SKIT DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL SKILLS

This class utilizes established improvisational theater techniques to help address social communication skills such as: asking for information, turn-taking, nonverbal communication, interpersonal skills, conversational skills, and many others. In this class, we also focus on Executive Functioning skills that help us focus, remember and manipulate information as well as to adapt to change and multitasking.

This class is designed for anyone who may benefit from:

- more repetition and visual and communication supports

- social and communication activities that are less language intensive

Class Placement Guidelines

  • Participants in this class could take this class (SKIT Developing Social Communication Skills) as an introductory SKIT class and then continue on to then take other SKIT classes

  • This class is for anyone ages 5 through adults although elementary school-aged children may be suitable for this class regardless of their verbal language skills.

  • This class has built-in adaptations specifically for participants who may be nonverbal and or have limited verbal language skills. Other SKIT classes have a stronger focusing on role-playing and discussion in those classes.



Skills Focused on in the SKIT Developing Social Communication class:

Social and Communication Skills

  • Initiating Communication

  • Asking for Information

  • Commenting

  • Describing

  • Nonverbal Communication

  • Following Directions

  • Emotions

  • Conversational Skills

  • Turn-Taking

  • Interpersonal Skills

  • Listening Skills

  • Quick and Accurate Responding

  • Imitation



    Executive Functioning Skills

  • Self Control

  • Working Memory

  • Flexible Thinking



Social-Emotional Learning Areas

In the SKIT Developing Social Communication skills class, we focus on skills related to the areas of Social-Emotional Learning



Self Awareness

  • Responding to others emotions

  • Identifying emotions in self and others

  • Discussing feelings



Self Management

  • Self Control / Impulse Control

  • Making plans with others

  • Problem Solving

  • Maintaining Focus

  • Asking for information or assistance



Social Awareness

  • Identifying and responding to nonverbal communication (body language, eye contact, facial expressions)

  • Flexible Thinking

  • Listening Skills

  • Social Skills 

Relationship Skills

  • Teamwork

  • Working cooperatively with others

  • Working towards a shared goal

  • Communication skills

  • Interpersonal skills

  • Conversational skills

  • Introducing self to others

  • Greeting others

Responsible Decision Making

  • Identifying problems

  • Solving problems

  • Coming up with multiple ways to solve problems



Possible related Social Emotional Learning IEP goals or objectives

SKIT Developing Social and Communication skills curriculum could be used to address any of the following Social Emotional Learning goals or objectives that commonly appear in IEPs such as: 

  • Learn and follow the rules of the activity 

  • Cooperate with group decision in which you may not be in agreement 

  • Participate in cooperative games and/or small group activities

  • Demonstrate on-task behavior/ ignoring distractions 

  • Adapt effectively to change 

  • Wait for one’s turn 

  • Attempt challenging activities and take risks

  • Accept group activity as defined 

  • Work with others 

  • Participate cooperatively in groups 

  • Make remarks relevant to the topic of conversation 

  • Practice self-control in various situations 

  • Identify and display emotions 

  • Initiate conversations with peers 

  • Join in a conversation 

  • Refrain from interrupting others in conversation 

  • Stay on the same subject as others 

  • Accept peers ideas in group activities 

  • Identify nonverbal cues 

We offer classes for middle school, high school, and adults.