Yikes! Has you child ever asked anyone this personal question? Did you notice how the listener squirmed and tried to skirt the answer? There are unwritten rules that govern which questions you can ask in conversation and which ones get too personal. You can’t ask who you voted for! And a younger person can’t ask an older person’s age! Weight is another topic that is not allowed unless you’re at your doctor’s office or signing up for the military. Children learn these rules as they make these mistakes and are called out by their parents and teachers.
There are other social nuances that are not so black and white. They require experimentation and practice. For example, how do you chime into a conversation without interrupting? We teach our students the fringe technique. You hang out on the fringe of a group with your shoulders facing the group and your eyes tracking the speaker and wait. You wait until someone in the group says something agreeable, and then you acknowledge that comment. If your peers open up their shoulders and listen to you, you’re in! If not, it’s time to find another group!
How do you know when you have inadvertently offended someone? Sometimes it’s tricky to tell! You’ve got to read their body language and facial expressions! And then you’ve got to analyze what you said! Many times you need to backtrack and ask if you said something offensive. And then you need to explain your intention and apologize for your faux pas. Not easy to do! But it’s teachable nevertheless!!
This is where our social thinking groups can be incredibly helpful! Particularly in today’s world where common social situations are altered or nonexistent, our social thinking groups offer some normalcy and a boatload of practice and experience! Do you have children who are struggling socially during this time? Are they losing skills that were already rocky prior to the pandemic? These are skills that typically evolve over a lifetime, but we can put them on the fast track and improve your child’s popularity immediately!
Click here to see our video about our social thinking groups! You can also visit our website at www.therapiesforsuccess.com or give us a call (858.509.1131). Our students LOVE attending these groups; and through the walls, our parents are honing their own social thinking skills and learning to help their children too! Call today!
Spotlight on Success
Student of the Week
Ethan Turner
Age: 9;2
Enrolled in Literacy and Speech
Ethan is extremely bright! He has been
rocking his reading fluency and, in turn,
becoming a great speller!