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Updated on May 24, 2012

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Social Learning Made Easy!
The Social Express™ is engaging, educational software for children and young adults with social learning challenges. The software is designed to teach users how to think about and manage social situations, helping them to develop meaningful social relationships and succeed in life.

Some of the core concepts presented are based on the work of Michelle Garcia Winner and her Social Thinking® curriculum. More information can be found on the Social Thinking® website, www.socialthinking.com. Users are encouraged to learn more about Michelle's work to gain the full benefit from the program.

The Social Express is based on best practices and programs that feature cognitive behavioral techniques and visual strategies including Social Stories (Gray, 2002), Comic Strip Conversations (Gray ,1994), the Alert Program (Williams & Shellenberger, 1996), The Incredible 5 Point Scale (Buron & Curtis, 2003), The Hidden Curriculum (Myles, Trautman and Schelvan, 2004), Thinking about YOU Thinking about ME (Winner, 2007) and other professionals working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The activities presented in the software adhere to California State Board of Education Content Standards and the Common Core Standards.

How Does it Work?
Fully-animated interactive lessons and high-quality printables target many of the skills children and young adults need to learn in order to successfully navigate our social world.

Who Can it Help?
Our innovative software targets core social deficit areas that stand in the way of school, social, and life success for children and young adults with social learning challenges such as autism, Asperger's and ADHD.

Play Lessons
The Social Express comes with 16 interactive lessons featuring 30 scenes that are divided into two skill levels. Skill Level 1 targets younger users and/or those who have more difficulty understanding social situations. Skill Level 2 targets users who are aware of social rules but have difficulty using them in real-world settings. Each skill level ends with an interactive review of the Hidden Social Keys that have been learned during the preceding lessons, followed by a congratulatory presentation of a key that unlocks the Clubhouse.

How Will Children with Social Learning Challenges Benefit?
As a safe, controlled, and familiar learning environment, The Social Express provides an opportunity for users to become more socially competent and have successful social interactions.

Potential benefits include the ability to:
● Identify feelings in others
● Understand the importance of “eye contact” (thinking with your eyes) in order to figure out what to say or do in social situations
● Read non-verbal social cues
● Identify appropriate coping strategies
● Learn how to start conversations
● Learn how to be part of a group
● Learn about the hidden rules in social situations
● Sequence situations and infer what will come next
● Figure out what to talk about with friends
● Monitor when others are using appropriate social behaviors
● Learn about using figurative language (idioms) in conversation
● Stay on topic when having conversations
● Watch social situations unfold and see how behavior can have negative or positive consequences