Social thinking or thinking socially refers to a methodology created by Michelle Garcia Winner; it is described as a piece we all go through in our minds as we try to make sense of our others’ thoughts, feelings, and intentions in context, whether we are existing, actively interacting, or figuring out what is happening from a distance (e.g., media, literature, etc.). Our ability to think socially is part of social learning that begins at birth and evolves across our lifetime. Social thinking in this context, is also referred to as social cognition.
The social thinking is a developmental, language-based and thinking-based (metacognitive) methodology that gives visual frameworks, unique vocabulary, strategies, and activities by foster social competence. The methodology has assessment and treatment components for both interventionists and social. The methodology includes components of other well-known and evidence based interventions such as Social Stories, Hidden Curriculum, 5-point scale, and others, etc. Social Thinking shares ideals with self-regulation, executive functioning, central coherence issues, and perspective-taking.
History
The social thinking methodology was originally developed by Michelle Garcia Winner as an intervention and assessment framework dedicated to tackling the complex social emotional learning needs of individuals with social learning challenges. At its inception 20+ years ago, there were relatively few treatment-based research studies available to guide" interventionists in how to teach individuals about their own social learning process. This relative lack of treatment research, while not as stark today, continues to be limited. The underlying motivation for the creation of the Social Thinking Methodology was, and is, that of, for to, individuals with social learning issues should have access to interventions and strategies based on both individual learning abilities and the demands of the community within which they participate. While the tools and strategies within the methodology were developed while working with mainstream students in a high school district, Michelle Garcia Winner‘s practical approach to teaching social competencies was quickly adopted by parents and teachers working with those in the ADHD community and autism spectrum community.
The social thinking methodology teaches social learners to consider the points of view, emotions, and intentions of others. In this methodology, social thinking and social skills are dynamic and situational. So, the decision to use discrete social skills (e.g. smiling versus “looking cool”, standing casually versus formally, swearing/speaking informally versus speaking politely) are not based on memorizing specific social rules (as often taught in our social skills groups), but on a social decision-making mental process.
Social thinking and evidence base
The social thinking methodology embraces what literature says about working directly with individuals who have social learning challenges (e.g., ASD, social communication disorder, ADHD, learning disabilities, twice exceptional, etc.) and promotes the use of visual supports, modeling, naturalistic teaching, and self-management. Also, the methodology anchors to the research in fields that study how social learners evolve and develop to function in society: anthropology, cultural linguistics, social psychology, child development, and others. Many of the components of Social Thinking fit well into the multi-tiered research-based implementation framework of Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS). And while PBIS is not an approach, it is a framework that encourages schools to consider the uptake of a variety of practices where the "mutually beneficial relationship between academic and social behavior student success is highlighted (Chard, Harn, Sugai, & Horner, 2008; Sugai, Horner, & Gresham, 2002). In the same vein, CASEL's five Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Core Competencies (http://www.casel.org/social-‐and-‐emotional-‐learning/core-‐competencies) are reflected within and throughout the social thinking methodology.