A Framework for Connection and Community

Social skills develop continuously through explicit teaching, sensory experiences, authentic interaction and supportive environments, fostering communication, relationships, self-advocacy and understanding for confident, connected ākonga across varied contexts and life stages.

The development of social skills is a continuous and dynamic process focused on fostering communication, connection and understanding. It is built upon a foundation of direct teaching, rich sensory experiences, authentic social interaction, and supportive learning environments and strategies.

Foundational Principles

The following principles are integral to every phase of this framework and guide all teaching and learning related to the development of social competence.

Explicit Instruction

Many social skills, particularly the understanding of non-verbal cues like facial expressions and body language, are typically learned incidentally through vision. For BLENNZ ākonga, these skills must be explicitly and systematically taught. This principle acknowledges the need for intentional instruction to deconstruct social interactions and make the "unwritten rules" of social engagement clear and understandable.

Sensory and Experiential Learning

Social learning is most effective when it is grounded in real-life experiences. True understanding is built through active participation, guided role-playing, games, sport, and learning to use all available senses to interpret the nuances of social situations – such as tone.

Building Relationships

The fundamental purpose of social skills is to form attachments and build positive, reciprocal relationships with others. The ability to connect with family, form friendships, and eventually build professional and meaningful relationships is at the core of a fulfilling social life. This framework prioritises the development of skills that lead to significant social connection.

Self-Advocacy

A key social skill is the ability to understand and articulate one's own needs, preferences, feelings, and boundaries. Self-advocacy is the bridge between the internal world of the ākonga and the external social environment, empowering them to ask for what they need, express who they are, and navigate social situations with confidence and agency.

Supportive Environments

Social development flourishes in environments that are safe, predictable, and rich in language. When whānau and educators consistently model positive social behaviours, provide clear expectations, and use descriptive language to explain social situations, they create a supportive foundation from which ākonga can confidently practise and develop their social skills.

Phases of Learning

Across learning phases, ākonga progress from recognising others to confidently navigating complex social contexts, building friendship skills, self-confidence, conflict resolution and lasting adult positive relationships.

Phase 1 - Kākano (Seed)

Theme: Thriving in environments that are rich in Expanded Core Curriculum experiences/teaching. The focus is on forming attachments, early communication, and sensory-based social interaction.

In the Kākano phase, ākonga begin to recognise familiar people and engage in simple interactions that form the foundation of all future social development.

7.1a Social Interaction and Play

Fostering Bonding and Attachment

The first and most important social skill is forming secure attachments with whānau and primary caregivers. This essential bond is built through consistent, positive sensory experiences. These interactions create a foundation of trust and safety from which ākonga can begin to explore the social world.

Engaging in Early Play

Play is the first language of social interaction. Ākonga engage in simple, imitative play and games, which teach predictability and shared experience. Early turn-taking games which are developmentally appropriate establish the fundamental, reciprocal rhythm of conversation and social exchange.

Exploring through Sensory Play

The social world is explored through shared sensory experiences. Activities such as shared water play, where two or more people interact in the same medium, or a tactile story time using real objects, allow ākonga to connect with others through a non-visual, sensory channel, building social understanding through touch and sound.

Developing Shared Attention

Ākonga begin to develop joint attention, which is the ability to share a focus on an object or person with someone else. This is fostered by using auditory and tactile cues – such as saying "listen" while ringing a bell or guiding a hand to a toy – to help ākonga focus on a shared point of interest, a crucial skill for shared experiences.

7.1b Communication and Emotional Awareness

Recognising and Responding to Others

Ākonga demonstrate early social recognition by learning to identify and respond to the distinct voices of familiar people, turning towards them or calming in response, shows that they are beginning to differentiate between people and form specific social connections.

Expressing Foundational Needs

Ākonga communicate their essential needs and feelings through their earliest forms of expression. By vocalising, crying, or using simple gestures, they learn that their actions can elicit a response from whānau, which is their first experience of having an impact on their social environment.

Beginning to Understand Emotions

Ākonga begin to understand the emotional states of others through non-visual cues. They learn to interpret the meaning conveyed in the tone of voice (e.g. a soft, gentle voice is calming) and the nature of the touch (e.g. a firm, secure hold is comforting) of their whānau.

Participating in Social Routines

Predictable social routines, such as a consistent greeting and farewell ritual, provide a sense of security and help ākonga understand social expectations. These repeated interactions build their understanding of social contexts and make social situations feel predictable.

7.1c Self and Others

Developing Awareness of Others

Ākonga begin to demonstrate a clear awareness of other people in their environment. They may quieten to listen to a new voice or show curiosity about another person, and they learn to tolerate others being in proximity, which is the first step towards group participation.

Building Self-Awareness

Ākonga start to build a sense of self by recognising and responding to their own name. They also demonstrate early social preferences by showing a clear preference for familiar people over strangers, indicating the formation of specific social bonds.

Phase 2 – Tupu (Seedling)

Theme: Expanding horizons of knowledge and collaborating. The focus is on developing basic social rules, peer interaction, and expressing preferences.

