Teach social interaction skills
Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Supporting language and communication skills’
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Go to top of current page: Teach social interaction skills
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Review students’ social development
Review students’ social development
A student’s social development determines how they interact with others.
When a student experiences difficulty in social situations, consider:
- Is the student mature enough to understand what is wanted?
- Have the social expectations been explained in ways the student can understand?
- Do they have the necessary skills, including vocabulary?
- Have they had opportunities to learn and practice the expected social skills?
Target social skills teaching to needs
Target social skills teaching to needs
Sometimes students may need targeted teaching of social skills.
For example, autistic students often need specific teaching to learn how to initiate interactions, share, and take turns.
Steps to consider:
- Define social skills goals and values with the student and their team.
- Describe the goal in measurable terms.
- Use a range of teaching techniques, for example, structured discussions, social stories.
- Facilitate the generalisation of social skills to peers through role-playing and video modelling.
- Transition from structured teaching to everyday situations – the student may need supports to achieve this.
- Check for social validity – can the student use the new skills in different situations?
For resources and activity cards see the Health and Physical Education curriculum:
Social and Emotional Learning – Resource collections
For younger students see Te Whariki Online:
He Māpuna te Tamaiti – Supporting social and emotional competence in early learning
Source: LaMarca, V. ( Ed). Teaching social skills to children with autism. Lovaas Institute: Indianapolis.
Activities to improve social interaction skills
Activities to improve social interaction skills
Create exemplars of social scenarios
Create exemplars of social scenarios
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Source: Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
Reflective questions
Reflective questions
- Which social interaction skills need strengthening in my class/es?
- How can I embed teaching social interaction skills into my regular teaching programme?
Useful resources
Useful resources
Improving communication skills
Information to support increasing communication skills through understanding purpose and using visual aids.
Publisher: Do2Learn
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Supporting language and communication skills”:
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Current page Teach social interaction skills
Return to the guide “Behaviour and learning”
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Behaviour and learning
Understand:
- Understanding behaviour
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Understanding how to respond to problem behaviourShow suggestions for Understanding how to respond to problem behaviour
Strategies for action:
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Foster positive relationships and partnershipsShow suggestions for Foster positive relationships and partnerships
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Collaboratively develop a safe and caring culture and climateShow suggestions for Collaboratively develop a safe and caring culture and climate
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Supporting language and communication skillsShow suggestions for Supporting language and communication skills
- Support behaviour and communication
- Support attention and listening
- Support understanding
- Support expressive language
- Teach social interaction skills
- Teach negotiation
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Support emotional wellbeing and positive mental healthShow suggestions for Support emotional wellbeing and positive mental health
- Anticipate, monitor, and plan for responding to child stress
- Strengthen student identity
- Teach stress management, anxiety and coping skills
- Offer relaxation options and downtime activities
- Teach how to recognise emotions and options for expressing feelings
- Providing support following traumatic experiences
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Enable access and participation in learningShow suggestions for Enable access and participation in learning
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Respond safely to challenging situationsShow suggestions for Respond safely to challenging situations
