Topics > Social Skills Problems
Understanding
Updated on Friday, August 24, 2007
Why can’t he maintain conversations with others?
Why can’t he say something positive?
Why won’t he play with peers his own age?
Why doesn’t he think before he acts?
Well, one reason might be that the child was never taught that appropriate behavior. This doesn’t mean that the parents didn’t try. Some people learn a foreign language easily, while others don’t – The same thing is true for social skills. The child with ADHD may struggle with learning and/or displaying a skill due to inattention or impulsivity. Another reason is the child may lack the pre-requisite skills to display the behavior. For example, communication deficits may impair a child’s ability to advocate wants/needs. In addition, many children do not understand others’ behaviors enough to self-monitor their own. The child with Aspergers may struggle to recognize others feelings or body language.
Regardless, of the reason – social skills are critical to a child’s development and must be addressed as aggressively as academics. Parents must realize that many children need assistance in developing the skills that may come natural to others, especially is they have learning difficulties. The first step in treating the behavior is assessing what the child’s needs are. Instead of saying your child “can’t make friends,” define what it means to be a friend and how you become one. For example, does your child…
Show interest in others behaviors
Respond appropriately to touch
Actively listen to peers
Effectively communicate want/needs
Share with others
Maintain interaction through play or conversation
Breaking problems down into observable and measurable units is the first step to effectively address the problem. The second step is developing a treatment plan.
