Cart
Search
Menu
All
  • All
  • Articles
  • Books
  • Conferences
  • On Demand
  • Games
  • Livestreams
  • Posters
  • Other
Search
Search
Cart Items

Strategies to Help Tweens & Teens

Empowering social learners to reach their social, academic, career & life goals

We can help you unpack the social world and engage tweens & teens

For more than 25 years, Social Thinking® has been at the forefront of teaching developmental social competencies—helping tweens & teens unpack the social world to guide and support their social emotional and organizational learning and development.

 

What’s that mean? Given that social information is rarely explained directly, it can be confusing for social learners to make sense of what’s going on around them from both a social and an organizational perspective. Within the Social Thinking Methodology, we focus on teaching these concepts through the use of explicit treatment frameworks and strategies to help all people better navigate to regulate in the social world based on what they want for themselves.

 

We know how to unpack the social world and engage tweens & teens in developing strategies for observing and interpreting social information and then deciding how to act and react in ways that move them toward their social goals. Learning and using these social strategies helps foster development of their executive functions, self-regulation, stress & anxiety management, and other social and organizational competencies. As a trusted interventionist, you can help guide them toward reaching their social, academic, career, and life goals. We want to share much of what they've taught us as we continue on our learning journey as well!

Explore

Join our Newsletter

Free Webinars—Learn Essential Social Thinking Concepts for Free

preload
How to Ask for Help

Why It’s Hard & How We Can Help

Watch for Free
preload
Perspective Taking in the Classroom

Watch Free Webinar
preload
Exploring Our Children’s Stress

Tips & Tools for Adapting Teaching to Students’ Needs

Watch Free Webinar
preload
Demystifying Executive Functions

What They Are and How to Teach Them

Watch Free Webinar
preload
Understanding Self-Regulation

Help Your Students Learn to Help Themselves

Watch Free Webinar
preload
Face-to-Face communication is a thing again! Wait, how do we teach that?

