Social Skills
Having strong social skills can help a child build success. Some children need a little extra guidance and a social skills “game plan” to build those relationships in life that are most important.
Social Skills come to life! Through short video clips, real children demonstrate social skills by modeling peer behaviour. These clips are a helpful visual tool because they model social behaviours in real situations. Our approach pairs visual, hands on, and follow through activities to learn and reinforce the skills that are so important in building positive relationships at home, at school and in the community. The activities in the workbooks are also visual, concrete and fun. Hands on practice activities are stimulating and engaging. Students are learning without even knowing it! Video modeling meets the criteria for evidence-based practices by the Council for Exceptional Children.
Children will attend one evening a week for 75 minutes. Parents who wish for a more intensive approach have the option of sending their child twice a week.
An initial social skills assessment is done for each child to ensure the program is a good fit. On occasion, a child may need a referral to one of our other services in order to gain the stability needed to function productively within the group.
Social competence refers to child`s ability to get along with others. The checklist below was formulated to allow you to briefly assess your child`s social standing with his peers, family and community. If your child exhibits the majority of the traits in the checklist he is not likely to need special help to address occasional difficulties that can be outgrown. However, a child that shows few of the traits listed below would benefit from a structured social skills program to help build those relationships that are vitally important to their future success.
- Individual Traits – The child:
- Is usually in a positive mood.
- Usually comes to the school willingly.
- Usually copes with rebuffs or other disappointments adequately.
- Shows interest in others.
- Displays the capacity for humour.
- Does not seem to be acutely lonely.
- Social Skills – The child usually:
- Interacts nonverbally with other children with smiles, waves, nods, etc.
- Expects a positive response when approaching others.
- Expresses wishes and preferences clearly; gives reasons for actions and positions.
- Asserts own rights and needs appropriately.
- Is not easily intimidated by bullying.
- Expresses frustrations and anger effectively without escalating disagreements or harming others.
- Gains access to ongoing groups at play and work.
- Enters ongoing discussion on a topic; makes relevant contributions to ongoing activities.
- Takes turn fairly easily.
- Has positive relationships with one or two peers; shows the capacity of really care about them and miss them if they are absent.
- Has “give-and-take” exchanges of information, feedback, or materials with others.
- Negotiates and compromises with others appropriately.
- Is able to maintain friendship with one or more peers, even after disagreements.
- Does not draw inappropriate attention to self.
- Accepts and enjoys peers and adults who have special needs.
- Accepts and enjoys peers and adults who belong to ethnic groups other than his or her own.
- Peer Relationships - The child:
- Is usually accepted versus neglected or rejected by other children.
- Is usually respected rather than feared or avoided by other children.
- Is sometimes invited by other children to join in play, friendship and work.
- Is named by other children as someone they are friends with or like to play and work with.
- Adult Relationships - The child:
- Is not excessively dependent on adults.
- Shows appropriate response to new adults, as opposed to extreme fearfulness or indiscriminate approach.