The Hidden Curriculum - For understanding unstated rules in social situations for adolescents and young adults book is written by Brenda Smith Myles, Melissa Trautman, Michelle Garcia Winner and Rhonda Schelevan. The combined experience of these immensely popular and well known authors is over 150 years, this should say something about how valuable the content of the book is!
The elusive hidden curriculum encompasses the set of rules that is presumed to be known to everybody. They are not explicitly taught but break one rule and you stand out! These rules impact your social life and daily interactions and are vital component of social skills. Unfortunately, this hidden curriculum is very difficult to grasp for children and as well as young adults on the spectrum. This book lays out a road map for how to teach the hidden curriculum.
The first few chapters introduce the concept of hidden curriculum and how it impacts us throughout life, be it school, office, social interactions, etc. The chapter - Teaching the hidden curriculum is the heart of the book as it introduces us to various strategies that can be helpful in learning hidden curriculum. The strategies included here are:
1. Safe person - who helps them decode the hidden rules
2. SOCCSS stands for situations-options-consequences-choices-strategies-simulation
3. SOLVE stands for seek-observe-listen-vocalize-educate
4. Social narratives
5. Cartooning - comic strip conversations
6. Power card strategy
7. Social Autopsies
8. Incredible 5 point scale
9. Video Modeling
The chapter - Hidden curriculum items, lists the hidden rules in certain situations like Airplane ride, birthday party, life skills, social situations, figurative speech and idioms, etc. This list will give you a fair idea to make a tailor made list for the specific situation your young one may be facing and the strategies discussed in the earlier chapter will enable you teach them effectively.
I hope you find this book review useful. Please don't hesitate to reach out, I am just an email away! You can purchase this book on Amazon India
