Social Skills to Handle Disagreements

Learning how to disagree at Watson

Sometimes disagreements between people happen, and that’s okay! It’s natural for individuals to have disagreements about things. In this social skills module, learn how to teach students about disagreements and how they can handle them respectfully and appropriately to maintain friendships. 

A foundation to disagreements is learning how to communicate your point of view without asserting that it is the only correct way to feel. It’s possible to agree to disagree with someone about which pizza is the best kind of pizza, or which superhero is the strongest. 

Teach your students that everyone is entitled to their own opinions about things and if their opinion differs from yours, it’s not inherently wrong. This learning module also discusses how to share and receive constructive criticism, as well as how to come to a compromise with others when you disagree. 

Learn more today and download our facilitator’s guide to teaching students about handling disagreements. 

The special education resources on this page were authored by Watson Institute’s special education consultant, Andee Morris, M.Ed.

Powerpoint Presentation:

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree

Resource Materials:

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree Activity Sheet 1

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree Activity Sheet 2

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree Social Power Point Card

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree Homework

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree Parent Note

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree Teacher Alert

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree Mini Schedule

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree Outline and Materials

Pre/Post Assessment

A pre and post lesson assessment is included in each lesson. Use of the assessment is an instructor preference.  Many of the ‘homework’ pages for a lesson can be used as a pre/post assessment device alone or as part of the provided assessment.  Each homework page can be checked by the instructor as well as the student.

Review all included pages of the lesson to determine what ‘assessment’ method will meet your needs.  If the student is able to achieve a + in the majority of items of the pre-assessment, or if the student has been observed to display the skill topic of the lesson often, then the lesson may not be introduced or can be taught with a group as review and/or reinforcement.

Conversation Skills: When I Disagree Pre/Post Assessment

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