Tangible Difference Social Skills classes
Why would I need a social skills program for my child?
Cultivating good social skills is a critical part of all of our lives! Social skills help us to successfully communicate with others, make good choices, and know how to behave in a variety of settings. These skills can influence:
- academic performance
- family and social relationships
- behavior in general
- and most importantly, a child’s safety
A quality social skills class can help prepare children for a private or public school setting. If you child has been unsuccessful in school, you may find that a few months in a classroom that focuses on communication and behavior will help.
Children with a full range of social skills may be better able to handle stressful events or changes, and seek out appropriate responses to feelings of frustration or anger. They might also be better at following directions and ignoring distractions, which is critical for both academic performance and safety practices. These children may also be better prepared to enter a private or public school setting.
Children without fully-developed social skills may tend to evoke negative responses from others, leading to difficulty maintaining positive interpersonal relationships with peers, teachers, and parents. Experiencing peer rejection may lead to further inappropriate behavior on the part of the child, creating an unfortunate cycle.
How are social skills taught at TDLC?
Most of us pick up this set of skills as children, during our everyday interactions with adults and peers. However, some children are unable to do so, and require direct teaching and practice. We work with small groups of children, usually between 3 to 7 members, and specific skills are taught, practiced, and reinforced.
Tangible Difference Learning Center’s Social Skills Class is set up like a school classroom, where there is one lead Social Skills teacher who will teach the class. There are also class “shadows”, who are therapists that will be paired with 2 to 3 children each. The shadows generally will not interfere with the children’s activities, but they will intervene and redirect a child if he or she is not following directions, paying attention, making good choices, or behaving appropriately. The shadows remain as unobtrusive as possible, so that the child is able to pick up on social cues, instructions, or lessons on his own whenever possible.
What skills are worked on?
Our goal is to work on skills that will be useful in a child’s everyday life. Skills such as:
- Improving listening and attention
- Asking for help
- Apologizing
- Holding conversations
- Sharing
- Asking for permission
- Maintaining positive social interactions and relationships
- Self-control during feelings of anger or frustration
- Using appropriate body language
- Problem solving techniques
- Self-care, grooming, and hygiene
- Being a good sport and a good friend
Are there children whose social skills needs cannot be met by Tangible Difference Learning Center?
We currently do not serve children younger than 4 or older than 10 years old. Children who demonstrate severe developmental delays or behaviors that interfere with their own or the other children’s learning are not considered ready or appropriate for our Social Skills Class. If a child seems unable to understand and follow the concepts taught, or demonstrates behavior that disrupts the class repeatedly, we will suggest that the child be removed from the class and placed in our one-on-one ABA therapy program.
The children in our class are matched with peers of similar ages and academic, social, and language abilities. In order to do this, we screen children very carefully, via a mandatory initial consultation meeting. This meeting is free of charge, and can be set up by calling our office. Contact us today to set up an appointment!