How Social Emotional Learning Can Ease the Transition Back to School

Watch Free Webinar

Browse all Free Webinars

Books and Games for Tweens, Teens & Young Adults

Social Thinking and Me (two-book set)
Social Thinking and Me (two-book set) Ages: 9-12 Our best-selling curriculum for children ages 9-12, The Kids’ Guidebook introduces select Social Thinking Vocabulary through colorful illustrations and easy-to-understand content. This award-winning two-book set provides the teaching tools to break down complex social concepts to make it easier for interventionists to teach and for students to learn. Thinksheets for Social Emotional Learning includes multiple mini-lessons for in-depth exploration of each chapter of The Kids’ Guidebook to help build social learners’ metacognitive awareness and develop practical strategies. Kids enjoy becoming stronger social observers and problem solvers. A natural fit for school, clinic, and home. Learn more
$69.99
Social Fortune or Social Fate: A Social Thinking Manga-Style Map for Social Quest Seekers
Social Fortune or Social Fate: A Social Thinking Manga-Style Map for Social Quest Seekers Ages: 10+ Award winning and kid friendly, this graphic novel-style book uses comic strip scenarios to teach about common social and emotional chain reactions. Co-developed, critiqued, and inspired by Neurodivergent tweens and teens, this book represents the 10 social scenarios they most often encountered.  Readers will get to see the choices of three characters and the outcome of those choices (social fortune or social fate). Designed to show “both sides of the [choices] coin,” the book allows students to read the book forward or backwards. Readers also get to see how protagonists’ choices are tied to their own thoughts, their actions or reactions, which ultimately impact how they feel.  Each scenario includes either an analysis and strategy codes to decipher the characters’ choices or an “autopsy” for a better understanding of what happened and why. Learn more
$27.99
Tweens & Teens Bundle
Tweens & Teens Bundle Ages: 10+ Save 10% with this bundle of six books, a two-set collection of 26 teaching frameworks, and card game that speak directly to a variety of social emotional learning needs of tweens and teens—frankly, sometimes with humor, but always encouraging them to learn how the social world works so they can logically learn new social competencies to help them meet their own goals. Learn more
$255.99 $283.92
Should I? or Shouldn’t I? What Would Others Think? Revised Edition for Teens
Should I? or Shouldn’t I? What Would Others Think? Revised Edition for Teens Ages: 12-18+ Revised and updated, this popular social learning card game provides the all-new Social Interpretation Scale to motivate teens to explore how they perceive, interpret, and emotionally respond to others’ actions and reactions and discuss group expectations across a wide variety of social situations. The new Teaching Guide and Instructions help interventionists shift students’ focus from discussing how someone behaved to instead learning about the power of one’s own social interpretation within a fun, safe, and consequence-free setting. This revised edition extends teaching the concept of the Social Emotional Chain Reaction (SECR), a Social Thinking® Methodology framework. Learn more
$34.99
Should I? or Shouldn't I? Teen Edition Expansion Pack
Should I? or Shouldn't I? Teen Edition Expansion Pack Ages: 12-18 Double your teens’ fun and social learning with this expansion pack featuring 200 new prompt cards and 100 new challenge cards that extend play with fresh, age-specific social situations and topics—and are useful for play with savvy social learners who have memorized responses to the original cards in the game! This product is an add-on to the original game Should I? or Shouldn’t I? What Would Others Think? Revised Edition for Teens for players ages 12—18. (Game sold separately.) Social learners love playing this game so much they requested more cards—and we listened! Learn more
$24.99
Should I? or Shouldn’t I? Teen Game + Expansion Pack Bundle
Should I? or Shouldn’t I? Teen Game + Expansion Pack Bundle Ages: 12-18+ Save 10% with this bundle of the popular, fun social learning game Should I? or Shouldn’t I? What Would Others Think? Revised Edition for Teens and its add-on Expansion Pack of 300 additional cards. Revised and updated with the all-new Social Interpretation Scale, this game stimulates authentic peer-based discussions on a wide range of teen-friendly and relevant social situations. Learn more
$53.99 $59.98
Socially Curious and Curiously Social: A Social Thinking Guidebook for Bright Teens and Young Adults
Socially Curious and Curiously Social: A Social Thinking Guidebook for Bright Teens and Young Adults Ages: 14-22 New edition! All-new language, content, and book cover design featuring artwork by a Neurodivergent artist! Teen and young adult readers give rave reviews of this award-winning “get real” guidebook with anime illustrations that helps social learners sail the stormy seas of dating, texting, lies, and everyday relationships. Targeted social emotional strategies encourage readers to better navigate their social worlds, develop stronger social competencies, and manage social anxiety. Interventionists (parents, caregivers, and professionals) appreciate how it better equips them to explain the Social Thinking® process, helping young adults learn to use metacognitive strategies to navigate to self-regulate within social situations. Use the free Socially Curious Thinking and Reading Guide with the book to enrich the social learning and conversation. Learn more
$29.99
Social Situation Mapping: Making Sense of the Social World
