Social Skills Training

What are social skills?

Social skills are the everyday abilities that allow children to connect with others. They include understanding social cues such as facial expressions or tone of voice, expressing themselves in ways that others can understand, cooperating with peers, and building friendships.

These skills are essential for children to participate confidently in group settings like classrooms, playgrounds, and family gatherings. Strong social skills also help children manage emotions, solve problems, and develop independence as they grow.

How do I know if my child needs social skills training?

Parents often notice signs that their child may benefit from extra support with social skills.

These can include:

Struggling to make or keep friends
Having difficulty with sharing, turn-taking, or respecting personal space
Talking only about their own interests without engaging in a two-way conversation
Avoiding group play or showing difficulty joining peer activities
Misunderstanding nonverbal cues like body language, gestures, or facial expressions
Becoming easily upset, frustrated, or overwhelmed during social conflict
Having difficulty problem-solving when disagreements or misunderstandings occur

If your child shows some of these patterns, social skills training can provide targeted support and guidance to build confidence and stronger connections with others.

What is social skills training for children?

Social skills training is a structured and supportive process where children learn, practice, and apply positive social behaviours.

In our programme, we use evidence-based strategies from Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) to break down social behaviours into smaller, teachable steps. Children may learn through modeling, role-play, guided practice, and group activities.

Most importantly, we help them take what they have learned in the session and use it in real-life settings such as at school, home, or the community.

The aim is not just to teach a skill but to ensure children feel confident and independent in using it where it matters most.

At what age should my child start social skills training?

Social skills are important at every stage of a child’s development, but the focus shifts as children grow.

Preschoolers (ages 3–6): Training centers on foundational milestones such as imitation, joint attention, sharing, waiting, greeting others, parallel play, and beginning cooperative play. These are the building blocks of making friends and joining group activities.
Primary School (ages 7–12): The focus expands to understanding group rules, raising hands and waiting for turns in conversations, joining games appropriately, participating in group discussions, perspective-taking, problem-solving with peers, and handling teasing or disagreements.
Secondary School (ages 13–17): Training emphasizes more advanced skills such as building and sustaining friendships, interpreting sarcasm or humor, navigating peer pressure, managing group projects, resolving conflicts independently, and developing empathy in more complex relationships.
Young Adults: Support may include workplace social readiness such as interviewing skills, teamwork, professional communication, and managing social expectations in higher education or employment settings.

The specific skills depend on age and developmental profile, but generally include:

Early social milestones

Imitation, greeting others, initiating play, waiting, sharing, turn-taking

Classroom and peer group skills

Following group rules, contributing in discussions, cooperative play, joining games, perspective-taking

Conversation and communication

Starting and maintaining conversations, asking relevant questions, active listening, understanding nonverbal cues, interpreting humour or sarcasm

Emotion and behavior regulation in social contexts

Recognising and labelling emotions, managing frustration during peer interactions, resolving conflicts, and coping with teasing or rejection

Adolescent and young adult milestones

Building deeper friendships, navigating peer pressure, sustaining long-term relationships, teamwork, workplace communication

What's unique about our Social Skills Programme?

Our Social Skills Programme is designed to go beyond teaching scripted responses. We want children to understand both what to do and why it matters, so they can adapt flexibly across situations.

What makes our programme unique:

We combine the science of ABA with modern Social Thinking approaches such as Teaching Interaction Procedures, blending structure with real-world application, and rationale building.
Sessions use role-play, rationale-building, teaching interactions, and guided practice to help children experience situations similar to school, playgrounds, or community settings.
Children are grouped carefully by age and developmental level to maximise peer learning and authentic practice.
Generalisation is at the heart of our design, so children learn to apply skills beyond the session in classrooms, homes, and daily life.
Parents and teachers are given practical coaching to reinforce skills consistently across environments.
We incorporate creative and engaging activities, including games, storytelling, and performing arts, to make learning enjoyable and memorable.

Our goal is to give children the confidence and tools to connect meaningfully with others, build friendships, and succeed in the social world.

Want to find out more about our Social Skills Programme?

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. If you have concerns about your child’s development, please consult with a qualified healthcare professional for proper assessment and guidance.

Content

What are social skills?

How do I know my child requires training?

What is social skills training?

At what age should my child start?

What’s unique about our social skills programme?

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