Some kids learn to say “please” and “thank you” and to wait their turn by watching others. But kids with learning and attention issues might not pick up on common social interactions simply through observation. If your child struggles with social skills, a social skills group could help. Social skills include far more than the ability to communicate with other people. They’re crucial to making friends, succeeding in school and, later in life, getting and keeping a job. Social skills groups are small groups led by an adult who teaches the kids how to interact appropriately with others their age. They can help kids learn conversational, friendship and problem-solving skills. They can also be useful in teaching kids to control their emotions and understand other people’s perspectives. Kids can learn important skills that they’ll use the rest of their lives. This includes learning how to greet others, start a conversation, respond to others, maintain a conversation, share and take turns, and ask for help. Social skills groups are best for kids who aren’t developing social skills as quickly as their peers. This may include kids with ADHD, who can be too active and physical in their play. It may include kids with nonverbal learning disabilities, who may have trouble picking up on social cues, like body language, tone of voice and facial expressions. It may also include kids with social communication challenges and other types of learning or behavior issues. Turtle Wing Foundation facilitates groups for children in three-age ranges – Turtle Sliders for children pre-K through 2nd grade, Turtle Tweens for children 3rd grade through 8th grade and Turtle Teens for children high school and older. This month the social skills outing will involve Martial Arts with Pastor Frank at Schulenburg Methodist Church (209 N. Upton Ave.). This will happen on Saturday, February 23rd. No experience is expected! Sliders will come from 2:00-3:00 PM and Tweens will come from 3:15-4:15 PM. This is a free gathering. There are limited spots available so please rsvp as soon as possible. To RSVP or if your child would be a new participant and you’d like to see if this group is appropriate for their child please contact Dawn McMillan at (512)718-1617 or fcwchild@gmail.com. Martial Arts aides in helping with physical coordination and self-esteem. Like Martial Arts, social skills techniques must be performed over and over in order to achieve fluency and mastery. This program is underwritten by Turtle Wing Foundation whose mission is to “help children with learning challenges in rural areas with learning challenges achieve their full potential”. The foundation serves youth in Fayette, Lavaca, Colorado and surrounding counties. For more information on Turtle Wing programming or to volunteer contact managing director, Susie Shank, at (979)505-5090 or susie@turtlewingfoundation.org.
