Discuss three (3) possible strategies counselors can use when working with toddlers on social skills. Explain why you would use these strategies in your counseling practice.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There are several strategies for counselors to use when working with toddlers on social skills. Symbols, such as gesturing and speaking, can be an early predictor of how toddlers’ social skills will develop. Counselors can ask the toddler’s parent(s) how often the child points or speaks. Toddlers who have a higher frequency of pointing at objects will have better development of social-emotional concepts later, such as being talkative or having a bigger vocabulary (Vallotton & Ayoub, 2010). If the child is not gesturing or trying to speak a lot, then the counselor will have a good idea that the toddler is having trouble with social skills. At this age, it is important for counselors to involve play in a session with a toddler. Mathieson and Banerjee (2010) found that peer play between the ages of 2 and 3 is critical in developing social skills in children. When children engage in play at this age, they learn basic social skills like compromise and mutual support (Mathieson & Banerjee, 2010). Also, if the counselor and toddler play with toys, the counselor can see how well the child shares. Manners can also be taught when playing is involved (McCoy, 2006). For example, if the toddler wants to play with a certain toy, the toddler must ask nicely to play with it. Another strategy for counselors to use with toddlers is children’s music. If the counselor plays a song that the toddler knows, or is familiar with, then the toddler may start to dance and sing. Music can help with social skills in toddlers because it gives children a chance to express themselves through dancing and singing. Singing is also a way for the child to develop or improve their language skills (Forrester, 2010). Playing age appropriate music in the home or in the car is an easy way parents can get their toddler to start dancing and singing, which can help improve his or her language. Helping a child feed himself or herself is also a way to build social skills in toddlers. If the parent and toddler have an enjoyable experience while the parent is feeding the child, this can increase social skills, because the parent is interacting with the child. In order for this to work, the parent must be responsive to the child and interact in a cooperative way with the child. If this is successful, then the child will eventually learn to feed himself or herself and gain other social skills, such as knowing how to properly interact with another person (Spegman & Houck, 2005).