Please note: Although we have recently updated the name of this framework to Social Situation Mapping, this poster contains our latest teaching, with the exception of the framework’s new title and a few minor word changes.

Foster social awareness and self-regulation throughout the day! Use the Social Situation Mapping (also referred to as Social Behavior Mapping) framework to help individuals figure out the hidden social rules of a situation based on what is happening and the people present and explore how the Social Emotional Chain Reaction is unfolding. See below for a deeper dive into the concept. This poster’s dry-erase surface enables it to be used and reused across the day and across infinite contexts (use dry-erase markers only). It also outlines the 10-step teaching sequence to deepen the learning. Dimensions: 18" width x 24" height. For examples of filled-in maps, check out the book Social Situation Mapping.

Poster Updated with 10 Steps

Social Behavior Mapping (also referred to as Social Situation Mapping) is a powerful tool when taught correctly. We’ve updated this dry-erase poster to guide you through the 10 steps to teaching with fidelity:

• Numbers have been added to indicate the sequence for working through the map to enhance learning
• A “People” field has been added at the top to identify who is involved in the situation
• A handy “Tip” section has been added to help inspire ideas when brainstorming expected and unexpected behaviors for the situation
• A “Sum It Up” prompt has been added as the final step to drive home the concepts

The Framework

What’s happening around us influences our thoughts and feelings, reactions and responses. Social Situation Mapping, a core treatment framework within the Social Thinking Methodology, is a visual template that helps users figure out the hidden social rules of a given situation based on what is happening and the people present. It also outlines a fundamental social concept we call the Social Emotional Chain Reaction: how a “DOer” acts in a specific situation affects how others think and feel about the behavior, how others think and feel affects how they respond, and how they respond affects how the DOer might feel and respond in return.

We start by teaching individuals to observe others across different situations and identify the expected and unexpected behavior they notice and the impact this has on others’ thoughts, emotions, reactions, and responses. Over time, we gradually extend the learning to teach the full Social Emotional Chain Reaction by having individuals observe their own behavior, recognize how it impacts others, and connect how others’ responses impact how they themselves think and feel. Social Behavior Mapping makes the complicated process of how we all affect one another’s thoughts, feelings, and actions visual and concrete!