Social Skills (Ages 0-3)

Social Skills Needed

Just like no two children experience growth spurts at the same time, no two children ever learn social cues at the same time. 👧👧 However, there are social skills that are common between certain age ranges. These are behaviors your child needs to learn so that she will be able to communicate with you and other people.

Parent Intervention

But don’t take this as a reason to worry.  There are several activities you can do with your child to help her learn these social skills or at least make significant gains.

Pointing and Looking

Let’s use a toy doll for example. Put it in front of her. Look at it.  Does she look at it? By doing this you are testing her joint attention, her ability to engage in the same activity.  

Or use that doll again, and say, “Oh look, there’s a doll!”  Now is she looking at it?

Or, does she try to get your attention by pointing at things?  

Reciprocal Vocalizations

Now let’s discuss reciprocal vocalizations, which are the foundation of imitating voices and sounds. Does she laugh or copy if you gasp, or blow a raspberry?  The “reciprocal” part is the back and forth interaction. When you say something or make a sound she should respond to you. 

Expectations

If she is age one or older she should be starting to copy sounds and simple words. 

You can also use games to improve her social skills.  

Games to Gain

Other Kids

First focus on games where she has to interact with other people, games like peek-a-boo, tag or chase, and ring around the rosie.

Toys

You can also roll a ball or car back and forth.  Pause in the middle of the game: does she respond in any way because she wants to keep going? ⚽

Pause and Fill-in

Finally, you can use the effective  “Pause and fill-in” exercise.

Say, “Ready, set”…does she say “go?”  Does she respond to show she understood, where she said something, made a sound, or did something physically?

Let’s go back to rolling the ball.  When you paused and held onto the ball, did she hold her hands out?👐

Sing it Out 🎶

Use her favorite songs.  Let’s use the alphabet song as an example.  Sing, “A, B, C, D,” and let her respond with “E,F,G.”

Or, “Old MacDonald had a farm, E, I, E, I…” leave her the “O.”

How about: “Twinkle, twinkle, little…” star?

Repeat for Reward

Taken together, all these different strategies practiced often will help your child get to the level that she needs to be in.  These social skills will help her succeed in her “real life” ahead. But more importantly, now, in the present, it will allow her to reach out and communicate with you.