Many kids are able to pick up social skills and their nuances easily through everyday interactions. But other kids, especially those struggling with developmental disorders such as Asperger’s Syndrome and other forms of autism, must be taught these skills directly and individually, and the skills must be practiced and reinforced many times over. Even then, using these skills may feel stilted and unnatural to these children.

The Importance of Social Skills
A lack of understanding about the subtleties and reciprocity of social skills can keep kids from fitting in with other kids. It can cause them to feel left out of peer groups and important activities, limiting their experiences and damaging their self esteem. Because other kids can be impatient and egocentric, they don’t always empathize with other kids’ limitations. Instead, they may choose to shut them out, or worse, make fun of them for being different.

Tips for Youth Workers
It’s important for youth workers to remember that what may seems obvious or “common sense” to adults is not always so for kids. It may be necessary to explain to students why something is inappropriate or offensive. They may need help learning how to take another person’s perspective. They may require adults to role play situations with them to get the feel for how social interaction works. Patience is required to help students make the transition from learning skills to applying them in social situations.

Some of the more important social skills, and some ways adults can help foster their development in kids, are listed below:

Making Friends
This skill involves many other subskills that can be role played with kids, such as like starting conversations, keeping confidences, compromising, and sharing. Additionally, concepts like understanding how others feel and recognizing how one’s actions impact others should be processed with kids on a regular basis to help them begin to consider another’s point of view, another critical component of developing relationships.

Managing Conflicts
Kids with social skills issues may also have trouble managing emotions, which tend to run high during interpersonal conflicts. Teach kids how to verbalize their feelings using “I statements” and also to read other’s feelings based not only on words but also using body language and other nonverbal cues. Teach kids how to state problems clearly, how to think through a problem solving model, and how to listen closely when other’s are sharing their perspective.

Working Together
Kids are asked to cooperate together in groups often, but many lack the needed skills to do so. Kids who are weak in social skills may also be impulsive and self-focused, and may require much supervision in the early stages of group work to ensure that problems can be addressed appropriately. Adults can also help model skills like sharing, taking turns, listening to other’s opinions, being supportive, and dividing responsibilities fairly, all important for successful group work.

Though positive social interaction may come relatively easily to most kids, there are those that will require training and modeling to become adept at these skills. Though it may be challenging at times, the results are well worth it.

What happens to a city neighborhood when houses are torn down and absentee landlords leave behind abandoned lots? In a dense urban neighborhood of row houses, it creates an eyesore, is a hazard for residents, and dramatically reduces property values.

Finding Lots for Vacant Lot Project
In 2009, after having success creating the Youth Organics Garden in an unused open field at the Creighton Story Housing Project, the Director of Grand Street Community Arts, Tom McPheeters, approached the city about vacant lots in the Mansion Neighborhood and adjoining South End Neighborhood.

Properties were researched to determine ownership and the master plan for the South End revitalization was studied by volunteer Rebecca Platel, who has a background in community organizing and planning. It was found that a number of the vacant lots were now taken over by the city and available.

Employing Teens from City Summer Work Program
The city of Albany Youth Employment Program (YEP) hires, pays, and assigns teens to work at various not-for-profit organizations or at city sites during the summer vacation.

Four teens from YEP were assigned to Grand Street Community Arts to work on the Vacant Lot Project with three volunteers – a community organizer and planner; an architect and University at Albany MFA student; and an artist/educator – to design and implement the transformation of a vacant lot for public use.

The YEP teens meet 4 hours daily during the week with the goal to understand the issues surrounding abandoned urban vacant lots, to learn about art in public places, and to visit local salvage warehouses where unusual materials are available.

The teen’s work is a combination of facilitated dialogue, creative design, and hands-on work:
• designing a logo for the Vacant Lot Project
• drafting a plan for potential use of the lot
• talking with neighbors about their ideas
• establishing a working plan for lot transformation
• physically building or finding ways to obtain necessary materials

Without current operating funds for this project, work is being done on a shoestring encouraging the teens to think “out of the box” about discarded materials that can be found, gathered and used…like tires, doors, or wrought iron railings.

Making a Difference
The Vacant Lot Project will make a difference in Albany New York – one lot at a time. Public interest is mounting as the teens are out in the community and as residents become engaged in the process. Interest and community engagement will continue to grow as the abandoned lot begins to change. Vacant lots can go from being an eyesore to a useful public space with a lot of hard work from organizations and individuals dedicated to making a difference.

One subset of the homeless population includes former foster youth. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, within two to four years of exiting foster care, 25 percent of foster children experience homelessness. As several of the research articles listed below indicates, another subset of homeless individuals is those with mental health needs. There are also a large number of former veterans who become homeless. It is estimated that between 23 percent and 40 percent of homeless adults are veterans (National Alliance to End Homelessness). Finally, many of those who face homelessness are families—women and children. Of those children who are homeless, 43 percent are younger than six (National Alliance to End Homelessness).

Social workers in a variety of positions will likely provide services to this diverse population at some point in time. It is therefore important to be equipped with the information necessary to understand and address the needs of these individuals. To that end, this Web site provides resources on research pertinent to issues faced by social workers. These include journal articles, papers presented at a national symposium, and descriptions of organizations that provide research findings and further information.