3 Things to Look for in a Social Skills Group

Parents of children with difficult social behaviors and additional challenges such as ADHD or an Autism Spectrum doagnosis know that participation in a social skills group is an important factor in helping their child learn the skills to build and nurture successful friendships through their life. With so many providers, it can be difficult to choose which one to trust to guide your child's social-emotional development.

How will you recognize a social skills curriculum built on these tenets? Look for a facilitator with a philosophy which recognizes the inherent strengths in your child and supports the innate desire to make meaningful connections. The sessions should focus on pragmatic skills such as recognizing facial expressions and voice modulation. While the basic rules for social behavior can be generalized, children should not be forced into cookie cutter conformity. Every person has their own communication style that should be supported. Astute social skills will not always mean good behavior or academic performance. As parents we must prioritize and trust that success in all other areas of life follows positive social connection.

Many autism interventions are built on a deficit model that begins by identifying the behaviors that are causing the most social difficulty, and then designing a curriculum to address problems. For example, according to Bellini (2006), the six major areas of impairment in social functioning include:

1. Nonverbal communication
2. Social initiation
3. Reciprocity and terminating interactions
4. Social cognition
5. Behaviors associated with perspective taking and self-awareness
6. Social anxiety and social withdrawal

These concerns are real, tangible, and difficult to cope with. The impulse as a parent or educator is to ameliorate problem areas by targeting deficits as quickly and effectively as possible. In the rush to target valuable energy and resources to solve problems, your child's innate strengths and capabilities can be forgotten.

As a practitioner offering social skills groups in the greater Hartford region, I feel that it is critical to design interventions using a strengths based approach. I propose the following six inherent strengths of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. 

1. Elasticity: the ability to adapt 
2. Desire to make social connections
3. Inherent ability for growth
4. Individuality: each child has individual interests and motivations
5. Natural supports: family, faith community, and anyone invested in the child's success
6. Resiliency: the ability to recover from setbacks

A strengths based approach can be reflected in the language used by the constellation of professionals and informal caregivers supporting your child, and this learned optimism will begin to transform the way that you and your child view growth and progress. A study by Shirvani (2007) found that positive teacher communication improved both students performance and parents attitudes. The growth you are working towards can be scaffolded by acceptance, support, and an unwaivering belief in your child's innate capabilities.

Aaron Weintraub, MS runs child-centered social skills groups with a focus on children and teenagers with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Shyness. Strengths-based approach in a community based setting. Groups forming now for Tolland, Mansfield, Willimantic, Hartford, and Coventry Connecticut. http://kidscooperate.com 860-576-9506