Social Situation Mapping: Making Sense of the Social World Ages: 8+ What’s going on around us influences our thoughts, feelings, and choices. Social Situation Mapping (formerly Social Behavior Mapping) teaches learners how to use social observation to figure out what to do or say (or not do and say) based on the situation. Revised, updated, and retitled, this hands-on book includes 80+ completed Social Situation Maps to explore 40+ common situations at school, home, and in the community. The maps outline the Social Emotional Chain Reaction, which shows how we all impact one another when sharing space, and provide multiple options for choices and their consequences through the learner’s perspective. Learn more
$25.99
Social Behavior Mapping + 10 Steps Poster (dry-erase)
Social Behavior Mapping + 10 Steps Poster (dry-erase) Ages: 8+ Use this updated dry-erase poster (18” x 24”) as you teach social learners ages 8+ Social Situation Mapping (also referred to as Social Behavior Mapping), a powerful, versatile tool for fostering social awareness and self-regulation in diverse social situations throughout the day. The poster outlines the 10-step teaching sequence to deepen social emotional learning and ensure fidelity. It also features a new “People” field to identify who is involved in the practice situation, a handy “Tip” section to inspire ideas when brainstorming expected and unexpected behaviors, and a “Sum It Up” prompt as the final step to drive home the social concepts. Learn more
$16.99
Social Thinking® Thinksheets for Tweens and Teens: Learning to Read in Between the Social Lines, Revised Edition
Social Thinking® Thinksheets for Tweens and Teens: Learning to Read in Between the Social Lines, Revised Edition Ages: 11-18 New updated content and language! Find 130+ pages of practical, kid-friendly ideas and tools for the direct instruction of tweens and teens as they learn to navigate the complex social world. The thinksheets are mini-lessons that progress from basic to advanced social emotional concepts, such as considering others’ perspectives, reading hidden social expectations and body language, dealing with bullies, understanding friendship, and many more. Thinksheets extends the teaching of our books for teens, including award-winning Social Fortune or Social Fate and Socially Curious and Curiously Social. Whether for individual or group instruction, interventionists (professionals and parents) can adapt lessons to benefit virtually all social learners. Learn more
$44.99
Think Social! A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students
Think Social! A Social Thinking Curriculum for School-Age Students Ages: 4+ Think Social! is a comprehensive curriculum that includes over 69 Social Thinking® evidenced-informed concepts, frameworks, and strategies. A valuable resource for any professional or parent teaching social emotional concepts to school-age students—including both neurotypicals and Neurodivergents with social learning differences and/or challenges. The curriculum has basic suggestions for linking lessons to academic standards. Learn more
$91.99
Navigating The Zones & Advanced Pack Game Bundle
Navigating The Zones & Advanced Pack Game Bundle Ages: 10 to young adult Using The Zones of Regulation curriculum? Try this game and its Advanced Pack to help tweens (10+), teens, and young adults develop social emotional awareness, regulation, and problem solving skills. Plus—save $10 when you purchase the bundle. Navigating The Zones is a cooperative game that expands The Zones of Regulation curriculum. Learn more
$85.99 $94.98
Tools to Try Cards for Tweens & Teens: Regulation Strategies to Focus, Calm, Think, Move, Breathe, and Connect | The Zones of Regulation Series
Tools to Try Cards for Tweens & Teens: Regulation Strategies to Focus, Calm, Think, Move, Breathe, and Connect | The Zones of Regulation Series Ages: 11+ The award-winning Tools to Try Cards for Tweens & Teens is a multisensory strategy card deck that helps students explore, choose, and practice 50 regulation tools at home, in school, or in therapeutic and community settings. The 2-sided cards are divided into 5 categories that describe strategies to focus, calm, think, move, breathe, and connect. This hands-on metacognitive supplement to The Zones of Regulation curriculum pairs well with Navigating The Zones game and its supplemental Advanced Pack for additional levels of play. Learn more
$24.99
Social Thinking® Frameworks Collection | Practical Treatment Frameworks Set 2
Social Thinking® Frameworks Collection | Practical Treatment Frameworks Set 2 Ages: 4 - adult With Set 2 of this collection, help students build social competencies with 13 more of our most popular and important teaching frameworks to promote social emotional learning and self-regulation at home, in clinic and school settings, and during individual or group teaching. Each teaching framework presents a specific, visually scaffolded graphic to introduce core social thinking concepts. Learn more
$24.99
Movie Time Social Learning
Movie Time Social Learning Ages: 4-18 Watch movies and YouTube video clips as a strategy to explore and teach complex social interactions, the range and depth of emotions, and social communication. This innovative guide shows educators and clinicians how to scaffold three levels of teaching for three types of social learning styles. Each lesson plan identifies the video clips to use and then presents ideas and tips for teaching and tailoring Spy Eye (context, feelings, thoughts, and plan), Detective Head (perspective taking), and Me Too! (personal connections) tasks to each of the learner categories. Lesson plans and ready-to-print instruction materials available via a download link included in the book. Learn more
$31.99
Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and Tools for Protecting Your Body, Brain, Psyche, and Thumbs from the Digital Dark Side
Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and Tools for Protecting Your Body, Brain, Psyche, and Thumbs from the Digital Dark Side Ages: 13+

