What kind of counseling do you all think would be appropriate for a teenage boy with poor social skills and boundary issues? Very poor verbal communication and somewhat socially stunted. Just good old fashioned one on one?
From my limited experience, one on one sessions are necessary but getting him involved in some volunteer program is usually really beneficial. It can work wonders for his self esteem and social skills.
Great idea yalie 2011. Very smart kid but often misses social cues. Can be very silly sometimes inappropriate or just very infantile. I think volunteer work might be just the thing. Thanks so much.
You might want to do some Googling to see if there’s a social skills class available in your area. That’s more of a group therapy type of situation, and while some schools offer them (usually as a once-a-week lunch group), you may be able to find an independent one offered by a psychologist. The issues you mention are prevalent in those with autism spectrum disorders, and as ASD numbers have risen, so have these sorts of offerings.
While I think the volunteering idea is a good one, be honest with yourself about whether he can handle that. The last thing you want is for him to be dismissed from volunteering for being inappropriate in some way. That’d be a blow to his self-esteem for sure.
Good luck!
Niece who is ADHD combined type misses social cues. She attended social skills group through a local University teaching hospital; we’re in a large city. She was elementary and middle school age when she participated, during 2 different years, for 3 months each time, I believe. They taught skills to the kids while also teaching parents separately how to practice the social skills wth their child. I think with teens, however, they just work with the kids, no parents. It wasn’t counseling, but more directly teaching about recognizing missed cues and how to handle interactions. The kids practiced with one another in the group and then, had to report back how at least one interaction went outside of group. You might check with any clinics/hospitals in your area to see if they run a social skills group for teens.
@yankeeinGA and @maystarmom thanks very much. excellent points and suggestions.
One thought: teenage boys can be slow to mature and so forth, and couseling as discussed above may be the right thing… but is he also really bright? These can be two sides of the same coin – if so, however, the path is very different (and the counseling model very different.)