Social Skills Development for Children
Social skills here are taught one step at a time — a greeting, a turn, a way to ask to join — not a lecture about being friendly, and not a promise to make a child typical.
Written by the Inclusive Developmental and Therapy Center therapy team · medically reviewed by Dr Muhammad Suffyan, MB BS (GMC 8023727) · Last reviewed September 2026
About Social Skills
Social skills at Inclusive Developmental and Therapy Center in Model Town, Multan are taught as small, visible steps: a greeting, a turn, a way to ask to join, a way to leave a game without a crash. We do not run a programme whose only goal is eye contact. Contact owner Muhammad Salman Afzal first; faculty includes Mahnoor Baloch. ABA hours often sit with Noor Fatima. A consultation is Rs 1,500 and lasts up to 50 minutes.
Parents usually say he plays alone, she grabs, he does not know how to join. That is a skill gap, not a personality verdict. How Mahnoor frames this work is on her social-skills page. Older children: friendships.
Sessions run in Urdu or English, Monday to Friday. You do not need a diagnosis. We will not promise that a child will become typical, popular, or “fixed”.
Who this is for
- Autistic children who want friends but cannot start or keep a game
- ADHD, when interrupting and grabbing are the wall
- Children who play alongside others but never with them
- A goodbye, a no, or a lost game that becomes a daily crash
- Selective mutism or anxiety, when the skill is there at home and gone at school
- Teenagers who are lonely after school
What we actually teach
One peer before a group. A script for “can I play?” that the child can say, show or hand over as a card. Waiting a turn with a visible job (holding the timer). Recovering from a no. That is social skills — not a lecture about kindness.
- Greeting and getting someone’s attention without grabbing
- Turn-taking in a real game, not a worksheet about sharing
- Asking to join, and accepting “not now”
- Repair: sorry, trying again, leaving the game
- A two-person play date that has a start and an end
Who delivers the hours
Mahnoor writes the plan and often takes the communication piece. Noor delivers ABA social-skills hours under that plan. Psychology for the anxiety underneath sits with Muhammad Salman Afzal. School-facing group sits can sit with Akasha. Related: ABA, autism support, child psychology.
What to practise at home this week
One two-player game with a timer. One sentence or card for “can I play?”. Stop while they still want one more turn. A sibling is a real peer, with real history — keep the burst short. See practising at home, supporting siblings, and connection and communication.
If they are fine at home and fall apart at school, we still practise here, then write a sentence the teacher can try. Classroom support and the letter to school are the next pages, not a personality lecture.
Friendships are a later job
A playdate that has a start, a game and an end is a skill. We practise with one peer before we talk about a whole class of friends. Teen loneliness is a different page: friendships for autistic teens and playdates. We will not promise popular, typical, or “fixed”.
How this programme works, in more depth
Each of these pages is one slice of the work — a session, who it is for, or what to try at home — linked back to this service.
What a session actually looks like
- 1You describe one real social moment that goes wrong — the park, the cousin, the classroom line.
- 2We pick one skill for this week and practise it with one adult, then one peer if the child is ready.
- 3Prompt, then fade. Reinforce the attempt, not a performance of “nice”.
- 4You leave with one sentence or card to try in a real place, not twenty social stories.
Other ways we can help
Speech Therapy
Help for late talkers, unclear speech, stammering and language delay, through play your child enjoys.
Motor & Daily Skills
Motor, handwriting and self-care skills, built up through purposeful play.
ABA Therapy
ABA and positive-behaviour support for autism, ADHD and hard-to-manage behaviour.
Social Skills: your questions answered
Will you make my child give more eye contact?
Not as a goal of its own. Looking can be taught when it helps them be understood. Forcing it as “normal behaviour” is not the work. See how Mahnoor frames this.
My child is three and plays alone. Is that autism?
Often it is being three. We still help with one-step joining. A diagnosis sits with a paediatrician or psychiatrist when it is needed — not with us.
Can you put them in a large group to practise?
Not as the first move. Many children learn with one adult, then one peer, then a group. A noisy class as step one is often unkind.
They have no words. Can this still start?
Yes. Requesting can be a card, a reach or a look. See communication and social skills and autism.
They only want to play with adults.
That is a stage. We add one peer while the adult is still the safe base, then fade. Forcing a birthday party as step one is usually unkind.
Worried about your child? Let’s talk.
A short, friendly conversation is the best first step. Call, text or WhatsApp us — we’ll listen and guide you, with no pressure.
MPS Road, Block A Model Town, Multan (near Bloomfield Hall School, Street No. 2) · Mon–Fri, 2 PM – 6 PM