Thanks to Nicole Lawrence, Public Relations student with Mount Saint Vincent University and summer student at Bridgeway for putting together this article.
Rhonda
Learning to make friends: Social skills training can make the difference
By Nicole Lawrence
Social skills are essential to living a satisfying and fulfilling life. Whether at home, school or in the workplace, social skills are the tools that allow us to communicate, relate and socialize with others. Understanding social cues, interacting with others and even respecting someone’s personal space may seem like common knowledge but they don’t come naturally to everyone.
Learning to make friends: Social skills training can make the difference
By Nicole Lawrence
Social skills are essential to living a satisfying and fulfilling life. Whether at home, school or in the workplace, social skills are the tools that allow us to communicate, relate and socialize with others. Understanding social cues, interacting with others and even respecting someone’s personal space may seem like common knowledge but they don’t come naturally to everyone.
Children with hyperactivity and learning disabilities are less likely to learn and develop proper social skills. Without these skills, they may have trouble understanding facial expressions or how their body language is interpreted. They may also act impulsively; disregarding rules, the feelings of others or the consequences of their actions. Parents and peers may see this as inappropriate behaviour, when the problem really lies with their lack of social skills.
Bridgeway Academy is a school for students with learning disabilities. They teach social skills in the classroom and offer similar social skills programs to the community at large. The primary focus is to help children develop the skills necessary for initiating, building and maintaining friendships and understanding appropriate behaviour.
Just like the skills used to teach math and reading, social skills can be broken down, taught and practiced. Instead of scolding a child’s mistake, positive reinforcement is used until these skills become routine.
“School can be a huge challenge for students with social deficits” says Angela Rudderham, Director of Behavioural and Social Skills at Bridgeway Academy. “Children enrolled in our program often have trouble making friends and following the rules both in class and at home. These everyday obstacles can make it hard for students to concentrate on academics.”
Eight-year-old Arec Aubrecht is a recent graduate of Bridgeway’s social skills program. His grandmother Francine Aubrecht recalls the remarkable difference in Arec, who has Tourette’s Syndrome. “He used to have a real problem with social cues and understanding things like when to stop talking or when he was annoying other kids,” says Aubrecht. She says her grandson also had difficulties making friends. “He had trouble understanding when the kids were playing games – he often mistook playfulness as hostility and would get angry as a result.”
The social skills program first identifies those skills that need improvement then gives parents and children the proper tools to learn and practice them.
“After he finished the program we noticed a big change in Arec” says Aubrecht. “He used to be quite impulsive and now he thinks a bit more before he acts.”
The program’s director Angela Rudderham knows the change students can undergo. “They come to us with social phobias and problems expressing themselves – many leave with the confidence and ability to make friends and interact with others.”
According to his grandmother, Arec loved Bridgeway’s workshop enough to enrol again this summer. By incorporating fun into the curriculum, Bridgeway Academy has a program suited for students of all ages and learning disabilities.
This July and August, Bridgeway Academy is offering the social skills program at both their Darmouth and Truro locations. For more information about this program and other workshops contact Bridgeway Academy at 902-465-4800 or www.bridgeway-academy.com
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