In the Tupu phase, ākonga begin to interact more purposefully with their peers, learn and apply basic social rules and manners, and communicate their wants and needs more clearly.

7.2a Social Interaction & Play

Engaging in Peer Interaction

For ākonga their social world expands to include peers. They begin to engage with familiar peers, learning to share equipment and participate in structured, cooperative play scenarios such as having a tea party or building with blocks, which require collaboration and shared goals.

Learning Turn-Taking and Sharing

In structured experiences with adult guidance, ākonga are explicitly taught the concepts of turn-taking and sharing. They learn that waiting for their turn and allowing others to use a shared object are essential for playing successfully and happily with others.

Displaying Manners

Ākonga begin to display manners. They practise communicating "please" and "thank you" and learn to use simple greetings like "hi" and "bye" as part of their daily interactions, which are the foundational elements of social engagement.

7.2b Communication and Emotional Awareness

Independent Greetings

Ākonga internalise the social routine of greetings and begin to greet people without being prompted with a verbal reminder from an adult. This demonstrates a growing understanding of social conventions and a willingness to initiate social contact.

Expressing Personal Preferences

Ākonga communication becomes more intentional. They can answer simple yes/no questions to indicate their choices and begin to use words or signs to express their preferences, feelings, and needs more clearly.

Interpreting Vocal Cues

Ākonga are explicitly taught to listen for and interpret the nuances of a person's voice. They learn that cues like pitch (high or low), tone (happy or sad), and pace (fast or slow) can provide important information about a speaker's emotional state and social meaning.

7.2c Self and Others

Beginning Self-Advocacy

Ākonga begin to practise self-advocacy by learning to seek and accept help when they need it. This simple act of communicating a need for assistance is a powerful first step in learning to articulate one's own needs to others.

Developing Awareness of Personal Space

Ākonga are introduced to the concept of personal space. They begin to develop an awareness of the physical space around their own body and learn how to navigate around environments and people safely without bumping into them, which is a key skill for physical social interaction.

Building Cultural Awareness

Through exposure to diverse songs, stories, resources and interactions with people from diverse backgrounds, ākonga become aware that there are different cultures each with their own unique traditions and ways of being.

Learning Self-Regulation

Ākonga begin to develop early self-regulation skills. In a group setting, such as during story time, they learn that it is sometimes appropriate to be quiet and listen, demonstrating an early understanding of controlling one's own impulses to meet the expectations of a social situation.

Phase 3 – Kōhuri (Sapling)

Theme: Seeing ourselves in the wider world, advocating with and for others. The focus is on building friendships, understanding social situations, and developing self-advocacy.

In the Kōhuri phase, ākonga develop foundational friendship skills, learn to participate effectively in group activities, and begin to navigate more complex social rules and expectations.

7.3a Social Interaction and Play

Developing Friendship Skills

Ākonga move beyond simple peer interaction to focus on the skills needed to make and keep friends. They learn how to initiate involvement in group activities and are taught social problem-solving skills to help them navigate the inevitable disagreements that arise in peer interactions.

Participating in Group Activities

Ākonga develop the skills needed to participate successfully in group discussions and cooperative learning tasks. These include practising active listening (paying attention while others speak) and learning how to work effectively as part of a team to achieve a common goal.

Developing Conversation Skills

Ākonga conversational abilities become more sophisticated. They learn and practise the skills needed to initiate, maintain, and appropriately end a conversation. This also includes the social skills of paying and receiving compliments, which helps to build positive rapport with others.

7.3b Communication and Emotional Awareness

Learning to Read Social Situations

Ākonga are taught to use a combination of their available senses including their residual vision, the speaker's tone of voice, and the overall context of a situation to interpret social cues. This multi-sensory approach helps them to develop empathy.

Understanding Non-Literal Language

Ākonga begin to understand that language is not always literal. They are introduced to the concepts of humour, sarcasm, and figurative language, learning to listen for the subtle vocal and contextual cues that indicate when someone is using non-literal or inferential language.

Expressing and Responding to Ideas

In group discussions, ākonga develop confidence in expressing their own ideas while also learning to listen and respond thoughtfully to others. This reflects a growing ability to engage in a reciprocal exchange of thoughts and opinions, rather than simply reacting.

7.3c Self and Others

Advocating for Specific Needs

Ākonga begin to advocate for their specific visual needs in the classroom and other settings, moving from simple requests for help to more specific environmental and informational advocacy.

Recognising Social Expectations

Ākonga develop an awareness of the "unwritten social rules" and the importance of courteous behaviour. They learn that expectations for behaviour may differ depending on the setting, such as the classroom, the playground, cultural or formal events.

Regulating Behaviour Based on Feedback

Ākonga develop the ability to respond appropriately to both positive and negative feedback from adults or peers. They learn to accept praise gracefully and to use constructive criticism to modify their behaviour, demonstrating increasing social maturity.

Learning to Care for Wellbeing

Ākonga are introduced to the concept of looking after their own physical, spiritual and cultural wellbeing. They begin to learn to identify their own feelings and are introduced to simple strategies for managing stress or frustration.

