At a glance
- At our center, social skill support is planned according to the child's individual needs and is carried out through both individual and group works.
- Our process begins with a comprehensive expert consultation, where we listen to the family's concerns and take a detailed developmental history of the child.
- After the evaluation, the personalized program for your child is carefully prepared together by the expert team at our institution.
- When necessary, our specialists in different fields, such as a psychologist, special education teacher, and speech and language therapist, evaluate the child collaboratively.
- The parents actively participate in the process; home programs are planned with the family to transfer the skills worked on in the sessions to daily life.
- At our center in Bornova, Izmir, no medical diagnosis is made, and no promise of definitive healing is given.
Prepared by: Deniz Yıldızı Special Education content team · Scientific review: Psychologist (MSc) Burcu Cebeci Gürel · Last updated: 15 September 2026
What are social skills, and why does my child need support in this area?
Social skills are the entirety of the abilities that allow us to communicate healthily with the people around us, express our emotions correctly, and adapt to societal rules. For a child, social skill means knowing how to join a game, sharing their toy, waiting for their turn, understanding the other person's feelings, and constructively solving a problem when a disagreement arises. While most children learn these skills in the natural flow of life, by experiencing and observing their surroundings, some children may need more time and guided support to grasp these invisible rules. Especially complex social situations can seem like an incomprehensible puzzle to some children.
Often, when families do not see a problem in their child's intelligence or academic skills, they may evaluate difficulties in the social field simply as a "habit," "stubbornness," or "shyness." However, a child's inability to communicate with peers, being constantly excluded, or not being wanted in a group because they do not follow the rules deeply affects their self-confidence. Your child may become irritable, angry, or completely withdrawn when they want to approach other children at the playground but cannot, or when they do not know how to behave in an environment they enter. These situations are not just momentary crises; they are signs that the child needs guidance in the social world.
Social skill support is not about making your child memorize how they should behave or forcefully changing them. Our goal is to enable your child to experience these skills naturally in an environment where they feel safe, notice other people's feelings, and communicate while protecting their own boundaries. This process strengthens the child's inner world, preparing them for the outside world, and helps them cope more easily with the social challenges they will face in daily life.
Why does my child struggle to make friends and join games?
You may be observing that your child struggles in social environments, especially when they come together with their peers. There could be multiple reasons behind this situation. The following signs may indicate that your child needs expert support regarding social skills:
- Not knowing how to join other children's games at the playground or school, and generally preferring to watch from a distance
- Being insistent on their own rules during a game, overreacting when rules change, or completely quitting the game
- Having difficulty initiating a conversation, maintaining it appropriately, or listening to the other person
- Being unable to tolerate defeat or making a mistake, experiencing intense anger or sadness when they lose
- Having difficulty reading the other person's feelings from their facial expression, body language, or tone of voice
- Failing to fulfill basic societal rules such as waiting their turn, sharing belongings, or asking for permission
- Having difficulty saying no or struggling to respect others' personal boundaries (e.g., physical distance)
- Withdrawing or showing physical reactions instead of asking for help when experiencing a problem or disagreement
How are social skills supported at home, where do families struggle?
Social skills are first established at home through natural interactions within the family. However, while parents want to help their children, they can sometimes unintentionally restrict their social experiences and developmental opportunities out of good intentions. The support process at home is very valuable.
Recommended practices at home
- Having mutual conversations with your child by making eye contact, making them feel you are truly listening
- Practicing waiting for a turn and following rules by playing board games or games with rules
- Talking abundantly about emotions, helping them name their feeling by saying, "I see that you are sad right now"
- Being a positive role model for your child with your own social relationships, naturally showing them how you resolve disagreements
- Noticing and encouraging them when they take small social steps (for example, saying hello to a friend)
Practices to avoid
- Speaking on behalf of your child, making choices for them, or answering others on their behalf
- Forcing them into crowded environments or large group games they do not feel ready for, just so they can make friends
- Making anxiety-inducing statements by comparing the child to other children, such as "Look how they are playing, why are you like this?"
- Completely ignoring the communication difficulties they experience or delaying expert support by constantly saying "They will grow out of it"
What is the difference between individual work and group work, which one is chosen?
At our institution, social skill support is carried out through both individual and group works depending on the child's needs. The method by which your child will start the process is decided together with our expert team as a result of the comprehensive evaluation.
| Comparison | Individual Work | Group Work |
|---|---|---|
| Environment | One-on-one between therapist and child, a calmer and more structured environment. | A shared and dynamic environment with children of similar skills accompanied by an expert. |
| Main Focus | Laying the foundations of communication, building trust, and understanding individual difficulties in detail. | Applying learned skills in a real peer environment and gaining social flexibility. |
| Who Is It Suitable For? | Children with very high social anxiety, who are new to one-on-one communication, and who need more intensive support. | Children who have basic communication skills and need to practice in a controlled environment with peers. |
| Targeted Skills | Making eye contact, recognizing basic emotions, receiving and expressing simple instructions. | Waiting for a turn, setting up a game, providing joint attention, resolving conflicts, and empathizing. |
What is done in social skill works, which skills are supported?
Our education program is shaped by taking into account the child's strengths and areas needing improvement. The basic social areas we target in our work are:
Initiating and Maintaining Communication
Supporting skills such as greeting appropriately, joining a conversation, asking relevant questions, and listening to the other person through structured games.
