Social skills don’t come naturally to all children

Developing social skills is essential for children’s emotional growth, communication, and ability to build relationships. Every child is unique, so strategies should be tailored to individual strengths and challenges, keeping in mind that social skills don’t come naturally to all children, especially those with special needs.

Remember patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement are key when helping children with special needs. Every small step can lead to meaningful progress.

Here are effective tips that will help support social skill development:

• Structured play activities – such as board games, role-playing, and team sport – can encourage cooperation, sharing, and lessons in allowing turns – and taking turns. Shared play helps children practice problem-solving and communication in a natural setting.
• Children often learn best through watching. Adults and peers can serve as role models by demonstrating appropriate social behaviour, such as greetings, eye contact, listening, and polite conversation. Consistent modelling can help children understand and copy positive interactions.
• Visual aids – such as short stories that help learners understand how to behave in social situations, picture cards, and cue cards – can simplify complex social concepts. For example, a visual schedule can outline the steps for greeting a friend or joining a group activity. These tools help children process information more clearly and help them remember social rules.
• Social scripts provide children with pre-planned language for common social situations, such as introducing themselves, asking for help, or inviting a peer to play. Repeated practice of these scripts can build confidence and familiarity in real-life interactions.
• Social skills groups, often headed by therapists or educators, provide a safe and structured space for children to practice socialising with peers. These groups allow children to engage in guided social interactions while receiving direct feedback and support. It is important the lessons are reinforced in home settings too.
• Encouragement and praise can motivate children to engage in social interactions. To reinforce positive behaviour, celebrate small successes such as making eye contact or sharing a toy. Apart from encouragement and praise, tangible rewards, including stickers or extra playtime, can also be effective.
• Teaching social skills in small, manageable steps can make learning less overwhelming. For example, instead of teaching ‘conversation skills’ all at once, break it down into steps – making eye contact, asking a question, and listening to the response.
• Using a child’s personal interests can be a motivator for social engagement. If a child enjoys trains, activities involving trains can be used as a platform for practicing sharing, turn-taking, and joint play.
• Families are critical in reinforcing social skills. Engaging in family activities, such as game nights or outings, provides opportunities to practice skills in a ‘safe’ environment.

We, at Capulum College, can help you with specialised strategies to develop social skills.