Feb. 23, 2010

My student Mark told me that a friend at school was kicking another kid’s chair.  Mark raised his hand and told the teacher. The friend told Mark that he hated him.  Mark was so upset, he could not focus and the teacher got angry at him.  Mark could not understand why the friend hated him. 

Children who have difficulty with pragmatic social language (HFA, ADD, APD) cannot understand the inference or make the connection that their behavior affects how others treat them.  When discussing the rule of MYOB (mind your own business), it made sense to Mark why the friend was angry at him.  We also discuss “overlooking what you cannot love.” If the friend is kicking a kid’s chair, overlook it.  Instead, focus on the teacher’s words. 

For more information on Social Skills and Auditory Processing see my articles under Ask Sue and my DVD Diamond Social Skills.