Teaching Social Skills 

A Social Skills Curriculum from Family Interplay Education

“Interplay Groups” are specially designed group sessions which provide an opportunity for children to practice important social interaction skills. These are skills that will enable them to relate effectively with others and to develop friendships with peers. For most children, many of these interaction skills are learned naturally or “automatically” through observation and modeling. Under usual circumstances, children also learn social skills through their ability to receive and interpret feedback in the form of verbal or nonverbal communication from others.

Children with learning disabilities or special needs may not have these natural abilities. In order to help such children, it is important to identify which types of skills are needed, and to provide repeated opportunities to practice them. Interplay Groups are designed to be fun for all children, and will also assist in teaching socially competent children how to help friends who seem “different”. Hence Interplay Groups are somewhat universal in nature. Activities may be selected or adapted for all age groups and ability levels, and are designed to be carried out in a classroom setting.

One feature of the Interplay Group which distinguishes it from many other social skills programs is that it does not rely on higher functions such as thinking skills, verbal rehearsals, or role play techniques. Instead, activities are based in the “here and now”, and they offer a direct opportunity to practice interacting, even when children lack the ability to predict the reactions or feelings of others.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERPLAY GROUP

To participate in an Interplay Group, students sit in a circle in chairs, or cross-legged on the floor (carpet squares are optional). Teachers participate in the circle as well. For most activities, players need to sit close enough so that their knees are almost touching (when seated on the floor), or so that they can touch the knee of the next person (if they are seated in a chair).

Group sessions are scheduled by the teacher to take place on a regular basis in the classroom, at a regularly scheduled time, preferably daily, but at least once a week. The number of participants may vary. In some cases, activities may be adapted for use with only two children; in other cases a whole classroom might participate. Interplay Groups can last from five minutes to half an hour, depending on the students involved, and the goals in each session. For some students, it takes a while to get used to a new activity, and they may need to spendmore time with it, repeating the same activity over and oLver in order to ‘catch on’ and feel comfortable with it. The teacher plans the Interplay Group in advance by carefully selecting activities which will meet the needs of the group and the individuals in it. The group itself is highly structured and directed by the leader or teacher. Activities are interactive in nature. They typically do not include dramatic or imaginative themes, but rather emphasize here and now awareness and involvement with others.

It is reconmended that sessions be videotaped in order to provide a record of progress, as well as feedback on each child’s participation. This information will lead to more effective planning of future sessions.

The Interplay Group curriculum is aimed at three basic types of interactions. These include Self Expression, Reading Others, and Reciprocating. Each type has a number of associated skills such as the following:

 TYPE ONE: SELF EXPRESSION

 Self Expression interactions are those in which the individual is the initiator. In order to initiate an interaction, a child must have:

•    a certain level of self confidence

•    an interest in others

•    a desire to express his or her own needs

•    a desire to communicate

•    a desire to reach out to another person

•    a willingness to trust others