| How to Teach Your Child Social Skills
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| | alternate plan to prevent the error from
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| | occurring again.
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| Introduction
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| | Remember, a social skills autopsy is not
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| For over forty years, special education
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| | a punishment. It is a supportive and
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| teachers have focused on helping
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| | constructive problem-solving strategy.
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| children with learning disabilities
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| | The Social Autopsy in Action
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| improve their academic skills. However,
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| | For example, if your child has a friend
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| it is now quite clear that a child's
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| | over and they fight over a toy and the
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| life long success is more dependant upon
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| | friend goes home upset, then this is what
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| his social adeptness than it is to his
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| | you can do:
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| scholastic ability. Yet, although
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| | 1-Identify the error: fighting over a
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| children with learning disabilities are
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| | toy.
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| often way behind their peers in their
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| | 2-Determine who was harmed by the error:
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| social development, these deficits were
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| | your child's friend was hurt because he
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| very rarely addressed.
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| | left upset, but also your child was hurt
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| Children with learning disabilities tend
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| | because now his friend won't want to
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| to be less skillful in social
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| | play with him.
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| interactions and have difficulty creating
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| | 3-Decide how to correct the error: Your
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| and maintaining good peer
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| | child should contact the other child and
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| relationships. They tend to be less
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| | try to make friends again. You might
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| accepted by peers, interact
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| | suggest giving the other child a treat to
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| inappropriately, awkward in social
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| | help smooth over hurt feelings.
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| situations, and misread social cues.
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| | 4-Develop an alternate plan to prevent
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| There is now a greater awareness that we
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| | the error from occurring again: What
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| must to teach special needs children
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| | should your child do next time? He can
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| appropriate social skills. Factors
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| | choose to share the toy. If he would
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| that Lead to Social Skill Deficits
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| | rather not share, he can choose to not
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| Social skills involve daily interactions
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| | play with the toy when his friend is
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| such as sharing, taking turns, and
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| | there.
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| allowing others to talk without
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| | When to Use the Social Autopsy
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| interrupting. More advanced social
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| | You can use the social autopsy to analyze
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| skills involve facets of self-control
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| | and improve upon your child's mistakes.
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| such as anger management. Most children
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| | However, you also can use it to emphasis
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| learn social skills by observing how
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| | your child's successes.
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| others in their environment handle
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| | When your child does particularly well in
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| social situations. These children imitate
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| | a social setting, you can assist him in
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| desirable responses, such as taking
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| | examining and identifying the behaviors
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| turns, and learn to avoid responses
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| | that contributed to his success. This
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| that do not work.
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| | teaches him to repeat those behaviors in
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| For some children, particularly those
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| | other settings.
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| with learning disabilities, a more
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| | Why the Social Autopsy Works
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| direct approach is needed to help them
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| | The advantage of using the social autopsy
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| develop appropriate social skills.
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| | technique is that it focuses on the
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| Not all children with learning
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| | three things that special needs children
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| disabilities have difficulty with social
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| | require in order to develop and learn:
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| skills. There are three factors that
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| | 1-Repetitive practice 2-Immediate
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| often lead to social skill deficits.
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| | feedback 3-Positive reinforcement
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| These factors are more common in special
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| | Some Things to Remember
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| needs children.
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| | When you apply the social autopsy
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| These are:
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| | approach with your child, it is important
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| 1-Cognitive deficits: Children with
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| | to remember a number of things:
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| language processing disorders or low
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| | 1-The social autopsy is meant to be a
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| intelligence tend to have difficulty with
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| | supportive and constructive strategy to
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| social development.
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| | foster social competence. It is not meant
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| 2-Severe or complex learning disorders.
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| | to be or administered as a punishment.
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| 3-Hyperactivity Children with ADHD or
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| | 2-The social autopsy is a problem-solving
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| poor impulse control tend to have
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| | technique. It should not be a negative
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| more pronounced social skill problems.
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| | experience for your child.
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| Also, girls are more likely to experience
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| | 3-The social autopsy is an opportunity
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| social adjustment problems than are
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| | for your child to actively participate
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| boys.
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| | in the process of his own social
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| What You Can Do: The Social Autopsy
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| | development. It requires his input and
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| It is vital that you as a parent takes
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| | understanding. It should be directed by
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| steps to help your child develop the
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| | you but not in a controlling manner.
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| social skills that he needs to succeed in
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| | 4-The social autopsy can be conducted by
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| life. This is not particularly hard to
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| | any significant adult in the child's
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| do, but it must be done.
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| | life. You should try to have other adults
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| One of the easiest techniques developed
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| | in your child's life participate in
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| to help children learn to improve their
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| | this process.
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| social ability is called the social
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| | 5-The social autopsy is most effective
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| autopsy. This is a strategy in which
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| | when conducted immediately after the
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| you assist your child to improve his
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| | social error or success. Remember that
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| social skills by jointly analyzing
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| | all children learn best when they have
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| social errors that your child makes and
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| | immediate feedback.
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| by planning alternative strategies.
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| | 6-The social autopsy should be done on a
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| This process is particularly effective in
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| | one-to-one basis. This is the most
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| helping your child to see the
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| | effective way children learn and will
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| cause-effect relationship between his
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| | help avoid embarrassment for your
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| social behavior and the reactions of
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| | child.
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| others.
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| | Conclusion
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| This is what you do:
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| | If you have a child with, Oppositional
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| 1-After your child makes a social error
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| | Defiant Disorder, learning disabilities,
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| you should discuss with your child what
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| | or cognitive or functional problems, you
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| happened.
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| | have to take special care to make sure
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| 2-Your goal is to teach your child to:
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| | that he is developing socially as well as
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| A-Identify the error B-Determine who
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| | academically. The social autopsy is one
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| was harmed by the error C-Decide how to
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| | technique that you can use to teach you
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| correct the error D-Develop an
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| | child better social skills.
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