Where's the Support for Teaching Social Skills?

By Angela Rudderham, Director of Turning Tides Community Outreach

Our children’s home life, school life and future success are all dramatically affected by their social skills - or lack thereof.  Social skills include personal awareness and the awareness of others, the ability to read non-verbal communication and other’s intentions, perspective taking, the ability to communicate effectively, problem solving and emotional control, and the ability to initiate, maintain and repair relationships.  

Our social development can be impacted by a number of influences such as brain injuries, lack of appropriate modeling, learning disabilities and ADHD.  The good news is that social skills can be directly taught and social learning can occur.

You may find that despite your best efforts at teaching your child these skills, they may still need extra support.  The question is, “Who can help?”

Your child’s school may have social skill training awareness and resources for teaching these skills. Make an appointment with the school and ask how they can assist in fostering social competence in your child. If they lack resources and/or training, you may want to advocate that they look at options for increasing their development in these areas.

Check out websites such as http://www.ldonline.org.  By doing a web search you’ll find articles, lesson plans, activities, board games and videos that will assist you in providing social skills training to your child in a fun and positive way.

Seek workshops offered in your area.  Signing up for newsletters or email notices offered by organizations that support persons with learning disabilities or autism should keep you in the loop when these workshops are being offered.  These are excellent opportunities for learning as well as meeting people who share similar experiences or who may become a valuable resource in your quest for information.

Seek professionals such as psychologists, therapists, or speech and language pathologists in your area that offer social skill building.

Seek social skill groups your child can be part of.  Although rare, these groups do exist.  Social skills groups should focus on teaching social skills at the same time as offering opportunities to practise the skill being taught.  The most effective groups will have small numbers, no more than six students at a time.  They will focus on only one skill at a time.  They will have a way to assess and attempt to measure the acquisition of skills.  They will provide the parent with enough information so that they can help the child transfer the skill to other settings.

Check out books and DVD’s such as “Raise Your Child's Social IQ: Stepping Stones to People Skills for Kids “, by Cathi Cohen, LCSW, “It's So Much Work to be Your Friend, Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success” or “Last One Picked ... First One Picked On, Learning Disabilities and Social Skills,” both by Richard Lavoie and both are available in DVD format as well. 

Social skills are skills your child will rely on every single day for the rest of their lives: in school, with peers, with family and eventually at work.  We need to ensure we do our best to equip them with the ability to know and use these skills effectively.  

Interested in finding a social skills group or need more advice? Contact Angela at 902-404-TIDE (8433).