With respect, empathy, and wacky humor, Slaying Digital Dragons empowers teens to explore their screen scene; join the resistance against Big Tech’s manipulations and addictive algorithms; protect their body, brain, psyche, reputation, and relationships from the Digital Dark Side; and conduct a self-intervention (called an “App-endectomy”) to reset and optimize their digital lives.

Learn more
$24.99
A 5 Is Against the Law: Social Boundaries: Straight Up! Revised
A 5 Is Against the Law: Social Boundaries: Straight Up! Revised Ages: 12-17 Building on the popular The Incredible 5-Point Scale, this book focuses on how to help adolescents and young adults with social emotional learning differences and/or challenges develop awareness of their role in society and functional self-regulation strategies. Using many examples and hands-on activities, individuals can learn about developing better social boundaries, the transition to adulthood, how to cope with anxiety before it escalates, and more—because social expectations become less forgiving with age! Learn more
$18.99
YouCue Feelings: Using Online Videos for Social Learning
YouCue Feelings: Using Online Videos for Social Learning Ages: 4-14 Use YouTube videos to make learning about feelings and relationships easy and fun! YouCue Feelings offers video recommendations and provides 50 practical activities to guide students ages 4–14 in building their social emotional vocabulary, tracking changes in feelings over time, and increasing their ability to reflect on their own emotional experiences. By incorporating brief, diverse video clips with targeted exercises, YouCue Feelings helps get young students thinking about, talking about, and ultimately, practicing important social emotional learning ideas in their everyday lives. Learn more
$18
Think Confident, Be Confident for Teens
Think Confident, Be Confident for Teens Ages: 13-18 Confidence is a magnet that attracts others and helps people achieve their goals. In this accessible, confidence-coaching handbook, two leaders in the field of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) show teenagers and young adults how to build and tap into their self-esteem so they can learn to be themselves no matter how awkward or scary it may seem at first. Fun exercises and tips guide readers through feelings of self-doubt and encourage them to believe in themselves, strengthen their friendships, and meet every challenge head-on. For additional skill-building exercises see The Think Confident, Be Confident Workbook for Teens. Learn more
$21.95
The Think Confident, Be Confident Workbook for Teens
The Think Confident, Be Confident Workbook for Teens Ages: 13-18 Two leaders in the field of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) present the wisdom and guidance of their book Think Confident, Be Confident for Teens in a fun, teen-friendly workbook format. Filled with easy CBT-based activities and tips, this workbook guides students through a process of self-study, encouraging them to explore alternative pathways when faced with self-doubt and inner criticism. The exercises foster skills that help empower teens to replace self-doubt with self-confidence, leading them become the people they want to be. Learn more
$19.95
The Social Media Workbook for Teens: Skills to Help You Balance Screen Time, Manage Stress, and Take Charge of Your Life
The Social Media Workbook for Teens: Skills to Help You Balance Screen Time, Manage Stress, and Take Charge of Your Life Ages: 13+ Social media has drastically changed how we communicate with one another. In many ways this is a good thing. For example, it’s easier than ever to stay connected to family and friends who live far away. But social media can also become addictive, stressful, and even alienating. If you’re like many teens, you probably check your smartphone several times throughout the day to stay up to date on the news from friends. Learn more
$22.95
Starving the Anger Gremlin
Starving the Anger Gremlin Ages: 12+ Meet the anger gremlin—a troublesome pest whose favorite meal is your anger, and the more he eats the angrier you get! There's only one way to stop him: starve him of angry feelings and behaviors. This imaginative workbook teaches children ages 10+ how to manage angry thoughts and behaviors. The tried-and-tested program, based on effective cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) principles, can be implemented by students themselves or with a practitioner or parent. Fun and simple activities help kids understand why they get angry, how their anger affects them and others, and how they can develop strategies to self-regulate. Learn more
$21.95
Starving the Anxiety Gremlin
Starving the Anxiety Gremlin Ages: 12+ This must-have anxiety management workbook helps children ages 10+ understand why they get anxious and learn about the different types of anxiety. Based on the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principle that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, this award-winning book shows how to use simple, practical techniques to manage anxiety in its many forms, including phobias, separation anxiety, panic attacks, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Kids can learn independently through the fun activities and real-life stories from others struggling with the same challenges or explore the workbook with the guidance of a parent or professional. Learn more
$21.95
Starving the Stress Gremlin
Starving the Stress Gremlin Ages: 12+ This hands-on workbook helps kids ages 11+ take on the “stress gremlin”—that beastie that feeds on our feelings of stress—and learn to manage their stress levels through a range of practical techniques. Based on the principles of cognitive behavior therapy, the workbook uses fun, engaging social scenarios that help children understand why they get stressed, learn the effects of stress, and how to “starve” their own stress gremlin. The real-life stories from young people resonate with young readers, revealing they aren’t alone in their struggles with stress management. Students can use the workbook independently or with adult support. Learn more
$21.95

