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Student Services » Social Skills

Social Skills

A student who is struggling with social skills may...
 
  • be the student who people say " they know better, so why aren't they doing it?"
  • have challenges with
  • not be aware of what they are doing wrong/have a lagging skill
  • lack role model or experience
  • misunderstand perspective
  • misunderstand the idea around time and place
  • struggle to infer from tone or non-verbal language
  • be lonely
  • seem awkward
  • display inappropriate/attention seeking behaviors
  • have difficulty sharing or playing games
  • over-react to situations (or underreact)
 
When supporting a student with weaker social skills, some general strategies involve
 
  • be clear in your expectations about competitive vs. cooperative situations
  • clearly define roles in a group
  • use assigned seating and grouping
  • pair with a model student intentionally and with planning for the peer about roles and expectations
  • be aware of where the challenge lies--foundation, interaction, affective, or cognitive--in order to address the correct area
  • utilize class meetings/circle time to teach or review social skills
  • limit lengthy times in less structured settings
  • use role play and practice
  • have non-verbal cues and reminders
  • use the Second Step Curriculum
 
 
Some interventions include:
 
  • evaluate/observe and identify a lagging skill to address
  • distinguish between social skills and social thinking 
  • utilize social stories
  • utilize a variety of 5-point scale options (i.e., volume, size of the problem)
  • teach roles and responsibilities for different times in class (independent, teacher-led, partner, small group)
  • remember, if a student struggles with reading, we teach; if a student struggles with math, we teach; if a student struggles with writing, we teach...this should be the same for social skills
  • use a pen-pal with another staff provider on the campus--student poses a question, gets a response, and tries to implement/explain to you, etc.
  • take the time to give specific information that you may otherwise convey through nonverbal means
  • use an if/then/so model to work through social scenarios and as a problem solving to
 
Literature Links
 
How do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends by Jane Yolen
Llama Llama Time to Share by Anna Dewdney
Rulers of the Playground by Joseph Kuefler
Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook
Martha Doesn't Say Sorry by Samantha Berger
 
 
Teacher Readings
 
Lost at School by Dr. Ross Greene