PE14: Social Skills Programme for Young Children with Vision Impairment

The Social Skills Programme for Young Children with Vision Impairment is a practical, structured resource designed to help children develop the communication, play and interaction skills needed for positive social experiences. Created specifically for young learners with vision impairment, the programme provides engaging activities that support confidence, friendships and participation in everyday school life.

Delivered through small group sessions, the programme helps practitioners teach essential social skills in a focused and supportive way. It is particularly suitable for children in early years settings and may also benefit Key Stage 1 pupils who require additional support with social development.

Why Choose the Social Skills Programme?

• Designed specifically for young children with vision impairment
• Structured programme with nine ready-to-use session plans
• Supports the development of communication and friendship skills
• Ideal for small group intervention work
• Flexible activities that can be adapted to individual needs
• Includes monitoring and progress tracking tools
• Suitable for early years and socially immature KS1 pupils

The programme gives practitioners a clear framework for supporting social development while allowing flexibility to personalise learning and target individual goals.

Developing Essential Social Skills

The activities focus on the core skills children need to build positive relationships and participate confidently in group situations.

Play Skills

Children learn to:

• Take turns
• Share with others
• Develop awareness of peers
• Participate in reciprocal play
• Engage in imaginative and pretend play

Communication Skills

Children develop:

• Turn taking in conversation
• Speaking and listening skills
• Following and giving instructions
• Attention and concentration skills
• Confidence in group discussions

Understanding Non-Verbal Communication

The programme helps children learn how to:

• Recognise facial expressions
• Understand body language
• Interpret tone of voice
• Develop awareness of social cues
• Improve social understanding

These skills are particularly important for children with vision impairment, who may need additional support to access and interpret social information.

What’s Included?

The Social Skills Programme contains nine structured session plans, including activities, objectives and outcomes that support progressive skill development.

Example themes include:

• Getting to know you activities
• Positive body language
• Good listening skills
• Turn taking and participation
• Recognising emotions
• Understanding facial expressions
• Small group interaction skills
• Building confidence in social situations

The programme also includes:

• Monitoring checklists for each session
• Progress recording tools
• Simple graphing systems to demonstrate impact
• Adaptable activities to meet individual needs

Benefits of the Social Skills Programme

By developing social understanding at an early age, children can:

• Build stronger friendships
• Improve communication skills
• Increase confidence in group situations
• Develop positive play behaviours
• Strengthen listening and attention skills
• Participate more successfully in school life

The structured approach makes it easier for practitioners to demonstrate progress while helping children gain skills that support long-term social and emotional development.

What practitioners say about our Social Skills Programme

“Social skills development is a major focus for our team this year. This programme will run across the service. Super that they can adapt to our specific needs.”

“We want to use the pack to show evidence of our impact.”

Teachers of Vision Impaired Children, Midlands, England

Related Positive Eye Resources

Simple Social Skills Picture Cards

Facial Expression Picture Cards

Positive Steps – strengths building resource

Supporting Development of Social Skills with Thumbs Up
Social Skills for Children with VI and SEND Course

Curriculum Activity Picture Cards

Ready to Develop Social Skills in Young Children with Vision Impairment?

Support children to build confidence, friendships and communication skills through a structured programme designed specifically for young learners with vision impairment.

Purchase the Social Skills Programme today and start developing the foundations for positive social interaction and successful participation in school life.