Browse all Products

On Demand Courses—Practical Strategies You Can Use Right Now

Combating Loneliness and Misbehavior
Brand New Course

Combating Loneliness and Misbehavior

Blue Download ButtonDownload this free visual with practical ideas for initiating social conversations, which Michelle Garcia Winner presents in this brand new course.

 

Loneliness is a dangerous national epidemic that has been growing in depth and complexity for many years. Loneliness not only endangers our mental and physical health, but it also can make us less kind and caring toward others, resulting at times in misbehavior at schools and within our communities. We’ll explore a range of research-informed ways we can cultivate meaningful relationships with others to foster our well-being, as well as kindness, empathy, and generosity of spirit toward others. Now more than ever, building social awareness, managing anxiety, and developing social communication strategies to combat this growing crisis of loneliness is critical for school-age children, tweens and teens, and all the way through the adult years.


Expires
Brand new course! Replay access through July 31, 2024
1.5 hours toward CE credit, if applicable
Get Recording

What’s Alexithymia? and How Does It Affect Emotional Regulation and Awareness?
Emotional Regulation

What’s Alexithymia? and How Does It Affect Emotional Regulation and Awareness?

Understanding One’s Feelings to Foster Emotional Regulation at School & Home

What is alexithymia? It refers to challenges in developing awareness of one’s feelings, identifying, and distinguishing them from other physical sensations—and it’s gaining interest in the research, schools, and clinical arenas. Educators and parents have reported an increase in overall “regulation” challenges in the classroom, on the playground, and during small group activities. We’ll highlight select key aspects of emotional awareness and regulation and its role in perspective taking. Specifically, we’ll explore how alexithymia can impact the building blocks for spontaneous perspective taking across all contexts. We will suggest practical strategies to increase awareness of feelings within the perspective-taking process to use within the classroom, school, community, and home.
Expires
Replay access through July 31, 2024
1.5 hours toward CE credit, if applicable
Get Recording

5 Critical Life Skills for Tweens, Teens and Young Adults

Social Life Skills

5 Critical Life Skills for Tweens, Teens and Young Adults

That Often Remain Untaught

Tweens, teens, and young adults are expected to naturally develop social and organizational competencies needed in school and across their lives. However, students with social learning and organized thinking differences (e.g., ADHD, twice exceptional, expressive receptive language, sensory processing, autism spectrum levels 1 and 2, etc.) may not intuitively learn these concepts and skills. This course will explore 5 critical life skills related to social emotional learning and organized thinking that can and should be directly addressed and taught to students & clients ages 11-22 in our homes, schools, and clinics. We’ll also review a variety of explicit metacognitive frameworks and practical strategies for teaching and learning these critical social competencies.
Expires
Replay access through July 31, 2024
2 hours toward CE credit, if applicable
Get Recording

