Where
Event host
Social Skills in the Valley
7782322018
[email protected]
Event Details
SOCIAL for LIFE
About the Social Communication Training Program:
COLOR MY CONVERSATION (CMC) is an evidence-based social communication program for motivated individuals (Ages 8-19) who are interested in improving their ability to strengthen their communication skills and social connections with others.
Learners: During each small group session, students are taught important social skills and are provided with opportunities to practice these skills through fun and engaging activities (i.e. interactive games). Weekly homework assignments are given to provide learners with the opportunity to practice their social skills in real-life situations.
Parents: You play a vital role in supporting your child during the CMC training. In our weekly parent groups, valuable coaching techniques will be provided so that you can support your children in strengthening their communication skills and social connections with others (i.e. friends, family, teachers, etc.). Our meetings, which run at the same time as the child sessions, will equip you in helping your child with the weekly homework assignments.
LESSON GOALS:
Part One
- Increasing consistent and appropriate use of greetings and farewells.
- Improving joint attention and social referencing.
- Increasing competence and confidence in the use of small talk (i.e. conversation starters, conversation stoppers).
- Improving reciprocity and conversational turn-taking.
- Increasing competence and confidence in having phone conversations.
- Improving the ability to identify and discuss topics of conversation (i.e. common topics, new information, unique topics of interest).
- Improving the ability to give positive praise and constructive criticism.
- Improving the ability to ask questions and make comments that are relevant to the topic of conversation.
- Improving the ability to ask follow-up questions.
- Improving the ability to be an active listener.
Part Two
- Improving competence and confidence in making topic transitions.
- Improving competence and confidence in reading nonverbal communication.
- Improving the ability to manage one’s social filter through self-regulation in the use of facts. opinions and/or stories during structured and/or unstructured conversational activities.
- Improving the ability to take another person’s perspective.
- Improving emotional competency.
Part Three:
- Improving social problem-solving skills
- Improving conversational narrative skills.
- Improving conflict resolution (i.e. apologies, forgiveness).
- Improving executive functions (i.e. goal setting).
- Improving the ability to enter and exit conversations.
- Improving the ability to stay in a group conversation.
- Improving the ability to make first introductions.
- Improving the ability to give and receive compliments.
- Improving sportsmanship skills.
- Improving the ability to anticipate and read social settings.
Pre-requisite Requirements
- Individuals who are struggling with social communication skills
- Individuals must be interested in attending the program
- Individuals must agree to participate in the program voluntarily
Please Note: Regular attendance is imperative. Parent Participation is required.
Registration:
*Not required for those who participated in Social for Life – Alpha (Fall 2023)
- Initial Intake Meeting with Shelley for (approx 30 minutes), book now at:
- https://calendly.com/slazarus-7/social-for-life-registration
- Zoom Meeting – parent and Rosslyn (approx 45 minutes)
- We will let you know if your child will be a good fit for the upcoming session (there are many variables to consider to ensure a group will work well together)
SOCIAL for LIFE
Rationale:
Technology can offer a plethora of avenues for society to connect with others. It can make us more connected but not necessarily more socially and emotionally grounded in relationships. This in part, requires self-awareness, social awareness, self-management skills, prosocial skills, and the ability to socially problem solve. Technology is not society’s adversary but neither is it the solution for promoting social-emotional literacy amongst ourselves or our children. Relationship is the answer and it can be found as we begin to understand the deep and lasting value of developing social communication skills within ourselves and our children.
Social communication requires building blocks (i.e. vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, etc.) that allow us to understand and express ourselves in either a verbal or written form. It also requires the ability to successfully follow conversation rules within an encounter (i.e. social pragmatics). Social communication requires using one’s thinking skills to process what is happening within the social interaction, such as attending to the interaction (i.e. observing our conversation partner), being intentional in how we move through the social interaction, being aware of the emotions unfolding and being able to adjust oneself accordingly. One also uses social rules and language (i.e. social niceties) to determine what is appropriate to the situation based on a variety of factors (i.e. age, position, culture).
Social-emotional literacy skills are vital components for our children to achieve academic, social and vocational success. The way to our children’s minds may be through technology but the way to their hearts will be through relationship; which can be enhanced through strengthening their social communication skills. It is for this reason that the third edition of the Color My Conversation program is being implemented within the Social in the Valley’s social communication classes. Embedded within the CMC lessons are multiple opportunities to improve and enhance social-emotional connections through the act of conversation.
“Relationship is built through the process of communication.
Communication is enhanced through face-to-face experiences.
Face to Face experiences present themselves in the form of social communication.
Social Communication requires both skill and intuition.
Intuition comes from being connected with one’s own heart.
One’s own heart becomes connected through experience.
Experience unfolds within the act of conversation.
And that is why our conversations matter!”
RJD, 2023
SOCIAL for LIFE – Certified Color My Conversation Instructors
Rosslyn Delmonico, MA, RSLP, CCC-SLP, has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for over 43 years both within the private and public school systems. Author of the curriculum-friendly social language-based program, Color My Conversation, Rosslyn seeks to inspire and equip parents and educators with the necessary knowledge and tools to help children develop social-emotional skills; which will allow them to successfully navigate through their world!
Shelley Lazarus, BA, Certified Teacher, PEERS and Color My Conversation Instructor, completed her Special Education Specialization at the University of Victoria, has been teaching for 25 years and loves supporting children with special needs and their parents.
CONTACT US AT: [email protected]
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.northernspeechservices.com
