Social Skills Training
Teaches social interaction skills including conversation, friendship-building, reading social cues, perspective-taking, and navigating social situations.
What Is Social Skills?
Social skills training teaches the explicit rules and strategies of social interaction that many people learn intuitively but that can be challenging for people with certain disabilities. This includes starting and maintaining conversations, reading body language and facial expressions, understanding social norms, making and keeping friends, and resolving conflicts.
Programs are typically delivered in small groups (4-8 participants) by psychologists, SLPs, or trained social skills facilitators. Group delivery is considered therapeutically ideal because it provides natural practice opportunities with peers.
Approaches include structured curricula (like PEERS, Social Thinking, or Skillstreaming), role-playing, video modelling, social stories, and guided practice in real social situations.
Who Benefits from Social Skills?
autism
Explicitly teaches social rules and conventions that may not be intuitively understood. Programs like PEERS have strong evidence for improving social functioning and friendship quality in autism.
adhd
Addresses impulsive social behaviours, helps with reading social cues, and teaches strategies for managing frustration in social situations.
fasd
Provides explicit social rule teaching for individuals who struggle with social judgment and understanding social consequences due to executive function challenges.
intellectual disability
Builds social interaction skills through structured practice, visual supports, and repeated opportunities in supportive group settings.
What to Expect in a Session
First Session
A social skills assessment evaluates current strengths and challenges in social interaction. This may include parent and teacher questionnaires, observation, and conversation with the participant.
Ongoing Sessions
Group sessions follow a structured curriculum — each session introduces a specific skill, demonstrates it, practises through role-play, and provides feedback. Real-world practice assignments are given.
Your Child's Role
Participants practise social skills with peers in the group, engage in role-plays, discuss social scenarios, and complete practice assignments in real-life settings between sessions.
Caregiver's Role
Parents often attend concurrent parent sessions to learn how to support social skill development at home. Coaching on how to facilitate playdates and social opportunities is provided.
When to Start
Early Childhood (0-5)
Basic social skills support can begin in preschool through structured playgroups and social coaching during natural play opportunities.
School Age (6-17)
The most common age for social skills groups. School-age children benefit most from structured group programs where they can practise with same-age peers.
Adults (18+)
Programs like PEERS for Young Adults address dating, friendship maintenance, and workplace social skills for adults who continue to find social interaction challenging.
General guidance: Social skills groups are most effective when they include real-world practice. Look for programs that assign social homework and involve parents in supporting generalization.
| Item | Range | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Assessment | $150–$400 | Social skills intake assessment |
| Per Session | $50–$120 | 60-90 minutes (typically group format) |
| Insurance | May be covered under psychology or speech-language pathology benefits depending on the provider | |
| Tax Credit | Eligible for METC when delivered by a registered health professional | |
Money-Saving Tips
- Group social skills programs are much more affordable and therapeutically appropriate than individual sessions
- Community organizations like Autism Canada member groups often offer subsidized social groups
- Check if your school board offers social skills programming at no cost
| Province | Status | Program | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC | Partially Funded | Autism Funding | Can be funded through autism funding when delivered by qualified professionals; many community groups also available.(Under 19) |
| AB | Partially Funded | FSCD | FSCD may cover social skills programs for children with disabilities; many community programs available at low cost.(Under 18) |
| SK | No data | — | — |
| MB | Partially Funded | Children's DisABILITY Services | Social skills programs available through St. Amant and community agencies funded by Children's DisABILITY Services.(Under 18) |
| ON | Partially Funded | Ontario Autism Program (OAP) / Children's Treatment Centres | Social skills groups available through OAP foundational services and children's treatment centres at no cost.(Under 18) |
| QC | Partially Funded | CISSS/CIUSSS | Social skills groups offered through CISSS/CIUSSS centres and community organizations for children with autism and related conditions. |
| NB | No data | — | — |
| NS | No data | — | — |
| PE | No data | — | — |
| NL | No data | — | — |
| NT | No data | — | — |
| NU | No data | — | — |
| YT | No data | — | — |
Evidence & Research
Social skills training has moderate evidence, with stronger support for structured, manualized programs like PEERS (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills). Research shows improvements in social knowledge, social engagement, and friendship quality, particularly for autism and ADHD.
Red Flags to Watch For
Be cautious of any provider who:
- The group does not match participants by age and developmental level — grouping a 7-year-old with a 14-year-old is not effective
- There is no structured curriculum — sessions are unstructured 'social time' without explicit teaching
- The program does not include practice in real-world settings or generalization strategies
- Parent involvement is not included — parents need to know what skills are being taught to reinforce them
- The facilitator has no training in social skills interventions or the specific population being served
How to Find a Provider
- 1
Ask your child's psychologist, SLP, or school about social skills groups in your area
- 2
Contact your provincial autism society — many offer or list social skills programs
- 3
Search for PEERS-certified providers through the PEERS Clinic website
- 4
Check with children's mental health agencies and community health centres for social skills programming
- 5
Ask your school board if they offer social skills groups as part of their special education services
Conditions That Use Social Skills
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