What it is
	  
An area of student need, involving difficulties with social interactions.
Teaching Strategies
	
	
Instructional
	•	Directly teach lessons to the whole class on specific social skills.
•	Determine the student’s baseline of current functioning and next steps in social skill development (see the list of social skills below).
•	Develop an alternative programming goal for the student on an attainable social skill improvement.
•	Use media/literature examples to highlight pro-social skills and positive choices made by the characters.
•	Develop “how to” charts on various social skills of need.
•	Use positive reinforcement for improvements.
•	Use modeling, with articulation of social skills steps.
•	Use social stories.
•	Use visuals.
•	Use role play.
•	Teach character traits.
•	Coach the student to follow steps when in real situations.
•	Teach the meaning of classroom rules and consequences, and consistently apply these.
•	Select student groupings and set roles to establish the best chances for success.
•	Use a journal for the student to reflect on positive interactions and strategies.
•	Develop strategies for recess/lunch/unstructured times.
•	Consider referral to the school board social work and/or speech-language pathology staff.
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Environmental
	•	Use preferential seating to place student near others who would foster positive interactions, and close to the teacher for coaching.
•	Post rules and consequences.
•	Post social skills visuals/charts with strategies.
•	Provide activities for unstructured times (ball, game, etc.).
	
Assessment
	•	 For group projects/presentations, provide structure, chunk requirements and provide frequent feedback.
•	Assess the student in an area of strength (oral, written, with computer, etc.).
Resources
|  |  | 
|  | Understanding social skills in school age children and the role of parents. From The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). | 
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For Purchase
| DVDs outlining various social skills for various ages of students. |  | 
| For the development of customized social stories. | Resources outlining various social skills steps and how to teach them to different ages of students. | 











