1. Consistently state instructions once. Repeating several times conditions your child to complying with repetition. Instead, say it once and be prepared to follow through with your instruction.

2. Avoid extra talk. Too much talk taxes the processing system and may increase disruptive behavior.

3. Catch your child's good behavior.  Provide positive reinforcement to the behaviors you want to increase.

4. Create an environment that encourages calm behavior. An organized and comfortable environment will alleviate some stress that may cause disruptive, unwanted behaviors.

5.Practice stress management techniques especially when the child is agitated. Approaching the situation with a softer voice will avoid giving negative reinforcement to the disruptive behavior.

6.Ignore disruptive behavior unless danger or disruption to others is present. In those cases, intervene with the least amount of attention possible.

How important are social communication skills? By viewing all human interaction, verbal or nonverbal, as a social communication opportunity, we can begin to understand that social communication is one of the most important skill sets. We must interact in order  to share thoughts, report about events, communicate and understand feelings, and understand information presented by others. All language, cognitive, and academic objectives should have the unwritten life goal of being able to communicate information within all social opportunities. One of the reasons for learning information is to support our social interactions and to be viewed as a viable communicator whether in the boardroom, bank, bookstore, or restaurant.

What’s the difference between social skills, pragmatic language, social language, and social communication? Generally speaking, no real difference. These terms are often used interchangeably. Specifically, pragmatic language, social language, and social communication suggest that the emphasis be  laced on nonverbal and verbal skills while social skills often times refers to scripted social behaviors with a large emphasis on talk behavior only.

What are nonverbal social communication skills and how important are they? Nonverbal social communication skills refer to the social and emotional thinking categories that include flexibility, attunement, referencing, emotional and physical regulation, and whole body engagement (not just eye contact!) to name a few.

What about goals and objectives for social communication skills? Goals and objectives should be well balanced when addressing nonverbal and verbal communication skills. The actual implementation of the social goals within a school setting should be supported by the concept of a transdisciplinary approach. That is, everyone is consciously implementing all the goals, making every moment count.