OT buddies social skills resource and printable games pack for virtual occupational therapy!

We are in the 10th week of Sydney lockdown and virtual therapy continues for the foreseeable future too. 

I am the type of person who likes to make lemonade from lemons... and thought about the opportunity to bring together two of my lovely OT children in a social skills "group" online.  I've been working with these two young boys on friendship skills, social thinking and regulation.  We have been doing this in a 1:1 context but have not had the opportunity to put these skills into practice in a functional real context. Both of these children were the same age and their parents were happy to try it out. What a wonderful virtual opportunity!

The resources that I create at Your Kids OT are designed primarily for my own use first so when you see lots of new releases, I'm responding to my own need! (or I'm fine tuning ones that I have started a long time ago)

This new "OT buddies" social skills resource was created to facilitate the social skills group with my two buddies. The resource is provided in a Powerpoint presentation format, PDF version and a printable games pack PDF. These resoures may be used online via a "Screen share". This resource may also be purchased at the YKOT Teachers Pay Teachers Store ($US).

About me...about you.
OT buddies begins by encouraging children to introduce themselves, socially wonder about others by asking questions and sharing their own answers. There are questions to prompt children as well as a game of "would you choose?" to get to know each other. Children are also encouraged to learn about active listening and to ask further questions. These skills may be divided up into different therapy sessions.

Games
There are fifteen games included with information about preparation and rules to play. These games include Snakes and Ladders, Truth or Lie, Battleship, I spy, Tic Tac Toe, Follow the Leader, Roll a Snake, Musical Statues, Guess the Sound, Emotions Bingo, Move it!, Guess Who?, Lego Challenge, Scavenger Hunt and Show and Tell.

Some games are non-competitive and also require no-preparation. Some games require minimal preparation by both the facilitator and the children. Printable game pages are provided for eight of the games. These games have been chosen to have simple rules and may appeal to a range of children.

Further social skills can be explored with questions asking children to consider:

• how they know others are having fun,
• how can we work out how someone else is feeling,
• are we expected to follow rules,
• what are some hidden rules when playing games,
• what could we do if are feeling upset and
• what could we say at the end of the game.

These skills may complement other social thinking and regulation programs.

Good-bye!
The OT buddies resource finishes with "choose a way to say goodbye" including a wave, a fist pump, a smile, a high five or thumbs up.

The group has been going really well for both participants.  They are learning about themselves and about the other child.  It has been an opportunity for them to apply some of the skills that they have been learning individually... such as understanding someone else's perspective, working out how others are thinking and feeling, empathy, applying hidden rules for playing games and using some of their calming techniques. 

It has also been fun with some laughs along the way! 
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Having a mixture of non-competitive games and competitive games has been really useful.  Learning to "lose" without "ruining the fun" and learning to "win" without upsetting the other person is difficult for so many children.  

In occupational therapy sessions we have been working through a number of other programs including the Zones of Regulation, Social Detective and Learning about Friendship (by K.I. Al-Ghani) prior to beginning this social interaction with these OT buddies.  Some of these social thinking and regulation skills have been important foundations, giving us a common language for social skills. 

The OT buddies resource is best used with some of these foundations in place, however the printable games will be beneficial for therapists working virtually on other skills too (eg. visual motor, turn taking, visual attention, motor planning, visual discrimination, pencil control). 

OT Buddies resource available now! 

YKOT Store ($AUS)

YKOT Teachers Pay Teachers Store ($US)

Have you discovered some hidden benefits to virtual telehealth sessions? 

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a member of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
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