Social Radar Slides Social Radar
Navigating Roles & Boundaries
Special Investigator Training
What is Social Radar?
Observation
Seeing what is happening around you without jumping in right away.
Role Analysis
Asking: "Is this a problem for me to solve, or for someone else?"
"Just because I can help doesn't always mean I should help."
The Social Signals
Green: Engage
A friend asks for help or the teacher gives you a specific job.
Yellow: Observe
Something is happening, but nobody asked for help. Watch and wait.
Red: Disengage
Adults are nearby, peers are arguing, or it's not your business. Step back.
Mission: The Bus
The bus is a "Yellow Zone" environment. It's busy and loud, but your main job is Transit, not Management.
Sit in your seat and face forward.
Listen to music or read.
Let the driver handle other kids.
What if someone breaks a rule?
The bus driver is the Captain. Your radar tells you:
"This is a captain problem. I will stay in my zone."
The "Step Back" Power
Stepping back isn't being "not helpful." It is respecting the roles of others.
Observe
Breathe
Shift Focus
Role Radar Worksheet Role Radar Report
Special Investigator Worksheet
Name:
Date:
The Investigator's Rule
A good investigator knows their Role . Your role changes depending on where you are. Use your Social Radar to decide if you should Engage (help), Observe (watch), or Disengage (step back).
Mission Analysis: What is my role?
1
The Scene: You are on the bus. Two students in the back are arguing about a game. They are starting to raise their voices.
My Current Role
Best Action
Circle One Action:
Engage
Observe
Disengage
2
The Scene: A student at the next desk is struggling to open their glue stick. They look at you and ask, "Can you help me?"
My Current Role
Best Action
Circle One Action:
Engage
Observe
Disengage
3
The Scene: You are walking in the hall. You notice a student from another class dropped their pencil, but their teacher is already helping them pick it up.
My Current Role
Best Action
Circle One Action:
Engage
Observe
Disengage
Investigator Notes: Why step back?
List one reason why "Disengaging" (stepping back) can actually be helpful to others:
Social Signal Cards I Can Help
Someone asked me.
I Observe
I watch and wait.
I Step Back
The adults are in charge.
Bus Mission
"My job is my seat and my book. The Captain handles the bus. I stay in my zone."
Teacher Preparation
Laminate this sheet and cut along the internal dashed lines to create four pocket-sized visual reminders. These cards correspond to the Social Radar lesson and Role Radar Worksheet scenarios.
Counselor Roadmap Guide Counselor Roadmap
Lesson: Social Radar & Boundaries
Learning Objective
The student will identify social "zones" (Engage, Observe, Disengage) and practice role-clarity through scenario analysis, focusing on reducing "over-helping" in unstructured settings.
Target Profile
High Verbal / Autism Diagnosis. Struggles with peer boundaries despite good intentions.
1. Introduction: The Social Radar
Introduce Social Radar : Using observation before action.
Analogy: A Lifeguard. They only jump in for real emergencies. If they jump in for every splash, they cause more chaos than help.
2. Re-framing "Not My Job"
For high-verbal students, frame disengaging as Sophistication and Leadership .
Counselor Script:
"When you choose not to fix a peer's mistake, you are actually trusting them to learn. You are also trusting the bus driver to be the Captain. That is what a mature investigator does."
3. Guided Practice Scenarios
Scenario A: The Cafeteria Spill
A peer drops their tray. The janitor is walking toward them with a mop.
Correct Action: Observe / Disengage (The pro is on it!)
Scenario B: The Loud Seatmate
Someone on the bus is whistling loudly. The driver is looking in the mirror.
Correct Action: Disengage (Captain's problem, not yours!)
4. Implementation Tools
Signal Cards
Use the Social Signal Cards material. Have the student use the 'Red' card to signal when she is choosing to step back from a stressful peer conflict.
Palm Down Cue
Ask the teacher to use a "Low Radar" hand gesture (palm flat) when the student starts to over-manage others. This is a private signal to 'Observe' only.
The "Moral Obligation" Challenge
"Your most helpful contribution to the bus is being a calm model. When you try to fix others, you disrupt the 'System Radar' that the driver is monitoring. Trust the system!"
