Developing strong social skills is an essential part of early childhood. Not only do these skills help children interact well with the world around them, but they’re also integral for building confidence, independence, and good mental health as they grow older.
From social interactions with other children to role play, there are a huge number of ways that you can encourage kids to develop these skills, and developmental education is one key method. However, not everyone will find this a natural process, especially for children living with a disability or autism.
Keep reading as we explain the part that developmental education has to play, how it can be implemented to help children with different needs, and what to do if your child struggles to form important social skills.
The Role of Education in Social Development: How Can it Help?
Social development is the process of building skills that allow us to empathise and interact with the people around us successfully. This typically begins in childhood as young people go through the education system but continues as we encounter new people and situations while growing older.
Developmental education is essential in this process, as it encourages children to make friends, foster routines, and find a sense of independence. Parents, carers, developmental educators, and supported living services can guide children in understanding the values of human social interaction by displaying boundaries and teaching them right from wrong.
Placing children in a supportive school or structured community setting gives them the opportunity to interact with peers their own age and adult educators. This dynamic can help kids understand the consequences of not following rules or controlling their behaviour around others. It teaches them how to manage more advanced social skills like showing respect, handling their own emotions and recognising their body language.
For example, a parent or teacher may educate children directly by continually emphasising the importance of using manners. Kids can also indirectly learn how to share, resolve conflicts, and demonstrate empathy through free play with other children.
The skills, values, and knowledge they pick up through a developmental educator, therefore, helps them communicate effectively with the people around them to build and maintain friendships.
Why Are Social Skills Important?
Despite the focus often being mainly on academic or motor skills, social skills are just as important for setting children up for success.
Learning social skills like listening, sharing, cooperating, and conflict resolution early on helps kids form positive relationships with family, friends, and teachers. They’ll find it easier to interpret non-verbal cues and express their emotions verbally.
Building relationships enables children to learn from their peers and develop a sense of companionship, which can strengthen their mental health. Children with good social skills are also less likely to use illegal substances or get in trouble with the law and are more likely to succeed in their education.
For instance, a meta-analysis found that children who could self-regulate at preschool age were likely to have better academic performance at age 8. From the age of 13, they were also less likely to demonstrate symptoms of depression, aggression, or criminal behaviour.
How to Help Children Who Are Struggling to Build Social Skills
Not all kids will learn best through structured education, particularly if they have a physical or developmental disability like autism.
However, disabilities shouldn’t affect their lease for life, and there are many alternative methods of developmental education that you can try as a parent or carer to help kids develop the necessary social skills. Here are four instructional strategies you can implement:
Contact a Disability Support Service
If you feel that your child is struggling to build social skills through traditional routes of developmental education, you may benefit from a disability support service.
These programmes can help children become more independent by teaching them how to complete everyday tasks such as eating meals, getting dressed, and finishing homework tasks. Not only does this help children reach their developmental milestones, grow, and succeed, but it also allows parents to focus on other areas of home or work life.
When searching for a disability support service, the first thing to look for is NDIS approval, which shows that they meet the standards for high-quality care.
A good support service should be willing to listen to you and your child, demonstrating empathy and compassion as you explain your needs for therapeutic intervention. They should also offer customised programmes to meet your child’s unique requirements and be on hand 24/7 to provide care at home, school, or community.
Use Role Play
Role play allows children to test their interpersonal skills in a safe and familiar environment, helping them build confidence in speaking and listening to others. Embodying another character can spark creativity, inspiring them to hold more detailed conversations.
One great way of practising role play is asking your child to be a server at a restaurant, where good communication, appropriate eye contact, and using manners are imperative. You could also swap roles, allowing them to be the customer and teaching them how to place an order politely.
Model Good Social Skills
While growing up and learning about the world, children will take inspiration from those around them. As a parent or carer, it’s therefore important to model the behaviour that you’d like your child to develop when interacting with others.
For instance, always say “please” and “thank you” when paying for groceries, and encourage kids to do the same. Ask them to use these words when asking for or receiving something, reinforcing the idea each time they forget.
Another ideal teaching point for modelling social skills is when tidying up. As you clean around the house, talk to your child about why this is important for creating a tidy space and helping others.
Provide Positive Reinforcement
If your child struggles to remember how to use their social skills or has trouble following directions, it’s essential to praise them when they do something good.
Provide positive reinforcement clearly and directly using phrases such as “Thank you for tidying away your toys straight away as I asked.”
Emphasise the impact of their actions by explaining how you will both benefit from living in a clean environment, which may encourage them to continue doing this in future.
Get Help with Developmental Education Today
Here at Gracious Australia, we don’t believe having a disability should hold a child back. That’s why our priority is to help kids with disabilities and their families live life to the fullest.
Our NDIS-approved services can assist children with everything from completing homework and gaining new hobbies to socialising and making friends. We also have developmental educators whose main role is to help children overcome their anxieties surrounding social interaction, allowing them to lead the rich social lives they deserve.
These services empower kids to become more independent so they’re better equipped to navigate the world and grow into healthy, happy young adults. Contact our team today for more information on how we can help you and your family.
