Practitioner tips for helping learners improve their social skills
- Be honest about inappropriate behaviour that is displayed
- Help learners to stop and think before they react - guide them through alternatives and possible solutions
- Assist learners with monitoring voice tones and emotions by providing direct feedback
- Demonstrate appropriate social skills through modeling, guiding, role-playing and/or utilizing social peer groups
- Practice how to give praise and pay sincere compliments
- Explain the difference between humour and sarcasm: provide examples of inappropriate humour
- Demonstrate and practice how to handle interruptions as well as how, and when, it is appropriate to interrupt
- Clarify when and when not to discuss personal matters
- Explain and model how to attend and respond to what someone is saying
- Teach conversational skills through small group interaction and peer training10
Lesson Plan: Teaching social skills (listening, problem-solving, and
negotiating) in cooperative learning groups using teacher-directed instruction
for students with disabilities.