How to Help a Child Who Has a Learning Disability Socialize

Children with learning disabilities sometimes have low self-esteem and suffer in more areas than just the classroom. Here are a few steps to help your child build self-esteem and become an overall success.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

1. Interact with your child. The more social you are with your child the more practice your child will get in social interaction.
2. Teach your child social skills. Practice hand shaking and eye contact in role-play situations. Include skills like taking turns and personal space in practice.
3. Talk openly with your child about emotions. Say things like, "I am happy, sad, mad about ... " "Does that make you feel sad?" "What does it feel like to be happy? sad? mad?" Helping your child to understand feelings will teach him or her to control feelings and read others' emotions.
4. Create a nonintrusive signal to use as a cue in social situations. You can make up something (blinking fast) to remind your child of a particular social issue.
5. Allow your child to make decisions. Teach your child how to analyze a problem by posing choices using everything from food and snacks to daily or family activities.
6. Find your child's strengths. Observe your child and build social opportunities on the activities your child excels in. You can join clubs or groups that promote any number of activities in a social group setting.

Tips & Warnings

• Join parent clubs that your child can interact in as well.
• Sponsor or coach a club or an organization that your child can be a part of.
• Participate in school functions and field trips.
• Discuss social situations you see or watch on TV.
• Teach your child good grooming and discuss hygiene.
• Praise your child often.
• Find information on how to effectively parent your child with special needs if you experience extreme frustration dealing with your child.