The Science of Making Friends, : Helping Socially Challenged Teens and Young Adults Author: Elizabeth Laugeson John Elder Robison | Language: English | ISBN:
1118127218 | Format: PDF
The Science of Making Friends, : Helping Socially Challenged Teens and Young Adults Description
The groundbreaking book that puts the focus on teens and young adults with social challenges
This book offers parents a step-by-step guide to making and keeping friends for teens and young adults with social challenges—such as those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, bipolar, or other conditions. With the book’s concrete rules and steps of social etiquette, parents will be able to assist in improving conversational skills, expanding social opportunities, and developing strategies for handling peer rejection.
Each chapter provides helpful overview information for parents; lessons with clear bulleted lists of key rules and steps; and expert advice on how to present the material to a teen or young adult. Throughout the book are role-playing exercises for practicing each skill, along with homework assignments to ensure the newly learned skills can be applied easily to a school, work, or other "real life" setting. The bonus DVD shows role-plays of skills covered, demonstrating the right and wrong way to enter conversations, schedule get-togethers, deal with conflict, and much more.
PART ONE: GETTING READY
Ch. 1: Why Teach Social Skills to Teens and Young Adults?
PART TWO: THE SCIENCE OF DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING FRIENDSHIPS
Ch. 2: Finding and Choosing Good Friends
Ch. 3: Good Conversations: The Basics
Ch. 4: Starting and Entering Conversations
Ch. 5: Exiting Conversations
Ch. 6: Managing Electronic Communication
Ch. 7: Showing Good Sportsmanship
Ch. 8: Enjoying Successful Get-Togethers
PART THREE: THE SCIENCE OF HANDLING PEER CONFLICT AND REJECTION: HELPFUL STRATEGIES
Ch. 9: Dealing With Arguments
Ch. 10: Handling Verbal Teasing
Ch. 11: Addressing Cyber Bullying
Ch. 12: Minimizing Rumors and Gossip
Ch. 13: Avoiding Physical Bullying
Ch. 14: Changing a Bad Reputation
Epilogue: Moving Forward
- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (September 10, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1118127218
- ISBN-13: 978-1118127216
- Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
DVD CONTENTS VII
FOREWORD JOHN ELDER ROBISON XI
PREFACE XIII
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XV
ABOUT THE AUTHOR XVII
P A R T O N E
GETTING READY
1 WHY TEACH SOCIAL SKILLS TO TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS? 1
P A R T T W O
THE SCIENCE OF DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING FRIENDSHIPS
2 FINDING AND CHOOSING GOOD FRIENDS 17
3 GOOD CONVERSATIONS: THE BASICS 51
COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
4 STARTING AND ENTERING CONVERSATIONS 97
5 EXITING CONVERSATIONS 121
6 MANAGING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION 145
7 SHOWING GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP 179
8 ENJOYING SUCCESSFUL GET-TOGETHERS 199
P A R T T H R E E
THE SCIENCE OF HANDLING PEER CONFLICT AND REJECTION: HELPFUL STRATEGIES
9 DEALING WITH ARGUMENTS 231
10 HANDLING VERBAL TEASING 247
11 ADDRESSING CYBER BULLYING 267
12 MINIMIZING RUMORS AND GOSSIP 281
13 AVOIDING PHYSICAL BULLYING 307
14 CHANGING A BAD REPUTATION 323
EPILOGUE: MOVING FORWARD 341
HOW TO USE THE DVD 348
BIBLIOGRAPHY 349
INDEX 359
I've searched for a book like this for a long time. Most are aimed specifically for teens with ADD, autism, or similar conditions. I totally understand the need for works focused on these topics and The Science of Making Friends covers these areas in depth. But the book also contains plenty of information which could be helpful to ALL socially-challenged teens. These include those who feel awkward or unpopular, are nervous in new situations, or simply haven't learned how to make and keep friends.
This book met - and exceeded - my hopes. Based on both solid research and real-life scenarios and examples, there are step-by-step instructions to help teens learn how to control their anxieties and improve their social skills. Each section covers a specific area.
The first section provides an overview of the research which supports the rest of the material in the book. From there, sections include information about how to form and maintain friendships (finding friends, starting conversations, discovering mutual interests). I particularly liked the part about coping with conflict and rejection because - painful as it is - these are also realities that teens may face. They need coping strategies for those times and they'll find them here.
I also appreciated the fact that the book was written with sections for parents and different ones for teens. They complement each other but have a slightly different tone. There are exercises included in each chapter for teens to help them practice their budding skills. The DVD included with the book is a special bonus, with examples of realistic situations. For those who learn best with visuals, this could be a significant help.
The Science of Making Friends gives parents and their teens/young adults the step-by-step tools to use to make friendships, with a compatible DVD and an app (avail for purchase - friendmaker 1.99). This book explains in detail UCLA's PEERS (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relationship Skills). The book gives parents the role of "Social Coach" and teaches you how to guide your teen/young adult into successful friendships.
First off, Elizabeth A. Laugeson, PSY.D., understands that your son/daughter may not be motivated to make friendships. For this, perhaps reading the book, watching the DVD, and knowing the tools, you can at least be equipped to help your child with friendships if they so desire.
What the book teaches: How to find and choose good friends (Where to find them, how to match your child with like minded people, what groups to join, etc).
It then goes into basic conversation skills, starting and entering conversations and exiting conversations. There are written instructions, visual examples on the DVDs, and then questions to talk about what was seen on the DVDs. The parents are given instructions on how to be a social coach and the teens/young adults are given specific highlighted portion to read. Topics covered are trading information, eye contact, physical boundaries, voice levels, conversation hogs, asking too many questions, policing, teasing and getting too personal. Sometimes both good and bad examples are given. For someone who may be confused about friendships, these social rules will be extremely helpful.
Since many with social challenges prefer to be on computers, it goes into great detail in regards to managing electronic communication.
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