Wednesday, May 12, 2010

How Easy is it to Make friends?

Some people think that making friends comes naturally to all children. This is not always true. Children who have any type of social skill deficit have difficulty making friends. Why is that?

In order to make friends, a child has to be able to understand the body language and/or cues that their peers are exhibiting, so that he knows whether or not it is the right time to approach them. For example, when a child approaches two children who are talking, he has to know if it is a good idea to interrupt their conversation and begin to speak. This situation often occurs at lunch and at recess.

If he speaks when the two children clearly want to be only with each other, he is quickly rejected. Before speaking to the two children, for example, he has to notice if either of the children look at him and smile or just continue to look at each other. Also, do they turn their backs on the approaching child, or do they turn towards him?

I would love to hear some experiences that the children with whom you work or live have had that are relevant to this conversation.

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