Social Skills for Connecting with & Maintaining Friends

Learning how to connect at Watson

Friendships provide the foundation of many of our social support networks. Making friends and keeping connected with them can help us feel supported and loved through the good and the difficult times. Teaching your child the social skills to stay connected with their friends can help them build a solid support network. 

When teaching your student or child how to stay connected with friends, try these tips: 

  1. Think of a friend with whom you want to connect and think of an activity you could do together. 
  2. Contact your friend to see if they are available to get together for the activity. 
  3. If they aren’t, make a plan for a date and time that works for both of you. 
  4. Once the plan is made, be sure to share the specific details with your parent/guardian.  
  5. Be prepared for your plans! Make sure you have a fully charged phone that can be used to contact a responsible adult and know who to call when needed. 
  6. Be sure to follow through on the plan! Staying connected requires both participants to follow through and get together. 
  7. Finally – HAVE FUN! Getting together with your friends should be enjoyable, no matter if you’re going out to do an activity together or staying in to watch a show or work on an art project. 

Bonus tip: be sure to schedule time to get together again! Staying connected with your friends should be a continual effort to grow your relationship. 

Try teaching your student or child these social skills tips to connect with friends and help them build a strong, supportive social network! 

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

Powerpoint Presentation:

Make and Keep Friends: Connecting

Resource Materials:

Make and Keep Friends: Connecting Social Power Point Card

Make and Keep Friends: Connecting Homework

Make and Keep Friends: Connecting Parent Note

Make and Keep Friends: Connecting Teacher Alert

Make and Keep Friends: Connecting Mini Schedule

Make and Keep Friends: Connecting 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.

How to Make and Keep Friends: Connecting Pre/Post Assessment

If you have questions or concerns about the Watson Institute’s use of this information, please contact us.