The Covid-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on children's social skills and overall development, particularly for those with disabilities. As countries around the world implemented lockdowns and restrictions to help slow the spread of the virus, children found themselves confined to their homes—unable to go to school, take part in activities that they once enjoyed, and even meet up with their friends. This disruption may have led to a decrease in the development of children's social skills, which is often a major concern for parents, teachers, and other professionals that interact with children to foster their development.

Given the setbacks that children endured during the Covid-19 pandemic, occupational therapy strategies can be used to support children in developing strong social skills. Specifically, occupational therapy is a form of therapy that focuses on helping individuals engage in meaningful activities that promote physical and mental health/wellbeing. In the context of helping children develop social skills, occupational therapists can provide strategies and activities that can empower children to build enjoyable relationships, as well as develop communication and self-regulation skills.

See below for five ways you can use occupational therapy techniques to help the children in your life develop social skills using occupational therapy, which will continue to promote their development as they grow to adulthood.

1. Provide instruction on social skills: You can help children learn the basics of social skills such as eye contact, active listening, and appropriate responses to challenges that they may encounter in everyday life.^1,2
2. Role-play social situations: Role-playing is an effective way to teach children how to interact with others. You can assist children with practicing different social scenarios in a safe/familiar environment that enables them to relax and learn.^3,4
3. Use visual aids: Using visual aids such as pictures, models, and graphics can be helpful for children with autism or other special needs.You seize opportunities in everyday environments to point out visual cues to children, to help them understand and practice their social skills.^5.6.7
4. Play games: Children tend to like games; they are a great way to practice social skills in a fun way. You can schedule some time to engage in activities and games with the children in your life that promote communication and cooperation. ^8,9
5. Provide feedback: It is important to provide feedback to children as they practice social skills. You can take some time to observe and give feedback, to help children reinforce the social skills that they learn, and increase their ability to function effectively in social situations.¹⁰

If you would like to learn more about the strategies mentioned above, feel free to reach out to us at OT by the Sea.

References

1. Cahill, S. M., & Beisbier, S. (2020). Occupational therapy practice guidelines for children and youth ages 5–21 years. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(4), 7404397010p1-7404397010p48.
2. Shapiro, A., & Bassok, D. (2022). Supporting Young Children With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From Caregivers in Virginia. AERA Open, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221134525.
3. Aishworiya, R., & Kang, Y. Q. (2021). Including Children with Developmental Disabilities in the Equation During this COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 51(6), 2155–2158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04670-6.
4. Singh, S., Roy, D., Sinha, K., Parveen, S., Sharma, G., & Joshi, G. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on mental health of children and adolescents: A narrative review with recommendations. Psychiatry research, 293, 113429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113429
5. Cameron, L., & Tenenbaum, H. R. (2021). Lessons from developmental science to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 restrictions on social development. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(2), 231-236.
6. Bellomo, T. R., Prasad, S., Munzer, T., & Laventhal, N. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, 13(3), 349-354.
7. Camden, C., & Silva, M. (2021). Pediatric teleheath: Opportunities created by the COVID-19 and suggestions to sustain its use to support families of children with disabilities. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 41(1), 1-17.
8. Jaggy, A. K., Kalkusch, I., Bossi, C. B., Weiss, B., Sticca, F., & Perren, S. (2023). The impact of social pretend play on preschoolers’ social development: Results of an experimental study. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 64, 13-25.
9. Wang, Z., Gui, Y., & Nie, W. (2022). Sensory Integration Training and Social Sports Games Integrated Intervention for the Occupational Therapy of Children with Autism. Occupational Therapy International, 1 -11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9693648.
10. Stadheim, J., Johns, A., Mitchell, M., Smith, C. J., Braden, B. B., & Matthews, N. L. (2022). A qualitative examination of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents with autism and their parents. Research in developmental disabilities, 125, 104232.