Is your child held back in life by their shyness or reluctance to interact with others? It’s not uncommon amongst children with neurodivergence. Monarch House offers social skills programs for children with autism in a structured environment so they can develop essential interpersonal abilities. Working alongside our speech pathologists and behaviour therapists, these groups can be transformative. With our group skills sessions, we can help your child tackle the complexities of most social interactions with greater comfort and confidence.

Here’s a look at ten significant benefits these groups provide children with autism in Burlington.

1. Increasing Confidence

At Monarch House, we can make your child’s social interactions much more smooth. However, it takes work. There’s not a magic wand to do this. Communication strategies for children with autism take repeated practice in our supportive environment. The more they do this, though, the greater the boost to their self-esteem. They just need to get comfortable with the realistic role play. You’ll notice that as your child gains competence in our social interactions, they’ll start to feel more confident approaching and engaging with others outside the group.

2. Understanding Social Norms

There are many unspoken rules in human engagement. So with our communication skills for children with autism we try to spell these out a little. At Monarch House, our social skills groups, speech and behaviour therapists can teach your child some of the unwritten rules of social interactions including reading body language, sharing, waiting for their turn, and respecting personal space. This knowledge equips them to handle a wide variety of social scenarios more effectively.

3. Enhancing Communication Abilities

Being an effective communicator also involves interpreting body positioning, facial expressions, and gestures. Monarch House’s social skills groups focus on various aspects of communication, including verbal and non-verbal communication strategies for children with autism. Some of the things that your child will practice include smiling, making eye contact, using appropriate tone and volume, and understanding body language. Roleplaying this targeted practice over and over helps them become more effective in their day-to-day interactions.

4. Improving Social Interaction

At Monarch House, our social skills groups help to improve everyday social interaction just by the sheer fact we have a group of people together in one setting. Being in a group (of like-minded individuals) to begin with provides an opportunity for your child to engage with their peers in a controlled, supportive setting. By taking part in the social skills group activities and role-playing scenarios, your child will learn to interpret social cues, take turns, and respond appropriately to others. Monarch House can also help with community integration for children with autism as well as community outings for children with autism. 

5. Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills

There’s nothing quite like a shared goal (or a common enemy or problem) to form a bond between a group of people that don’t know each other very well. At Monarch House, many of our social skills groups incorporate activities that require children to solve problems as a team. This practice helps your child develop critical thinking skills. It also teaches teamwork and camaraderie. Not only that, your child will learn how to handle conflicts that may arise and gain the skills to smooth out misunderstandings with peers. Behaviour analysis and occupational therapy for children with autism has shown to be very effective at breaking down these situations in group settings into manageable step-by-step bites to digest gradually.

6. Developing of Empathy

At Monarch House we encourage your child to walk a mile in another’s shoes. As a part of our social skills training, guided interactions, and discussions, we promote recognizing and understanding the emotions of others. Empathy is key when it comes to responding appropriately to others’ feelings as well as building meaningful relationships.

7. Structuring Social Opportunities

Our social skills programs will help your child make more friends. One of the ways that we do this is by meeting at the same place and the same time each week. Proximity and frequency are two surefire ways to nurture a connection. Monarch House’s regularly scheduled group sessions provide consistent social interaction opportunities. This structure helps your child practice and reinforce social skills regularly with the same people. 

8. Modelling Positive Behaviour

The first person your child is going to look to for modelling their social behaviour is you. So we encourage parents to come to our skills programs as well. Next, will be us, the therapists and caregivers in the room. Then, the other children. Social skills programs for young adults with autism often involve observing and mimicking positive behaviors demonstrated by peers and facilitators. This modelling helps your child adapt and foster effective social strategies.

9. Enhancing Group Cooperation

The Wonder Pets sang it best: “What’s going to work? Teamwork!” This is something we take to heart at Monarch House, and try to encourage as much as possible in our group settings. Working collectively teaches children how to share responsibilities, cooperate with others, and work towards common goals.These skills are essential for long-term success in the workplace as well as in their education.

10. Parenting Support and Guidance

At Monarch House we offer parent coaching services. Many of our social skills groups also offer resources and support for parents of children with autism. This guidance helps you reinforce the skills we are learning at home. We can help you better understand your child’s social development, and work with you on fostering a supportive environment for growth outside the centre.

With some practice and patience your child could eventually have the skills and confidence to perhaps even speak publicly in front of a group or audience. The transformations we see are incredible. At the end of the day, social skill development offers invaluable benefits for children with autism in Burlington. These sessions support your child with the tools they’ll need to thrive in various social settings and build meaningful connections. By focusing on empathy, communication, and human interaction, these groups will empower your child to navigate the dynamics of social relationships with a smile on their face.