Social Skills

What are social skills?

Social skills affect the way your child interacts with other people. They include speech, language, communication, empathy, and emotions combined with non-verbal cues (eye contact, facial expressions, hand gestures, etc.). If your child struggles socially, therapy with the experts at PediaPlex can improve their skills, behavior, and interpersonal relationships.

Does my child need social skills therapy?

Your child could benefit from social skills therapy if they struggle with:

• Stuttering
• Blurting out answers at school
• Poor eye contact
• Lack of facial expressions
• Awkwardness in social situations
• Saying inappropriate or unrelated comments
• Having few or no friends
• Difficulty sharing or taking turns
• Delayed speech
• Difficulty starting or keeping conversations
• Monotone, robotic, or rhythmic speech
• Repeating words or phrases
• No emotions
• Being unaware of other people’s feelings
• Interrupting conversations
• No interest in social activities
• Not telling stories in an organized way
• Not understanding jokes
• Taking things too literally 
• Difficulty making inferences

Autism spectrum disorder is a common cause of social skills impairment that often benefits from social skills training at PediaPlex.

PediaPlex specialists complete a comprehensive evaluation of your child or review previous reports of an autism diagnosis, to determine if social skills therapy is right for them.

What should I expect during social skills therapy?

During social skills therapy sessions at PediaPlex, your child’s therapist works with them on specific skills that improve the way they act in social situations. Common skills they address include:

• Greeting other people
• Making eye contact
• Acting appropriately around other people
• Using appropriate communication skills
• Altering language according to situations 
• Using a quieter voice inside vs. outside
• Not blurting out answers
• Not interrupting
• Following appropriate conversation rules
• Taking turns when talking to someone
• Initiating conversations or new topics
• Staying on the topic during conversations
• Noticing verbal and non-verbal cues
• Clarifying ideas to listeners when needed
• Maintaining appropriate personal space and boundaries
• Using appropriate eye contact and facial expressions
• Making friends

Your child’s PediaPlex therapist personalizes social skills treatments based on their individual needs and goals to ensure the most effective outcome in everyday situations. 

To find out if social skills therapy is right for your child, call the PediaPlex office.