Social Detectives: How Do We Make Sense of the Social World?

Pediatric Pioneers: Social Detectives: How Do We Make Sense of the Social World? (Episode #21

Audio Runtime: ___ Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: ___Minutes

In this episode, host Nicole Quint, PhD, DrOT, OTR/L, joins Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP, founder of the Social Thinking Methodology, to re-examine the foundations of pediatric social learning. Michelle challenges the traditional clinical focus on "eye contact," advocating instead for "thinking with your eyes" to help clients move from simple observation to true perspective-taking. You’ll learn how to implement dynamic assessments and use "Social Detective" strategies to bridge the gap between a child's internal passions and the external social world. Finally, Michelle reveals how the "guardrails" of screen time contribute to modern social anxiety and why clinicians must help educators see the social mind as the essential fabric for academic and reading comprehension.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyze the evidence around the role of joint attention as a foundational social learning concept and skill
• Apply evidence-based, practical strategies to actionably address the development of social attention by teaching clients to "think with their eyes" and become "Social Detectives" to make smart guesses about the environment
• Solve patient case scenarios involving neurodevelopmental differences such as ASD and ADHD, as well as screen-time-related social delays, by using structured observations and video modeling to improve group participation and perspective-taking

This is an audio-only course. Additional materials are available for download within the course. To receive continuing education credit, complete the course and the accompanying quiz.