Phase 4 – Rākau (Tree)

Theme: Having a purpose, developing empathy and resilience. The focus is on managing complex social dynamics, self-advocacy, and developing leadership skills.

In the Rākau phase, ākonga learn to handle more complex social conflicts, actively participate in extracurricular activities, and build a strong sense of self-confidence in various social settings.

7.4a Social Interaction and Play

Developing Conflict Resolution Skills

Ākonga develop a more sophisticated skill set for resolving misunderstandings and disagreements with their peers. They can use discussion, compromise, and negotiation to find mutually agreeable solutions to conflicts, often without needing adult intervention.

Building Leadership and Teamwork Skills

Ākonga begin to build confidence in leading group activities. They learn how to organise a group, delegate tasks, and motivate others, while also refining their ability to work collaboratively and effectively as a member of a team.

Participating in Extracurricular Activities

Ākonga are encouraged to participate in extracurricular experiences like sports, clubs, and other social groups. With the right accommodations in place, these provide a valuable context for practising social skills, building friendships, and developing a sense of belonging outside the classroom.

7.4b Communication and Emotional Awareness

Recognising Emotions Through Non-Visual Cues

Ākonga become highly skilled at recognising the emotions of others by paying close attention to non-verbal auditory cues. They can accurately interpret information from a person's tone of voice, the pace of their speech, their breathing patterns, and other subtle auditory information to understand how someone is feeling.

Advanced Perspective Taking

The ability of ākonga to understand the perspective of others becomes more advanced. They can analyse complex social situations and interpret them from the viewpoint of the different people involved, demonstrating a high level of empathy and social cognition.

7.4c Self and Others

Expanding Self-Advocacy Skills

Ākonga expand their self-advocacy skills to a wide range of audiences and situations. They can confidently explain their vision-related needs to peers, teachers, wider audiences and community and begin to think about how they would communicate these needs to future employers.

Building Self-Confidence and Coping Strategies

Ākonga develop specific coping strategies for handling new or overwhelming social situations and for managing social anxiety. This builds their self-confidence and resilience, ensuring they feel equipped to handle a variety of social challenges.

Developing a Secure Identity

Ākonga have a strong understanding of their vision differences and are confident to talk about these. They can identify the key support people in their life and wider community, which provides a strong social safety net and reinforces their sense of self.

Showing Cultural Respect

Ākonga awareness of cultural differences matures into a genuine respect for them. They can recognise and respect that different cultures have different customs and communication styles, and they can interact with people from diverse backgrounds in a sensitive and appropriate manner.

Phase 5 – Tāpae (Mature Tree)

Theme: Navigating the pathways and developing agency for the future. The focus is on preparing for adult social interactions, including professional and romantic relationships.

In the Tāpae phase, ākonga confidently navigate a wide variety of social situations, adapt their behaviour to suit the context, and build positive, lasting relationships in their adult lives.

7.5a Social Interaction

Navigating Complex Social Environments

Ākonga develop specific strategies for navigating crowded, noisy, fast-paced social environments like parties, concerts, or busy work events. They learn how to manage the sensory input and social demands of these situations.

Demonstrating Leadership and Mentorship

Ākonga demonstrate genuine leadership skills. They can guide their peers respectfully, take initiative in group projects, and may even take on formal or informal mentoring roles, sharing their knowledge and skills to support others.

Active Community Involvement

Ākonga contribute meaningfully to their community. They may do this through volunteering for a cause they care about or by actively participating in local clubs and councils, moving from being a recipient of community support to an active contributor.

7.5b Communication and Emotional Awareness

Understanding Relationships

Ākonga are prepared for the social dynamics of adult relationships. This includes understanding the social expectations, boundaries, and communication styles involved in dating and romantic relationships, and how to build healthy, respectful partnerships.

Mastering Digital Communication

Ākonga use accessibility tools to engage fully in digital communication, including texting, social media, and video calls. They understand and practise proper digital etiquette and know how to keep themselves safe in the online social world.

Interpreting and Adapting to Social Situations

Ākonga demonstrate a nuanced understanding of social context. They can accurately "read a room" and adapt their social behaviour to suit different settings and audiences, whether it is a formal work meeting or a casual barbecue with friends.

7.5c Self and Others

Preparing for Adult Social Interactions

Ākonga are explicitly prepared for the social interactions of adult life. This includes learning about workplace etiquette, developing networking skills for their career, and understanding the social skills needed for independent living.

Responding to Social Pressures

Ākonga develop the ability to recognise and respond to social pressures in a healthy way. This includes resisting negative peer pressure, navigating group dynamics, and making sound ethical decisions in complex social situations.

Mastering Advocacy and Accessing Support

Ākonga can confidently and effectively advocate for their accessibility and inclusion needs in any setting. They have a comprehensive knowledge of the support networks that are available to them and know how to access these services independently.

Demonstrating Resilience in Life

Ākonga demonstrate a high level of resilience and are able to adapt to a wide variety of challenging life situations. They have the social and emotional skills to navigate the ups and downs of adult life, including challenges in relationships, health, work, and finances.