social communication group session

[Sax]

I went to a social comms group with ds1 yesturday and it was run by a speech therapist. All the children were the same age (4yrs) and I assume by observing them they were all HFASD. I just wondered if others have been to any of these type of groups things and their experience of them - I found the whole thing OK and they had to take turns, sit nicely, wait their turn etc. however I found the speech therapist extremely patronising. She spoke to the children a little like they were stupid which I dreaded my ds saying something like 'why are you talking like that??' cos I know thats what I was thinking!

Sorry you found the group a little odd sax. I'm a salt and believe me there are some odd ones around,the irony of which is not lost on me (communication specialists who are themselves strange communicators!)

In fairness,it may be worth you knowing that social skills are extremely difficult to 'teach' to someone who is having difficulties in that area. It is a real burning issue within salt at the moment as to how bbest impart this knowledge,social skills being so hard to define,yet we all know instantly if and when they are not quite appropriate.

As a result,sometimes the therapy in these groups has to be overt and overstated in order to get the message across.

BTW, if ds had asked such a question it shouldn't have phased her in the slightest!

I once ran a group for teenagers with AS. A new girl arrived alte and one of the first questions she was asked (after perfunctory intros and fact finding) by another lad was if she had sex with her boyfriend!!!!!

Aaaaaaarhh!!!!

It was funny,in retrospect,I have to say. Luckily, as she had AS,she didn't mind,but we spent a long time talking about why this might not be such a great way to talk to a new acquaintance.

Stick with it. Things should improve.

I have been to some of these groups before with DS and have found them fine. One of the things that we were advised by SALT with our AS son was to get his attention first before speaking to him. Maybe that is what your SALT was trying to do but was overemphasising it iyswim. We are doing another social skills course in August for 6 year-olds so will be interesting to see how that goes.