on Common Personality Traits:Your General Demeanor/What You’re Mostly Like 40Worksheet 21: Outgoing or Quiet 42Worksheet 22: Open to New Ideas or Prefer the Familiar 44Worksheet 23: Creative or Structural Thinker 45Worksheet 24: Hold Grudges or Quick to Forgive 46Worksheet 25: Sensitive to Others or Not into Feelings 47Chapter 2 Putting It All Together 49Worksheet 26: Verifying Your Responses 52Worksheet 27: Your Personality Profile 54Worksheet 28: Why Personality Matters 55Worksheet 29: Job/Task Match with Your Personality 56Worksheet 30: Can You Change Your Personality? 57Part II: Learning Basic Social Skills 59Chapter 3 Skills to Make a Good Impression 65Skill 6: Making a Good First Impression 66Worksheet 31: What Is a Good Impression? 68Worksheet 32: Your Appearance 69Worksheet 33: Your Attitude 71Worksheet 34: Getting Prepared 72Worksheet 35: Asking Appropriate Questions 73Worksheet 36: Pleasantries or Short Conversations 75Worksheet 37: Voice Volume and Tone 76Worksheet 38: Using Appropriate Language 78Worksheet 39: Just Answer the Question! 79Worksheet 40: Introducing Yourself 81Skill 7: Being Aware of Your Behavior 83Worksheet 41: Blending in with a Group 85Worksheet 42: Behaviors That You Can’t Help 86Worksheet 43: Neutral Behavior 87Worksheet 44: Invading Personal Space 88Worksheet 45: Repeating Yourself 90Worksheet 46: Being Bossy 91Worksheet 47: Refusing to Be Social 92Skill 8: Being a Good Listener 94Worksheet 48: Identifying a Good Listener 96Worksheet 49: How to Be a Good Listener 98Worksheet 50: Important Listening Situations 100Worksheet 51: What Problems Do You See? 101Worksheet 52: Remembering Things About Others 103Chapter 4 Skills for Self-Improvement 105Skill 9: Having a Good Sense of Humor 106Worksheet 53: Benefits of a Sense of Humor 107Worksheet 54: Creating Humor Appropriately 108Worksheet 55: Easing Tension with Humor 109Worksheet 56: Laughing WITH, not Laughing AT 110Worksheet 57: Using Humor to Include Others 112Skill 10: Communicating 113Worksheet 58: Expressing Yourself with Words 115Worksheet 59: Waiting Before Responding 117Worksheet 60: Avoiding Getting Upset 119Worksheet 61: Public Versus Private Conversations 120Worksheet 62: Controlling Your Feelings 121Skill 11: Standing Up for Yourself 122Worksheet 63: That’s Not Right! 123Worksheet 64: Why Do You Think That Way? 125Worksheet 65: What’s the Problem? 126Skill 12: Making Good Decisions 127Worksheet 66: Questions to Ask Yourself 130Worksheet 67: A Decision-Making Chart 132Worksheet 68: What Decision Needs to Be Made? 133Worksheet 69: When You Need More Information 135Worksheet 70: Head Versus Heart Decisions 137Worksheet 71: Not Everything Is a Crisis 139Worksheet 72: What Is Common Sense? 140Worksheet 73: Looking for Clues 141Worksheet 74: Using Your Common Sense 142Chapter 5 Skills for Interacting with Others 143Skill 13: Knowing What’s Expected 144Worksheet 75: A New Kind of Reading 146Worksheet 76: Clueing into Others’ Moods 147Worksheet 77: Knowing What to Expect: People 149Worksheet 78: Knowing What to Expect: Situations 150Worksheet 79: Knowing What to Expect: Tasks 151Worksheet 80: Knowing What to Expect: Commonsense Clues 152Skill 14: Negotiating or Compromising 153Worksheet 81: Negotiation as a Social Skill 156Worksheet 82: You Can’t Always Have Your Own Way 158Worksheet 83: Situations to Negotiate 159Worksheet 84: Things That Aren’t Negotiable 160Worksheet 85: Practice Negotiating 161Worksheet 86: Introduction to a Different Viewpoint 162Worksheet 87: Identifying Different Points of View 163Worksheet 88: Changing Your Situation, Changing Your Opinion 164Worksheet 89: What Are Your Opinions? 