Social Development is the foundation for all things involving others in life. That includes family, teachers and administration, police officers, medical professionals, store employees, the hairdresser or barber, and even the office of motor vehicle registration and drivers services. Even the sacred parent-child bond is rooted in the foundations of Social Development. So it is no surprise that interruptions and hiccups of Social Development can negatively impact virtually every area of life for infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers, and young children. Disruption of Social Development can become an even more serious problem when it spans into middle and high school or beyond.
And that is why Orchard places a primary focus on promoting the healthy Social Development of infants, toddlers, and children without regard for their cognitive, neurodevelopmental, or health status. We work with children from many walks of life … dealing with health challenges, domestic violence, neurodevelopmental disorder like Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, trauma history, and even depression. Some children are keen thinkers, others are slow to understand and draw conclusions. Some children are good verbal and non-verbal communicators, others have a hard time stringing a few words into a sentence.
No matter the child’s intellect, family of origin, neurodevelopmental status, and address … we can meet them right where they are to promote Social Development. Orchard’s model for Social Development leverages the benefits of games, social interactions and gatherings, family and friendship circles, and play to help little brains develop big capacities for effective Social Interaction and Responsiveness.
Of course, certain conditions and disorders intersect with and can have an impact on Social Development. When underlying co-occurring conditions aggravate or frustrate Social Development, a more structure Developmental Framework is required to move the child from lower levels of Social Functioning to more Effective Levels of Social Functioning.
If you are concerned or have questions about your child’s social, attachment, or self-regulatory development, you can schedule a consultation with Orchard Human Services to have your questions answered. If your child has already been diagnosed with –things like ADD, ADHD, Attachment Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Depression, Speech Impediment, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, you can explore how that diagnosis may be impacting your child’s overall Social Development.
For parents who want to know a little bit more about their child’s social development … how to tell if a problem exists … and ways to promote social development for all children … Then read Dr. Darleen’s thin book Raising Social Children … see below or order on Amazon
Raising Social Children … an e-book by Orchard’s Founder & Program Developer
Darleen Claire Wodzenski, MA ESE, QPPE, MA CMHC, PhD Psychology
Learn appropriate milestones for childhood social development for toddlers to fifth graders.
This ebook includes an easy to use checklist and guide to help parents track their children’s social development. Learn how to improve social development for children of all social ability levels. Discover what to do and where to turn if you suspect your child may have a challenge with social development.
All proceeds support The Orchard Human Services, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit that … Uplifts lives by counseling, educating & caring!!!
Early childhood is the time that little ones develop social skills that will carry them through the rest of their lives. The toddler, pre-k, kindergarten, and elementary students all learn critical social information that helps them interact with others, make friends, and become a good citizen. Social development during early childhood will help your child get along with family members, classmates, and even co-workers later in life. Early child socialization is tied in with many types of development. Emotional development is impacted by social learning and skills. Even early childhood behavior is impacted by the way a child learns to get along with others in the classroom. Even emotional self regulation and behavior depend upon a child’s ability to recognize appropriate social cues and adjust to meet the needs of each social setting. Parents can learn how to evaluate their child’s social development. The handy checklist helps parents see how their child is performing in the social area. The tips and guidelines provide helpful strategies that parents can use right at home to help their children learn to be effective social beings. When parents suspect that their child may have a challenge in the area of social development, it is never to soon to take action! This guideline explains your rights and how to get your child evaluated for suspected social development problems such as Autism or developmental delay. Learn how to work with your community’s school district for early identification and effective intervention. Parents will be introduced to some of the experts who can help children with social development issues … ranging from the Speech and Language Pathologist and Occupational Therapist to the School Psychologist and even Pediatrician! Naturally, socialization development changes across early childhood. Toddlers develop one set of skills while fifth graders develop more complex and flexible social strategies. Get a glimpse of how children learn socially across the early childhood development spectrum, going from toddler and pre-k to kindergarten and elementary levels. Parents express concerns about whether their child’s development is normal. We look at typical social development and some atypical developmental behaviors. Parents want to raise happy and social kids! No matter what your child’s social development status, learn how to boost social development for all kids! Children with special needs, developmental delays, social development challenges, Autism Spectrum Disorder, RAD, and other attachment development challenges can still learn new social skills! Is your child shy? Withdrawn? Reluctant to interact with others? Help your child become socially confident! Social skills can be learned through a proper curriculum and plan just like with reading and math. When parents learn these powerful social teaching skills, children’s social ability levels can soar. Autism socialization training is an important tool for helping children with a challenge that is on the Autism Disorder Spectrum. From mild to autism to Asperger’s, parents can learn strategies to promote child social learning and development. The first step is identifying child at risk for social development delay. This guide provides helpful information to get parents on track for early identification. If your toddler or preschooler is painfully shy, don’t worry! Start where your child is today! Help your child’s brain to develop and grow to become socially strong and competent. Boost your child’s social learning and development to promote social learning and success at home, in school, and in life!
About the Author: Darleen Claire Wodzenski is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Parent Educator, Teacher Trainer, and Exceptional Student Educator with a non-clinical PhD in Psychoneuroeducational Psychology. Her passion for promoting child learning and development shines through this practical and helpful guide. Parents can learn important information about how children become socialized, how to help children with social challenges, and ways to use special education laws for early identification and intervention when a child needs a little extra help!