The role of parents in the development of social skills

Definition

Social skills are defined as the interaction between the person, environment and tools which are used to initiate and maintain vital interpersonal relationships. These skills include physical development, self-awareness, personal responsibility, economic-vocational activity and academic skills, interpersonal behaviors, self-oriented behaviors, academic behaviors, peer acceptance and communication skills (Elliot, 1987).

Social skills for children include:

• play skills – for example, taking turns in games or sharing toys
• conversation skills – for example, choosing what to talk about, or what body language to use
• emotional skills – for example, managing emotions and understanding how others feel
• problem-solving skills – for example, dealing with conflict or making decisions in social situations.

Social skills help autistic children and teenagers know how to act in different social situations – from talking to grandparents to playing with friends at school. Social skills can help them make friends, learn from others and develop hobbies and interests. These skills can also help with family relationships and give them a sense of belonging. And good social skills are important for autistic child’s mental health and overall quality of life.

Basic principles of social skills education.

Because autism affects many areas of a child's functioning, ongoing follow-up is needed a collaborative team of representatives of various professions working with the child and family. Main attention is paid to the development of social skills, promoting missing functions.

Behavioral therapy techniques. The main features of structured training are a clear visual environment and expected activity’s structure. Its purpose is to help the child become as independent as possible, to reduce insecurity feeling, anxiety, tension, arising behavioral problems. The minimum number of stimuli that helps is important for the child to concentrate on the essential aspects of the expected activity. Efforts are made to create and adhere to usual routines, well-known routines (Lesinskienė, 2000).

Very important help for parents, constant support of parents and pedagogues working with the child cooperation, integrity and constancy of the methods used in the educational institution and at home. Before when starting a child's education, it is necessary to thoroughly study his interests, abilities, missing skills, the level of functioning in various areas (Volkmar, Klin, 2004, Lesinskiene, 2000, Lesinskiene, 1998). It is also important to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to education or treatment for autism cases (Wenar, Kerig, 2006, Mikulėnaitė, Ulevičiūtė, 2004).

Figure 56. ’’Autism social skills training” Source: PBS Kvie https://youtu.be/DEqhWMugltk

Watch this 1 minute video to learn about autism training on social skills