Recognizing and Expressing Emotions
The child noticing their own emotions, interpreting others' facial expressions, and expressing what they feel with appropriate words instead of crying or getting angry.
Developing Empathy
Practices of looking at events from someone else's perspective, guessing what the other person might be feeling at that moment, and giving an appropriate, sensitive response.
Play Skills
Playing games together with peers, following the rules of the game, accepting defeat as a natural process, and showing flexibility to changing game scenarios.
Problem Solving and Conflict Management
Being able to stay calm when experiencing a disagreement with friends, expressing the problem without violence or crying, producing alternative solutions, and finding ways to compromise.
Protecting Boundaries and Respect
Being able to protect their own personal space, saying "no" to situations they do not want, and showing respect for the physical or emotional boundaries of others.
How does the process work when we apply for social skill support?
At our center in Bornova, Izmir, we follow a transparent and structured process that understands the family's concerns and places the child right at the center. Our steps proceed as follows:
Comprehensive Expert Consultation
When you contact us, a free preliminary meeting is scheduled to listen to your child's detailed developmental history and your observations in daily life.
Comprehensive evaluation
When necessary, your child's social and communicative needs are evaluated through play and clinical observation with the gathering of our psychologist, special education teacher, and speech and language therapist.
Deciding on the program
As a result of the evaluation, an individual, group, or mixed work model is decided according to the child's situation, and realistic goals are determined together with the family.
Team-prepared program
A special education program for the child is prepared with a holistic approach through the joint work of our specialists, and works are initiated with respect for the child's pace.
Family participation and home program
Parents are the most important part of the process. Continuous information sharing is provided to the family on how to reinforce the skills learned in the sessions at home, and home programs are presented.
Progress tracking and updating
The child's development in social skills is monitored regularly, feedback from the family is received, and the program is updated and continued when needed.
What do the terms frequently heard from experts about social development mean?
- Social Skill
- The entirety of the skills used to establish healthy interaction with others, communicate, and adapt to societal rules.
- Empathy
- The ability to understand another person's feelings, thoughts, and the situation they are in, and to put oneself in their shoes.
- Peer Interaction
- All kinds of play, communication, and social relationship processes that the child establishes with other children in their own age group.
- Emotion Regulation
- The child's ability to recognize these emotions and calm themselves down, and to respond appropriately when experiencing intense emotions (anger, fear, disappointment).
- Turn-Taking
- The ability to wait for one's own turn and to give space to the other person in order to maintain communication during a conversation or a mutual game.
- Reading Social Cues
- Being able to correctly understand the other person's intention or their feeling at that moment from their tone of voice, facial expression, and body language.
- Individualized Program
- A special education plan carefully prepared by the expert team by solely considering the child's own needs, strengths, and difficulties.
Frequently asked questions
Is a lack of social skills a disease?
No, a lack of social skills is not a medical disease or a standalone diagnosis. It is a condition where children need more guidance and support compared to their peers in learning some communication and interaction rules during their developmental processes.
How do I know if my child needs social skill support?
If your child cannot set up games with peers, struggles greatly with waiting their turn, cannot accept defeat, or constantly gets angry because they cannot express their feelings, they may need support. Getting an expert opinion is always the best for a clear evaluation.
Who conducts the evaluation, is a medical diagnosis given to my child?
No medical diagnosis is given at our institution; the preliminary evaluation is conducted together by our team consisting of a psychologist, special education teacher, and our relevant specialists. When a condition requiring a medical diagnosis is observed, we direct you to a specialist physician.
Are the works done individually or in groups?
Depending on the need, both individual and group works are carried out at our institution. Whether your child will be supported individually first or join a group directly is decided as a result of the detailed evaluation.
What is done in social skill works, how do children learn?
Skills are mostly worked on through structured games, role-playing activities, stories, and natural interactions. Instead of making children memorize rules, they are enabled to learn by living them in a safe environment.
Do we need to enter the sessions as parents?
Whether you can participate in the sessions as a parent depends on the child's age, general adaptation, and the structure of the prepared program. This topic is discussed and planned in detail during the comprehensive expert consultation where we listen to the family.
How can I support my child's social skills at home?
You can practice waiting for a turn by playing board games with rules at home, and listen to them without judgment by talking about their feelings. We will efficiently run this process together with the home programs we will give you following the sessions at our institution.
Will receiving social skill support positively affect my child's school life?
It can reflect on it; a child whose social skills are supported may be more comfortable communicating with friends and participating in group activities at school. To what extent and when this will be seen varies from child to child.
Do you cooperate with other specialists when preparing the program?
Yes, the personalized program for the child is prepared with transparent teamwork through the joint evaluation of specialists in our institution, such as a psychologist, special education teacher, and speech and language therapist.
Could my child just be shy, when should one intervene?
Shyness can be a natural trait related to personality; however, if this situation prevents the child from making friends and frequently makes them unhappy, getting an evaluation would be guiding.
Do we pay a fee for the initial evaluation or preliminary meeting?
No, the preliminary meeting, which is the first step at our center and aims to get to know your child closely, is completely free of charge. In this meeting, we listen to your child's developmental history in detail and plan which steps will be followed.
Where exactly is your institution located?
Our institution is located in Bornova, Izmir, close to Forum Bornova. You can access detailed address information from our website's contact page.