166Worksheet 90: Being Open to New Things 167Skill 15: Making Others Feel Comfortable 169Worksheet 91: Embarrassing Moments for Others 171Worksheet 92: Helping Others Through Stressful orUncomfortable Situations 172Worksheet 93: Things to Beware Of! 173Worksheet 94: Being Happy/Sad/Sharing Emotions with Others 174Worksheet 95: Avoiding Hot Topics 176Worksheet 96: When NOT to Be Social 177Skill 16: Recognizing Interactions That May Not Be for You 178Worksheet 97: Everybody’s Doing It 181Worksheet 98: Positive and Negative Peer Pressure 182Worksheet 99: When There’s a Conflict 184Worksheet 100: Resisting Negative Pressure 186Worksheet 101: Asking for Too Much Information 187Worksheet 102: Rude Behavior of Others 188Part III: Applying Social Skills in Life Situations 189Chapter 6 Using Social Skills at Home 193Worksheet 103: Getting Along with Parents 197Worksheet 104: Getting Along with Siblings 198Worksheet 105: Balancing Responsibilities and Desires 199Worksheet 106: Intrusions on Privacy 200Worksheet 107: Handling a Divorce or Family Split 202Worksheet 108: Living with Abusive or Dysfunctional Family Members 204Worksheet 109: Spending Quality Time with Your Family 205Worksheet 110: Learning About Your Family 207Worksheet 111: Becoming Independent 208Worksheet 112: Forgiving Others 209Worksheet 113: Family Pride 211Chapter 7 Using Social Skills at School 213Worksheet 114: Getting Along with Teachers and Other Authority Figures 218Worksheet 115: Managing a Social Life 220Worksheet 116: Asking for Help 222Worksheet 117: Eating Lunch Alone 224Worksheet 118: Failing Classes 226Worksheet 119: Discipline Problems 227Worksheet 120: Intimidation from Other Students 228Worksheet 121: Developing a Bad Attitude Toward School 229Worksheet 122: Extracurricular Activities 230Worksheet 123: Giving Extra Effort Toward Excellence 231Worksheet 124: Work-Study Options 232Worksheet 125: School Safety 233Worksheet 126: Remote Learning 234Chapter 8 Using Social Skills at Work 237Worksheet 127: Getting Along with Your Supervisor 242Worksheet 128: Getting Along with Coworkers 244Worksheet 129: Is This the Right Job for You? 245Worksheet 130: Understanding the Skills Required for the Job 247Worksheet 131: Developing Good Work Habits 248Worksheet 132: Following Instructions 249Worksheet 133: Dealing with Complaining Customers 250Worksheet 134: Being Resourceful 251Worksheet 135: Taking Initiative for Promotion 252Worksheet 136: Dealing with Sick Days 254Worksheet 137: When Your Boss Is Wrong 256Chapter 9 Using Social Skills with Peers 257Worksheet 138: Is This a Good Friend? 262Worksheet 139: Ways to Make Friends 263Worksheet 140: Are You a Good Friend? 264Worksheet 141: Why We Want Friends 265Worksheet 142: Respecting Others as Individuals 266Worksheet 143: Taking Advantage of Social Opportunities 267Worksheet 144: Feeling Outcast 268Worksheet 145: When a Friend Is in Trouble 269Worksheet 146: Misunderstandings 270Worksheet 147: Using Social Media Positively 271Worksheet 148: Types of Bullying 272Worksheet 149: Cyberbullying Responses 273Worksheet 150: Responding to Bullying 275Worksheet 151: Making Friends Online 276Chapter 10 Using Social Skills in the Community 277Worksheet 152: Respecting the Property of Others 280Worksheet 153: Demonstrating Good Manners Toward Others 281Worksheet 154: Respecting Community Authority Figures 282Worksheet 155: Being Aware of Local Issues 283Worksheet 156: Supporting Efforts to Improve the Community 284Worksheet 157: Dealing with Unhelpful People 286Worksheet 158: Helping in Your Community 288Worksheet 159: Showing Respect to Older People 289Worksheet 160: Welcoming Visitors to Your Community 292Chapter 11 Using Social Skills in Leisure Settings 293Worksheet 161: A Few of Your Favorite Things 295Worksheet 162: Unwritten Rules 296Worksheet 163: Inviting Others to Join In 301Worksheet 164: Dealing with Social Anxiety 304Worksheet 165: Special Events 307Worksheet 166: Popular Leisure Activities for Teens 309Chapter 12 What Others Need to Know 311Worksheet 167: Treating Others with Kindness 313Worksheet 168: Treating Others with Respect 315Worksheet 169: Treating Others with Patience 316Worksheet 170: Sharing Your Skills and Influence 318