Social Communication & Body Language.

Social Communication and Body Language

GiGi’s Playhouse’s Speech and Language Pathologist, Sarah Buti is back to share another communication tip with us!

“What is social communication, really? Social communication includes interactions with a variety of “communication partners” – including family members, caregivers, child care providers, educators, and peers. Even though most children and adults with Down syndrome find social language easier to learn than many other communication skills, they will often need to work on these skills in therapy to achieve their “Best of All”.

Individuals with Down syndrome love meeting new people and want to interact and communicate with others. Children and adults with Down syndrome may get physically close, hug and show affection to others, regardless of how well they know them. Personal space is one area of social communication that should be stressed as important to individuals with Down syndrome, as this is often difficult to understand. This is best taught at home and in the community, in real-life situations. The more practice your child gets, the better!
Parents should start working on teaching what is appropriate very early on. For example, you can talk about how you will greet someone right before you actually greet them. The following is an at-home activity to help teach individuals with Down syndrome what is an appropriate distance to stand next to a person:

Home Activity: Use a hula hoop or chalk to draw circles outdoors to represent appropriate distances between people for specific situations. Practice what is a good distance and what is too close. If you are out and about and would like to practice, simply use your arms to help! Teach your child or adult that an appropriate distance to stand is an arm’s length away from your partner. Make it fun; be silly! Just because you are teaching your loved one a lesson, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it at the same time!!”

Some other tools you may find helpful……

Social Stories, Personal Space.  Ready to print.

iTunes Social Stories Creator  Customize your own Social Stories with this helpful app.

Personal Space Camp – Louis, a self-taught space expert is delighted to learn that his teacher has sent him to the principal’s office to attend personal space camp. Eager to learn more about lunar landings, space suits, and other cosmic concepts, Louis soon discovers that he has much to learn about personal space right here on earth. Written with style, wit, and rhythm, personal space camp addresses the complex issue of respect for another person s physical boundaries. Told from Louis perspective, this story is a must-have resource for parents, teachers, and counselors who want to communicate the idea of personal space in a manner that connects with kids.

Hands Off, Harry! -Kindergators work and play happily in Miss Harmony’s class. But Harry isn’t being a good classmate! He’s disrupting Friendly Circle, causing accidents, and upsetting the class. Can the Kindergators find a way to help Harry learn to respect personal space?

What works best in your home? Please leave a comment with your tips.

educate.inspire.believe.