Social skills are a set of skills a person uses that include verbal and nonverbal communication.  You have heard the expression “It isn’t what you say but how you say it.”  Body language, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice communicate a great deal to others also.

Many of our students at LAUREL have difficulty learning and using social skills. Teachers and therapists establish rules in the classroom and during therapy.  Many of our student’s have goals in their IEP’s that include social skills training.

Teachers at LAUREL occasionally use social stories to teach a social skill or classroom behavior that is expected.  Some social skills are written by the teacher and some are available through commercial companies.

The speech department has copies of the following “Social Skills Lessons” books that can be checked out to review:  Primary Autism &PDD, Social Skills Lessons, Getting Along,  Primary Autism &PDD, Social Skills Lessons, Behavior, and Autism & PDD, Expanding Social Options.