Preschool: Social skills for 4 and 5-year-olds are taught through play, role-playing, and hands-on activities. Peer socialization is the focus and is accomplished through turn-taking games (i.e. board games), engaging in make-believe games (i.e. playing house), and playing cooperative games (teaming up to match and sort).

Elementary School: Social skills for elementary age are taught through play, role-playing, hands-on activities, and stories. Peer socialization is accomplished through group games, engaging in appropriate conversation, understanding emotions, problem-solving, and dealing with conflict. Activities such as engaging in story-based discussions, playing charades, creative play (i.e. drawing), and memory games are used to teach these skills in a fun and social way. In a remote setting, social skills groups support school-age children in building their social competencies. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, the child’s role in a group, perspective-taking, problem-solving, turn-taking, demystifying emotions, how to read the room, etc. These topics are covered through various modes through role-playing, group games, group, and 1:1 discussions. The goal of the group is to increase the child’s social confidence and competence.

High School: Social skills for high-school-age are taught through role-playing, storytelling, mock interviews, and learning about pragmatics (staying on topic, using gestures, and body language). Social communication skills include using language for different reasons, changing language for the listener or situation, and taking turns. By observing different scenarios and identifying varying emotions and nonverbal communication, students improve their social communication skills.

Middle School: Social skills for middle-school-age are taught through structured and unstructured activities, including group games and activities, role-playing, hands-on activities, and stories. Some skills that are addressed are more meaningful conversations, perspective-taking, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Activities such as story-based discussions, creative play (creating your own comics), and cooperative activities (scavenger hunt, puzzles) are used to strengthen these skills. In a remote setting, social skills for middle-school-age students help strengthen the child’s self-advocacy skills. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, the child’s role in a group, perspective-taking, problem-solving, gray area thinking, demystifying emotions, how to read the room, figurative language, and idioms, etc. These topics are covered through various modes through role-playing, group games, group, and 1:1 discussions. The goal of the group is to increase the child’s social confidence and competence as well as to strengthen their self-advocacy skills.