What are social skills?

Social skills enable communication, problem-solving, decision making, self-management, and the ability to relate to others.  These skills allow a child to initiate and maintain positive social relationships with others.    Each child has their own set of strengths and weaknesses when it comes to social skills.

 

Why do children struggle with social skill development?

Children may struggle with social skill development for a variety of reasons.  These reasons may include, but are not limited to, lack of knowledge (or failure to acquire skills), lack of practice with appropriate feedback, and deficits or behaviors that interfere with the execution of such skills (e.g., hyperactivity, anxiety, depression).

 

Why might a social skills group be beneficial for my child?

Aside from testing parents’ and teachers’ patience, one of the most common results of poorly developed social skills is rejection by peers.  When children are rejected by their peers there are a host of other problems that will likely follow (disruptive behavior etc.).  The goal of a social skills group is to teach children who demonstrate social and behavioral deficits how to interact more appropriately with others. 

 

What will my child learn in a social skills group?

Social skills are often considered within four different categories – Survival skills, Interpersonal Skills, Problem-Solving Skills, and Conflict Resolution skills.  Here are some specific skills that may be addressed in each of these categories:

• Survival skills - listening, following directions, ignoring distractions, using nice or brave talk

• Interpersonal skills - sharing, asking for permission, joining an activity, waiting your turn, beginning and ending a conversation

• Problem-solving skills - asking for help, apologizing, accepting consequences, deciding what to do, understanding feelings

• Conflict resolution skills - dealing with teasing, losing, accusations, being left out, peer pressure

 

How will these skills be taught to my child?

The social skills group your child participates in will be both fun and educational.  Core strategies for teaching these skills will be (1) modeling, (2) practicing, and (3) feedback.  Each session will cover a different social skill, but children will be encouraged to continue utilizing skills from previous weeks.  Children will be rewarded for their success in learning and practicing new skills both during the group and at home.