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
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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. |
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For the development of customized social stories. |
Resources outlining various social skills steps and how to teach them to different ages of students. |