Small Talk & Conversations
Conversation & Social Connection

Small Talk & Conversations

Strategies to Demystify Conversational Complexities

Small talk and conversations are dynamic, and we cannot create reliable scripts for how they will unfold. We can, however, increase our students' awareness of why we engage in social exchanges such as small talk. In this online course, we will unpack the complexities of small talk and conversation. We’ll break these down into their component parts to build strategies that support engagement in initial and ongoing social connection for children, teens, and adults.
Expires
Replay access through July 31, 2024
3.5 hours toward CE credit, if applicable
Get Recording

Raising an Organized Child: Strategies to Promote Executive Functions

Executive Functioning

Raising an Organized Child: Strategies to Promote Executive Functions

In two keynotes, Dr. Damon Korb, MD FAAP and developmental behavioral pediatrician, and Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP and founder of the Social Thinking® Methodology, will connect the dots between executive functions—including self-regulation and perspective taking—and creative, practical strategies to foster organized thinking. Damon’s keynote will explain five important steps professionals can learn to guide parents in how to raise an organized child. He will also present strategies and lessons he has learned during his 20 years as a developmental and behavioral pediatrician to help foster children’s active engagement of organized thinking, the kind of learning and functions they’ll use throughout their lives. Michelle’s keynote will focus on how to help students/clients develop friendships. How do people make friends? How do we keep them? What creative strategies can we teach to help tweens and teens learn to invest in these important but complicated relationships?
Expires
Replay access through July 31, 2024
3 hours toward CE credit, if applicable
Get Recording

Free Stuff for Home & School

Free Video Lesson

preload

Allison King | MS, CCC-SLP
Social Thinking San Jose, Clinical Director

Everyone has thoughts! How do we know what other people are thinking? How can we let other people know what we are thinking about? How do we get thoughts from one brain to another? The only way to do it is to bridge your brains!

Browse Free Video Lessons

Browse All Free Stuff

What is Social Thinking?

preload

Strategies to Build Social Competencies

The Social Thinking Methodology provides evidence-based strategies to help people ages four through adult develop their social competencies, flexible thinking & social problem solving to meet their own social goals and improve:



Our Methodology

What People Are Saying About Social Thinking

Parents & Families

TestimonialThank you doesn’t seem enough for all that your teachings have done for me and my family! They have been a lifeline for me to re-connect with my 9-year-old. Everything you publish is 100% applicable. Keep up the amazing work!

Parent of 9 year old

Elementary School

TestimonialSocial Thinking has completely changed the environment of who we are as a whole. Thank you for providing us with such rich social and emotional resources. The impact that your resources make are life changing and early intervention is key. Your curriculum is truly amazing! I bought into Social Thinking about 9 years ago and will use this as long as I am in education.

Natalie, Resource Teacher

Schools

TestimonialI appreciate how the Social Thinking Methodology links social intent/thinking and the common core or school based standards. This connection, and the understanding that exists, is so crucial to every member of a student's school community.

Peggy, 3rd Grade Teacher

Mental Health & Clinicians

TestimonialThe Social Thinking Methodology is the philosophy that I ascribe to professionally. It serves as my guide through assessment and intervention.

Greg, School Psychologist

Speech Language Pathologists

TestimonialI love how realistic the approach is, and doable! Based on real clinical experience adaptable to individual needs/strengths. Great that all the vocabulary is simple, easy to understand, and not full of professional shop talk.

Amy, SLP

Parents & Families

TestimonialSocial Thinking’s program has given me the much needed tools to communicate in a meaningful way with my 9-year-old son. Thank you. The stress level in our house has decreased along with the meltdowns. He is able to come out of the meltdowns much more readily.

Tammy, Mom of 9 year-old boy

Adult Clients

TestimonialI am a professional, high-functioning 37 year old woman diagnosed as being on the spectrum two years ago. The Social Thinking Methodology is by far the most helpful resource I have encountered. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it changed my life. Your concrete examples are extremely helpful.

Autistic Adult
Browse Product Catalog
MailfbInstagramXpinterestLinkedIn
View Cart Cart Items

Your Shopping Cart

Your Savings

Order Subtotal

Keep Browsing View Cart