122 social skills
How children learn social skills
We are not born with social skills. We begin to learn them
as babies, as soon as we become aware of other people. As
children and adults, we continue to learn and use these
skills throughout our lives.
At first these social skills are very simple. A baby
learns to return his mother’s smile or a child learns to
take turns while playing a game. But as a child grows
older, he needs more developed social skills to get
along with other people.
2 years old
• asks others when
she needs help
• plays alongside
other children
• imitates caregiver
3 years old
• enjoys helping
around the house
• likes to be praised for
doing simple tasks
• is aware of other
people’s feelings
5 years old
• understands rules, and
ideas like fairness and
right and wrong
• expresses many feelings
• plays with other children
The ‘right’ behavior for your child depends on his age. If you expect
more than your child can do, you and he will both be unhappy. But if
you expect too little from your child, he will not learn new skills. For
more information on when children learn new social skills, see the child
development charts that start on page 231.
Try to become aware of your
attitude toward your deaf child’s
ability. Do you expect him to do
less than he is actually capable
of?
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)