For social competency:
- Teach him what to say, how to say it, when to say certain words in appropriate situations
- Teach him to stop, look, listen and weigh alternatives in puzzling situations
- Train him to observe non-verbal cues (if he doesn’t get it, quietly and patiently explain the idea)
- Explain the rules of social problems and help him get all the information he needs in social situations before making any decisions to act.
- Give him plenty of outside experiences even though he does not like novel situations. Whenever there is a novel experience (a substitute teacher, a field trip, a change in schedule, etc. tell him ahead of time and discuss the strategies he will use to get through these different times)
- Use verbal rehearsal and “walk throughs” done step-by-step in anticipation of novel experiences.
- Teach self advocacy by helping him know his strengths in learning; and make sure he has all his available learning tools: calculator, computer, software that is helpful.
*Reference: Rourke, Byron P. “Treatment Programme for the Child with NLD”, November, 1994.
- Turn on the TV without the sound and watch facial movements.
- Remember that each experience is novel; she needs verbal help in seeing the relationships of experiences.
- Video your family and watch without the sound
- Make a game out of looking at people and describing their nonverbal expressions.
- Patiently, teach the game of Charades and play it repeatedly, so that using nonverbal cues becomes easier.
- Collect photos or magazine pictures of faces with different facial expressions to look at and describe.
- Discuss situations where nonverbal cues are used:
- meeting someone for the first time;
- talking to kids at school;
- the teacher teaching up in front of the class;
- Discuss situations where “reading” nonverbal cues is needed:
- “listening” to the teacher;
- responding to someone telling you something;
- being in public places: markets, stores, church;
Resources: Duke, Marshall, Nowicki, Stephen. Teaching Your Child the Language of Social Success. Atlanta: Peachtree, 1996.
Frankel, F. Good Friends are Hard to Find: Help your child find, make and keep friends. Los Angeles: Perspective Publishing, 1996. (Available through Free Spirit Press 612 338 2068.)