OTA chapter 8 Social Interaction Skills

Interact with others

• directly (speaking with someone face to face or during a phone call) 

• indirectly (emails, text) 

Approaches/Starts

involves initiating an interaction with another person in a socially appropriate manner. 

Concludes/disengages

is a skill that entails effectively ending a conversation or social interaction.  

Produces speech

can occur through spoken word, sign language, or the use of a computer-generated device. 

Gesticulates

communicate or interact with others, we use not only our words, but also the movement of our bodies to demonstrate our thoughts and needs. This is the ability to gesticular: to use genitures in a socially appropriate way to communicate. 

Speaks fluently

is the skill in which the speaker speaks fluidly, in an articulate and continuous manner, and at an even pace. (without inappropriate pauses or lulls) 

Turns Toward

actively turning their body and face to position themselves toward the other person who is speaking. 

Looks

communicate and interact using body language is by looking at or making eye contact with a social partner. 

Places self

appropriate position and at a proper distance is an important aspect of communication and interaction. 

Touches

Participants must be able to accept the touch of others as well as touch or make bodily contact with others in a socially acceptable manner. 

Regulates

During a social interaction, it is preventing impulsive or irrelevant behaviors that are not part of the message being conveyed. 

Questions

skillfully requires requesting information that is relevant and will support the purpose of the interaction. 

Replies:

demonstrated when participants keep the conversation flowing by replying back to each other appropriately. 

Discloses

occurs when a participant in the interaction reveals their feelings, opinions, or private information about themselves or others. 

Expresses emotions

during a conversation or interactions, they are demonstrating a variety of facial expressions and behaviors that convey emotion in a way that is socially appropriate. 

Disagrees

the person expresses their difference in opinion in a socially acceptable, appropriate manner. 

Thanks

uses socially appropriate words or gestures to acknowledge our appreciation. 

Transitions

requires the skills of being able to transition from one topic to another smoothly and without causing disruption in the conversation. 

Times responses

occurs at the appropriate time, without hesitation or interruptions, the speaker

Times duration

ability to speak for an appropriate and reasonable amount of time, based on the complexity of what needs to be expressed. 

Takes turns

engaged in a reciprocal conversation, giving each partner the freedom to speak or engage in the conversation.  

To increase demands or challenge for social interaction skills: 

• Use open ended questions 

• Use silence therapeutically 

• Instruct patient to increase use of inflection, content, gestures 

To decrease demands or challenge for social interaction skills

• Use close-ended questions 

• Minimize use of silence 

• Allow limited use of inflection, content and gesture 

• Allow them to remain in their comfort zone in the manner in which they are communicating 

Initiating a conversation with a classmate 

• To increase approach demands: Initiate with someone unfamiliar or in a larger group setting; begin the conversation without prompts or cues. 

• To decrease approach demands: Provide a familiar partner; give the student a conversation starter or script. 

Expressing thoughts with another person 

• To increase expression demands: Require longer or more detailed explanations; use complex or abstract topics. 

• To decrease expression demands: Allow short, simple statements; provide visual aids or yes/no questions. 

Responding to interview questions 

• To increase disclosure demands: Ask open-ended, personal, or reflective questions that require more elaboration. 

• To decrease disclosure demands: Ask closed-ended questions with simple, factual answers. 

Having a conversation with another person 

• To increase turn-taking demands: Require extended dialogue with multiple back-and-forth exchanges; include more than one conversational partner. 

• To decrease turn-taking demands: Limit to brief responses or a single turn; provide structured conversation prompts. 

When experiencing pain, communicate discomfort and make a request 

• To increase expressing emotion demands: Ask the individual to describe pain using detailed words, intensity scales, and explain how it impacts activity. 

• To decrease expressing emotion demands: Allow use of simple pain rating scales (e.g., 1–10) or yes/no answers with minimal detail.