By Hillary Barber, School Psychologist

Deficits in social skills can appear in the way a student behaves in the classroom. A Social Skill is any skill facilitating interaction and communication with others. Social rules and relationships are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning these skills is called socialization.

Observable Behaviors with a Deficit in Social Skills

• Perceives and interprets social situations inaccurately
• Is ineffective at recognizing faces, interpreting gestures, deciphering postural cues and “reading” facial expressions
• Is unable to perceive proximity and distance
• Is unable to notice or distinguish between changes in tones and/or pitch of voice and/or emphasis
• May withdraw in novel situations
• Naively trusts others