Social SkillsBy: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Updated March 24, 2024 Social interaction skills must be taught to students with visual impairments because they are unable to casually observe how people interact and socialize with one another. Having reduced vision can make it more difficult for students to acquire accurate information about their social environment or the context of activities. Not being able to observe physical gestures or facial expressions makes it difficult to understand social nuances. Students must learn appropriate social skills to prepare them for success in their homes, their friendships as well as for job and career readiness. Students must learn to communicate effectively with different people. They must also learn to accept and respond appropriately to suggestions and corrections. Strategies and activities to help the student develop appropriate and positive social skills are embedded into the different thematic units. Some areas the student may need instructed in include knowledge of self, knowledge of their visual impairment, knowledge of others, development of interaction skills, development of social skills, introducing the student to lifelong recreation and leisure skills and self-advocacy skills. This success in this area often means the difference between social isolation and a satisfying and fulfilling life as an adult. In addition to instruction from a TVI, many students benefit from direct instruction from a Speech and Language Pathologists (SLP). The SLP can provide instruction in: Asking for help, commenting, coping, expressing emotions, flexibility of thought, gaining attention, getting to know others, greetings, joining a group, joking, maintaining conversation, maintaining topics, making friends, obtaining information, perspective of thought, reciprocal interaction, requesting help, self-advocacy, showing empathy, taking turns, and working with others. When the student receives instruction from the SLP, the TVI should collaborate with the SLP on ways to adapt or modify instruction to meet the student’s unique visual and learning needs. |
Social SkillsNon-Verbal
Communicate
Cooperative
Identity
Interactions
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