Social Interactions
Social interactions and the development of social relationships have the potential to be particularly problematic for children with Duchenne, although many children with Duchenne have many positive social interactions.
Children struggling in this area may be doing so because of the following reasons:
- Cognitive deficits (language problems, mental retardation, ADHD, etc.) causing social difficulties
- Psychosocial factors such as anxiety or depression
- The physical limitations and fatigue caused by Duchenne making it difficult for the child to keep up with others during play activities, sports, or games
Because strong peer relationships improve quality of life and can help provide emotional support, we strongly encourage parents and teachers to play an active role in facilitating this as much as possible.
Interventions to improve social skills
Some people with Duchenne may benefit from participation in a social skills training program. The goal of social skills training is to teach basic skills necessary for positive social interactions.
Information in this section was contributed, in part, by James Poysky, PhD. Read Dr. Poysky’s entire document, Learning and Behavior in Duchenne (download).
