What is a social skills program?

Social skills programs aim to strengthen your child’s ability to interact with others and control impulsive behaviors. The social skills your child learns during early childhood provide the foundation to build interpersonal relationships as they age.

Healthy social skills don’t just influence your child’s ability to communicate with others. Good social skills positively impact their behavior, self-regulation, academic performance, and conflict resolution abilities.

What are the different types of social skills?

Several types of social skills can help your child thrive in their interpersonal interactions, including:

Social awareness

Social awareness enables children to understand other points of view and empathize with others.

Conflict resolution

Resolving conflict is an essential step in preparing for social situations. Disagreements, teasing, feeling left out, and losing when playing games are all situations children experience in social environments. Well-rounded social skills can help your child regulate their emotions and make good decisions when experiencing conflict.

Problem-solving

Like conflict resolution, problem-solving ensures your child understands how to navigate challenging situations, such as disagreements with friends, accepting the consequences of negative behavior, and making good decisions.

Decision-making

When your child knows how to make healthy decisions, they recognize that actions have consequences. Good decision-making skills encourage children to think ahead and understand how their behavior and actions may affect their interpersonal relationships.

Respect for others

Children who respect others are more likely to listen, follow directions, and understand boundaries and social cues.

What does a social skills program involve?

The team at project MIND, Inc., individualizes their social skills program to meet the needs of every child in their care. How the team designs your child’s program depends on many different factors, including any underlying developmental disorders they may have, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

At project MIND, Inc., the team uses the principles of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) to encourage healthy social skills. ABA therapy promotes positive behavior changes through positive reinforcement, praise, rewards, and incentives.

Examples of social skills the team may target in your child’s individualized program include:

Making appropriate eye contact

Empathy

Engaging in conversation

Expressing emotion in a productive manner

Listening

Following directions

Sharing

Emotional regulation when losing

Assertiveness