Superflex

 

This is a link to Michelle Garcia Winner's Social Thinking Web Site:
http://www.socialthinking.com/

This is her description of the curriculum:
Superflex is more than a superhero -- it is a curriculum, a full-fledged strategy for teaching younger (primarily 2nd-5th grade) students how to regulate their behaviors. Professionals and parents alike use this teaching approach to build in students their own inner superheroic thinking to take on various challenges, as represented by Unthinkable cartoon characters, such as Glassman, Brain Eater and others. 

Here's why I love it ...

The basic curriculum attaches "Unthinkable" characters to commonly seen behaviors in students with autism and other exceptional needs. By using bibliotherapy (or more simply - books) students can learn to identify these behaviors and recognize viable strategies for defeating the behaviors. All of this happens without degradation to the individual child's self-esteem. I have not yet met a student who hasn't responded in a positive way to this method of learning.

In my classroom, I started with the basic ideas of Superflex and then molded it to meet the needs of each of my students or groups of students as they have changed over the past three years. My students truly "own" this program. It permeates their behavior programming throughout the day and across school settings. I encourage them to think like superheros at school, at home, and within the community. I have been absolutely thrilled with the progress they have made and I am excited to use this forum to encourage others to help us defeat the team of UNTHINKABLES!