Some children with learning disabilities can experience social difficulties. Some studies note that nearly 75% of children with LD may have social skills deficits. Being rejected by one’s peers on top of failures in school is a recipe for depression and low-self esteem. As social interactions are so complex, it becomes difficult to pin down the exact causes of social skills deficits in children with LD.
A study from the Jan/Feb 2005 Journal of Learning Disabilities attempts to examine not precisely why such difficulties occur, but rather what specific difficulties children with LD face. Social information processing abilities of children from LD groups and a non-LD control group were examined, and data was compiled, with interesting results. The study showed that children with LD generally had major problems with social information processing. These problems included less appropriate response to decisions, and fewer solutions to problems.
The study found that children with LD usually had fewer social goals, and experienced problems with linking those goals to achieve desired social outcomes. The results of the study have broad implications for social skills training programs for children with learning disabilities, though it should be noted that to date, studies have not shown that existing social skills training is effective in producing large, socially important, long-term, or generalized changes in social competence of students with high-incidence disabilities.
Still, the researchers recommend that “intervention models that incorporate training in social cognition processes” be implemented. They stress that interventions should target the child’s ability to understand verbal and nonverbal cues, along with understanding social contexts in order to develop more appropriate behaviors.
While this study is just one step towards better understanding the difficulties children with LD face in social environments, it is a great addition to the body of research surrounding learning disabilities, and how those disabilities affect children.
As parents and teachers of children who may experience social skills challenges, we can help our child(ren) identify the skills needed for successful interactions. The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) suggests several activities, which can be integrated into one’s daily routine. These include:
- Watching TV and/or movies with your child, and calling attention to non-verbal behaviors, such as facial expressions and subtle social cues, especially those that may be complex or unfamiliar.
- Reading books with stories on topics that address social interactions, along with the components of successful ones.
- Role-playing how to handle situations which your child may find difficult.
When children experience social difficulties, often our instinct is to intervene, so having tips at our disposal is essential.
