If your child is having difficulty making friends at school, it is heart breaking. You want to help him. It could be that he’s experiencing problems developing a range of social skills. Maybe he’s having difficulty looking others in the eye, talking about what the group is talking about, or other behaviors that are needed for him to “stay with the group” successfully. It could be your child’s problem solving skills need help.
Talk to him about what’s going on and try to identify the barriers. Is it that he’s having difficulty relating to his classmates? Is he not able to stay with the group? Is he not noticing or even saying “hello” to the other kids?
Ask your child’s teacher the same questions. I recommend to parents that you treat all of your child’s teachers, therapists, coaches, and anyone else who is in their daily lives like your ‘team’. Stay in regular contact with them so that you can benefit from their observations and suggestions.
These are just the first steps in helping your child to improve his or her social skills.
I’ll discuss more ways to help your child make friends in future articles.
I certainly learned about the importance of social skills when our twin sons began mainstream kindergarten. (You can read how we accomplished mainstreaming here.)
This was in 2007, before apps and interactive software programs were widely available. I searched high and low for a social skills learning software program. There were none at the time. That’s what led me to develop The Social Express. (But that’s another story.)
1. Have calm conversations with your child about what’s keeping him from making friends. Find out exactly where he’s having trouble when trying to interact with other kids. Ask him to describe the other kids in his class and what he thinks about them. Find out what happens during recess or group activities. Ask lots of simple questions. Dig deep with your questions.
2. Become the CSI
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) September 30, 2012
The Social Express™, creators of a new social skills learning software program for special needs children, is attending the Annual CASE Conference from November 1-3 in Scottsdale. The Social Express was voted Most Likely to Succeed at SIIA’s Ed Tech Summit in May.
The company joins top special education leaders at the 23rd annual CASE conference. The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) is an international professional educational organization which is affiliated with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) whose members are dedicated to the enhancement of the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of each individual in society.
“We’ve been humbled by the amazing reception and feedback we’ve received from special needs
We believe that every child deserves to have a friend. Often making friends is harder for kids with autism, Asperger’s, and ADHD. They need extra help to develop social skills such as being with the group, understanding what’s happening next, communication, and looking at who is talking.
Many times it’s because they don’t pick up cues from other kids in the same ways that neurotypical children do.
My wife and I have always made helping our boys improve their social skills a priority. That’s where the inspiration for creating The Social Express began.
Eileen Campos’ recent blog post at MommyTeaches.com got me thinking even more about the different ways you can approach social skills learning for your child. Video game playing in a group of children is a top one!
Eileen writes about how she’s observed her children improve their math and reading skills while playing video games. Like one explaining to the others why he has more points. (Love that!) You can read Eileen’s post here.
I’ve observed how video games played in a group help a child with autism improve how he or she gets along with others. Here are three ideas you can try with your child.
How Group Video Games Help Autistic Kids with Social Skills
1. Encourage Group Video Game Playing for Best Social Interaction
Arrange for your child to play selected video games with siblings or other children. This leads