| This appealing board game and related materials teach children (ages 8 and up) attitudes and behaviors that promote positive interaction with their peers. It is especially helpful with those who are shy or socially neglected.
Game cards focus on four skill areas: Making Friends, Responding Positively to Peers, Cooperating With Peers, and Communicating Needs. Included in the game manual are three inventories that can be used to identify the child's specific skill deficits and select game cards addressing those deficits.
A related workbook is full of exercises that reinforce concepts introduced by the game. By practicing "self-talk," children acquire specific skills--perceiving themselves as competent, expecting success in social situations, not worrying, accepting mistakes, and taking credit for success.
In addition, engaging story cards gently prompt shy and socially rejected children to create stories based on the illustrations shown. By discussing and revising the stories, you can guide youngsters toward more socially adaptive attitudes and behaviors.
Also available are two DVDs that demonstrate the cognitive-behavioral principles taught by the game, workbook, and story cards. For younger children, a Social Thinking Skills Puppet DVD illustrates each skill and serves as an ideal introduction to game-playing or storytelling sessions. For older children (ages 10 to 16), the Social Skills Skits DVD featuring real kids illustrates negative, and then positive, reactions to real-life social situations (e.g., introducing yourself, starting a conversation, giving a compliment, sharing, expressing negative feelings). The dramatic contrast between "how to" and "how not to" never fails to provoke viewer involvement and discussion. |
