Dana teaches social sciences at the college level and English and psychology at the high school level. She has master's degrees in applied, clinical and community psychology.
Jenny is a fourth-grade student who struggles to make and keep friends. Sometimes she says that everyone is out to get her, and she often incorrectly assumes that others are talking bad about her. At other times, she misinterprets kindness as an invitation for a deep relationship. This is causing problems in the classroom because Jenny frequently acts out when she feels slighted and exhibits extreme attention-seeking behavior at other times. What is going on with Jenny?
Jenny's behavior is representative of social cues disorder. Social cues are the unspoken messages conveyed through facial expressions and body language that we rely on when communicating with others. For example, who would you feel more inclined to start a conversation with--someone who is avoiding eye contact and walking quickly, or someone who meets your gaze and offers a big smile?
These behaviors are examples of social cues. Most people would feel more comfortable beginning a conversation with someone who looks them in the eye and smiles. This is because they are sending the message of friendliness, despite the fact that no words have yet been spoken.
People with social cues disorder are not able to accurately read the social cues of another. Most often, this is a problem with processing. In other words, the information received through social cues is not correctly processed in the brain in someone with social cues disorder. This causes an interruption in communication.
Now that we understand what social cues disorder is, let's take a closer look at the symptoms associated with it.
We mentioned that Jenny has trouble making friends. Troubled relationships are common in people with social cues disorder because the impairment makes it difficult for them to communicate effectively. People with social cues disorder are not good at understanding the nonverbal communications of others. They appear socially awkward and are unable to understand the expressions or feelings of another. This makes them appear standoffish or isolated. At other times, they are intrusive or smothering.
Individuals with social cues disorder tend to focus on objects instead of people, and they may focus on just one part of the face when speaking to someone. For example, if Jenny looks at another student's mouth without paying attention to the expressions of the eyes or the body, she is likely to misinterpret what that student is saying.
Those with social cues disorder may also struggle with language. They may interpret things too literally or fail to recognize humor or sarcasm in the language of another. This adds to their overall inability to communicate effectively and contributes to feelings of social isolation.
As mentioned above, social cues disorder is frequently a result of faulty processing. A neuropsychologist, an individual who specializes in the brain and behavior, can be helpful in diagnosing and treating it. Treatment should strive to improve one's understanding of social cues. This usually begins with eye contact.
Those with social cues disorder should practice making eye contact with others and reading the emotions of others. In the earliest stages of treatment, they should be encouraged to focus all attention on the other in an attempt to get a better grasp of the relationship between social cues and feelings.
They should also spend some time looking at their own reflection when experiencing emotion. For example, what do their eyes, nose, and mouth do when they feel happy? This practice reinforces the understanding of the connection between social cues and emotion.
They should also practice reading the body language of others. This might begin without words, such as in a game of charades. They should be asked to explain how the other person might be feeling based on his or her actions. For example, what does it mean when someone is bouncing up and down with their arms folded across their chest and their teeth chattering? These behaviors most likely mean that the person is cold. Learning to make this connection between body language and mood can help alleviate the symptoms of social cues disorder.
People with social cues disorder should also work to grasp social boundaries. For example, when is a hug appropriate? What could it mean when someone raises his or her voice? Role playing can be helpful here.
With adequate support and treatment, people with social cues disorder can work to improve communication. Small improvements can help improve social interactions and relationships over time.
We use social cues, or unspoken messages conveyed through facial expressions and body language, to communicate with others. People with social cues disorder have impairments when it comes to processing social cues and communicating effectively.
Symptoms of social cues disorder may include trouble with relationships, social awkwardness, inability to read body language, and language issues, among other things. Neuropsychologists can help diagnose and treat social cues disorder. Treatments focus on relearning the important aspects of nonverbal communication, like eye contact, and the relationship between behaviors and feelings.
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Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities6 chapters | 57 lessons
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