What are Social Skills

Socially Skilled: the ability to respond to a given environment in a manner that produces, maintains, and enhances positive interpersonal (between people) effects.

Social competence: one's overall social functioning ... a composite or multitude of generalized social skills. (Social competence can be improved by teaching social behaviors/social skills.) Social skills are those communication, problem-solving, decision making, self-management, and peer relations abilities that allow one to initiate and maintain positive social relationships with others. Deficits or excesses in social behavior interfere with learning, teaching, and the classroom's orchestration and climate. Social competence is linked to peer acceptance, teacher acceptance, inclusion success and post school success. Taken from this link

At School Within a School, we believe that a student's success is measured in large part by their ability to not only survive the "real world", but to thrive.  This means that teaching "social skills" and "life skills" is a necessary part of their education.  Often, students are given one-on-one instruction in order to help them successfully navigate the social situations they encounter on a daily basis.  In addition, a planned curriculum in Social and Life Skills is taught as a part of their standard course of study at Veritas.

Social and Life Skills includes many topics, including:

• Orientation and Organization - Schedules/Routines/Rules
• Learning About Body Basics - Eye Contact/Voice Volume
• Using Body Posture - Skill Steps
• Introducing Yourself
• Starting a Conversation
• Having and Ending a Conversation
• Caring and Sharing
• Asking for Help
• Facial Expressions - Skill Steps
• Expressing and Identifying Feelings
• Happy and Sad Situations
• Making an Apology - Saying You're Sorry
• How to Complain When Things Aren't Fair
• When You Are Teased
• Being a Friend
• Listening
• Distractions:  Ignoring, Not Disturbing
• Following Directions
• Homework/Finishing Work
• Asking Questions
• Cognitive Planning - Staying Calm/Planning/Roadblocks
• Introductory Skills - Using Body Language/Being Introduced
• Recognizing Stress - Cause/Effect
• Using Manners/Greetings & Good-Byes
• Initiating Conversations/Choosing the Right Time & Place
• Topical Conversations
• Staying On & Switching Topics
• Non-Verbal Conversation Skills
• Transitioning to Adulthood - College and Beyond!