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News
Ideally, we want to see our kid’s social competence improve each year. For some kids, an increase in social finesse will come with maturity but for others, a more deliberate plan may be needed. To develop a comprehensive social plan, both school and home environments should be considered. By setting some goals for your child, it can help to prioritize which areas of socialization to work on so neither of you become overwhelmed. Social competence encompasses several areas for any given child and trying to improve all areas at once may only lead to frustration.
At home, you may want to start with creating some goals with your child that tie into rewards that are meaningful to him or her. For example, a home goal may be, when your child loses at a board game, he will compliment the other player while staying calm or make eye contact during conversations. For older kids, perhaps working on using a friendly tone-of-voice or learning how to use a cell phone to text friends would be appropriate goals.
Social goals may also be set for the school environment, particularly for children who are on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 plans. In fact, a new goal should be in the plan at the beginning of each new school year for every child on an education plan. Some parents and educators feel that it is not the “job” of the school to help a child with socialization. However, special education laws entitle children to access the "life" of the school which includes social and academic aspects of the school day. Additionally, studies have shown that children who are successful in their social interactions often do better academically. Children are often asked to work in small groups and the ability to interact socially is critical for success during those times. Therefore, it is absolutely critical that social skills goals are integrated into education plans. School goals would differ for each child but could include, initiating play, learning skills needed to access recess (jump rope, learning popular playground games), conversation skills, etc. Social Smart Kids consulting service will work with you to develop a comprehensive social competence plan for your child. Contact info@socialsmartkids.com or call 978-764-2758 for more information.
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