Our Social Skills Program will focus on the theme of Supporting Emotions this month.
Underlying Principle:
Being aware of one’s emotions and being able to regulate or control them is essential for social success. If we are unable to manage our emotional state, we will have minimal success in social situations. When our emotions and behaviors don’t match the social situation, it makes others feel uncomfortable and not want to be around us.
Targeted Skills: Coping Skills, Identifying Emotions, Perspective Taking
Sample Activities:
Toolbox for Calming Strategies
We will utilize a bin or pencil box to represent a «toolbox» and fill it with «tools» (i.e. coping skills) that each client can use to help self-regulate emotions and solve problems during difficult transitions. We will work with the child to come up with tools they feel would be effective in calming their emotions.
Build Emotional Vocabulary
We will assist the child to build his/her emotional vocabulary and awareness by pointing out the various emotions characters and people experience (look at magazines, books or play a video clip). Such emotions may include disappointed, upset, worried, confused, and many more. We will discuss whether a given emotion was expected or unexpected given the circumstances.
Life Happens
We will talk with each client about being flexible when things don’t go the way he/she planned. Be a good role model and discuss taking a different route to get somewhere or different ways of doing things.
Our Floortime Program features a Camping Adventure this month. In our newly renovated therapy rooms, we designed a room specifically set up for a new theme each month.
June is National Camping Month. With the school year coming to an end and clients going on vacation this is the perfect time for us to introduce different outdoor summer activities. We will take the opportunity to discuss with our clients various outdoor activities and the safety of camping. Clients will learn to identify and label what they see and to ask and answer questions.
Here are a few of the targeted skills:
-Taking turns
-Greetings
-Initiating interactions
-Flexibility
-Sharing
-Making requests
-Responding to others
-Maintains personal space
-Respond to instructions given
-Expressing ideas
-Express a need for help
-Communication
-Ask/answer questions
We wish everyone a wonderful start to the Summer season!