Tip from a Speech Therapist: Social Thinking Skills for Children with Special Needs

The holiday season is often challenging for most of us. For our family members with special needs, it is even more stressful. We need to employ all of our “social thinking skills” during this season when we are attending parties, family gatherings, shopping, traveling, etc. How can we do this gracefully and comfortably?

Set a Routine At all costs, employ a routine when there is no routine. Many of our children’s lives are turned upside down. They are out of their normal routine, ie., school is closed, guests are visiting, we are traveling to strange surroundings. As the parent, it is your job to set a routine for the days of “no routine”. For example: keep consistent mealtimes, employ a regular bedtime. Use your social thinking to think “how might my child feel with his/her disrupted routine.

https://www.parentingspecialneeds.org/article/embracing-your-childs-best-ways-of-learning-12-different-ways-to-learn/

Helpful Articles

• Talk with Me: Enhancing Communication through Natural Family Routines
• Kids Learn Communication Best through the Help of their Parents [Infographic]
• Back Talk: 5 Ways to Help Your Child Practice Communication Skills at Home
• Use Your Words Replacing Problem Behavior with Communication
• Back Talk: 5 Ways to Help Your Child Practice Communication Skills at Home
• Embracing Your Child’s Best Ways of Learning 12 Different Ways to Learn

This post originally appeared on our November/December 2017 Magazine