Provide practice of the skill through modeling, games, puppet and doll play, and role playing. Reinforce the new skill during practice. Teach the child to reinforce himself using self talk for using the skill. Provide opportunities for generalization and reinforcement of the skill in daily play. Social skills training gives children a bigger bag of tricks from which to choose.
Children can learn techniques to deal with threat and their anger.
The habitually angry child can change his perceptual distortions of seeing hostility and threat when there is none. He can learn to master the skills of stating feelings and staying centered during other people's outbursts of anger and refrain from lashing out at others. Focusing on choices will give him the time to move into logical problem solving. Self-angering thoughts can be challenged and interrupted to inhibit impulsive behavior. Social competence requires that we learn to feel our emotions, talk about them and make responsible behavior choices that are respectful of others and ourselves.