10 Truths and Tips for Making & Keeping Friends
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Friendship seems so easy and natural to those who make friends easily—but to those who find it challenging, it’s neither simple, logical, or predictable! All functional relationships—including friendship—require a range of social competencies, such as executive functioning & organizational skills, perspective taking, flexible thinking, understanding feelings & emotions, and many more.
How do we crack open this treasure chest to make the most coveted, yet complex facet of relationship development explicit and accessible to our children, students, and clients who struggle to form gratifying emotional relationships with their peers, colleagues, and others they simply share space with?
The Social Thinking® Methodology teaches clear concepts and strategies that can make the relationship process visible and concrete and unpacks different aspects of relationship development from age four through adulthood.
Explore our broad range of products, online courses, conferences, and free resources for teaching practical concepts, vocabulary, and strategies to help guide social learners in some of the most significant learning of their lives.
The Social Thinking Methodology provides evidence-based strategies to help people of all ages develop their social competencies, flexible thinking & social problem solving and improve: conversation & social connection, executive functioning, friendship & relationship development, perspective taking, self-regulation, and Social Thinking vocabulary.
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Products on friendship & relationship development for developmental ages
Ages 4-8
Friendship is complicated for kids. Children everywhere want to be liked, fit in with a group, and be good at sports—but most kids struggle at times. This practical, research-based friendship guide has plenty of true-to-life examples presented through more than 200 lighthearted cartoons that make learning fun for kids. With this book, children learn strategies to help them build meaningful friendships and navigate the challenges that come up along the way.
Learn moreAges 9-12
Ages 13-18+
All Ages
Free Stuff for Home & School
Free Articles
- Teaching an Essential Life Skill: How to Ask for Help
- 10 Truths & Tips for Making and Keeping Friends
- Add-a-Thought: Teach an Essential Conversation Skill
- Social Perspective Taking & The 5 Steps of Being with Others
- I'm Interested in You—Well, Sort Of: Social Anxiety, Face-to-Face Communication, Digital Devices, and the Art of Saying "Hi"
- The Other Side of the Friendship Pyramid: Dealing with Dislike
- Social Communication and the 4 Steps of Communication
- Addressing Social Competencies and Social Anxiety Using the Spirals of Anxiety
- Dating: A Practical Guide for Autistic People
Free Video Lesson
Chithra Kathiresan, B. App. Sc., SLP
How do we decide if someone is interested or disinterested? How do we decide if someone is friendly or unfriendly? Learn how to observe and interpret different levels of interest and friendliness.
Free Video Lesson
Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP
Watch this short video example Michelle Garcia Winner shares in the adolescent track of this course—demonstrating how she uses magnets with her clients to help explain friendships & relationships. You can use this exercise with pre-teen, teenagers, young adults, or even adults.
What is Social Thinking?
Strategies to Build Social Competencies
The Social Thinking Methodology provides evidence-based strategies to help people ages four through adult develop their social competencies, flexible thinking & social problem solving to meet their own social goals and improve:
- Conversation & social connection
- Executive functioning
- Friendship & relationship development
- Perspective taking
- Self-regulation
- Social Thinking Vocabulary
What People Are Saying About Social Thinking
Elementary School
Social Thinking has completely changed the environment of who we are as a whole. Thank you for providing us with such rich social and emotional resources. The impact that your resources make are life changing and early intervention is key. Your curriculum is truly amazing! I bought into Social Thinking about 9 years ago and will use this as long as I am in education.
Schools
I appreciate how the Social Thinking Methodology links social intent/thinking and the common core or school based standards. This connection, and the understanding that exists, is so crucial to every member of a student's school community.
Mental Health & Clinicians
The Social Thinking Methodology is the philosophy that I ascribe to professionally. It serves as my guide through assessment and intervention.
Speech Language Pathologists
I love how realistic the approach is, and doable! Based on real clinical experience adaptable to individual needs/strengths. Great that all the vocabulary is simple, easy to understand, and not full of professional shop talk.
Parents & Families
Social Thinking’s program has given me the much needed tools to communicate in a meaningful way with my 9-year-old son. Thank you. The stress level in our house has decreased along with the meltdowns. He is able to come out of the meltdowns much more readily.
Adult Clients
I am a professional, high-functioning 37 year old woman diagnosed as being on the spectrum two years ago. The Social Thinking Methodology is by far the most helpful resource I have encountered. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it changed my life. Your concrete examples are extremely helpful.