{Review} Using Commercials for Social Thinking

Graphics: Lovin Lit

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I sometimes get sucked into informercials (Nutribullet and Total Gym anyone?), particularly when I have insomnia. That might be because 3AM is when those are shown. But back to the point. 

Commercials! In therapy? Yes! You can target many Social Thinking topics like "unexpected vs. expected behaviors, thinking with your eyes, and smart guesses." 

The above trademarked terms are part of the Social Thinking program. If you're unfamiliar with these terms, here's a brief rundown.

-unexpected vs. expected behaviors: expected behaviors are those that make other people feel positively towards you while unexpected behaviors are those that make other people feel negatively towards you

-thinking with your eyes: this encompasses eye contact and reiterates the point to that our eyes can provide valuable information in social situations

-smart guess: this are what we can make when we are involved in a social situation (opposite is wacky guess) 

*These terms are explained in the Thinking About You, Thinking About Me book and You Are A Social Detective! which are pictured below*

Some examples of video clips:

#1: You could use this one to discuss the following: name some verbs, what should you do in class vs. what shouldn't you do, vocabulary used like "toll, abyss, distance." Or "expected vs. unexpected behaviors" while you're in class. 

#2: This one can be used to make predictions about what will happen. Plus, there are cute polar bears.

#3: This one is for AT&T. I love these commercials! You can discuss how the kids are thinking with their eyes, expected vs. unexpected behaviors when working with a group, etc.

#4: This one can be used to discuss unexpected vs. expected friend behaviors, as well as what "sour" and "sweet" mean in this situations.

#5: These can help introduce the topic of thinking with your eyes. Have your students be looking at the facial expressions of the other kids. 

Make sure you preview these before using them with your students! Clips from TV shows could also be used, but that's a whole other post.

If you're interested in learning more about Social Thinking, click here. Some products were provided to me for review; however the opinions expressed are my own.