The theme for July in our Social Skills program is: How we feel can change the way we act.
Underlying Principle:
Our behavior impacts the feelings of those around us. When we engage in the expected social behavior it makes others feel more positive (proud, happy, etc.). But when we engage in the unexpected it makes others feel more negative (frustrated, uncomfortable, angry, etc.).
Targeted Skills: Expected and Unexpected Behaviors, Coping Skills, Perspective taking, Non-verbal cues
Sample Activities:
Noticing Body Language and Emotions in Animated Clips:
We will show an age appropriate short video clip to our clients and identify emotions of the characters at different points in the story. We will highlight specific clips along the way to discuss what emotion a character may be feeling based on his or her body language and the context. This activity allows clients to practice the idea of making smart guesses.
Building Emotional Vocabulary can be Sport in Itself:
Sporting events and intense emotions go hand in hand. Our Specialists will help the child build his/her emotional vocabulary and awareness by pointing out the various emotions players and fans are experiencing. We will also discuss whether a given emotion was expected or unexpected given the circumstances. For example, if your team scores and the fans are cheering, that is expected, but if a fan from the opposite team yells inappropriate words, that is taking it too far and is considered unexpected.
