Social Interactions

Provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustments and specific interventions expected to be made by settings according to the ages and stages of the CYP

Universal

• Be aware that some CYP may have difficulty interpreting social cues such as gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice or praise, and respond in a calm, attuned and respectful way that supports understanding and emotional comfort.
• Use modelling and developmentally appropriate play-based approaches (e.g. turn-taking games or curiosity-led approaches) to build engagement, connection, and early interaction skills.
• Explicitly teach and model social communication skills, including how to ask for help, take turns, share and engage in reciprocal interactions, using structured activities (e.g. role play, small group work, social stories, Comic Strip Conversations.)
• Support CYP to understand others' perspectives (e.g. thoughts, feelings, intentions) through modelling and discussion.
• Provide prompts or sentence stems to support social communication (e.g. "Can I join in?", "What do you think?").
• Teach and model strategies for repairing communication breakdowns (e.g. asking for clarification, repeating or rephrasing).
• Support the development of turn-taking and shared social interaction through structured interventions, including small group activities and explicit adult modelling using simple, developmentally appropriate activities.
• Offer individualised reinforcement and acknowledgement of positive social behaviours in a way that is comfortable and motivating for the CYP.
• Reduce social pressure by offering low-demand opportunities for interaction and allowing CYP to observe before joining in.
• Prepare CYP for social situations in advance (e.g. explaining expectations, routines or possible outcomes).
• Provide structure during unstructured or socially demanding times.
• Encourage access to positive social experiences through structured opportunities based on shared interests, supported by trusted adults who can help CYP feel safe and comfortable in social situations.
• Facilitate positive peer relationships and structured social opportunities, such as buddy systems or interest-based lunchtime clubs, to support inclusion and shared engagement.

Targeted

• Directly teach specific skills such as:
  • Initiating interaction
  • Maintaining interaction
  • Joining group activities
  • Understanding personal space and boundaries
• Break skills into small, teachable steps and practise regularly.
• Use modelling and role play to show both expected and unexpected behaviours.
• Make implicit social rules explicit, using evidence-based approaches (e.g. social skills groups, with clear goals).
• Include small group intervention (e.g. Intensive Interaction).
• Use shared-interest activities to encourage participation.
• Provide positive reinforcement for attempts at interaction (not just success).