How Speech Therapy Builds Social Skills in Children – Phnom Penh Approach

Many children in Phnom Penh face challenges not just with how they speak, but with how they use language to connect with others. Struggles with social communication—like starting conversations, understanding tone, or reading body language—can lead to isolation or difficulty making friends.

At OrbRom Center, our speech therapy program addresses more than just articulation and vocabulary. We help children develop the social use of language, also known as pragmatic language skills. These are essential for navigating school, friendships, and everyday interactions. Through structured speech therapy, children gain the tools they need to express themselves clearly—and connect meaningfully.

What Are Social Communication Skills?
Social communication (or pragmatic language) refers to the way we use language in context. This includes:

• Starting and maintaining conversations

• Taking turns in conversation

• Understanding facial expressions and gestures

• Using appropriate greetings and responses

• Adjusting speech depending on the situation

Children with autism, ADHD, speech delays, or learning differences often struggle with these skills, even if their vocabulary and grammar seem age-appropriate. These challenges can impact classroom participation, peer relationships, and confidence.

How Speech Therapy Improves Social Skills
At OrbRom Center in Phnom Penh, we integrate social communication goals into our speech therapy sessions—especially for children who need help building relationships or navigating group settings. Our approach includes:

• Role-playing to practice greetings, asking for help, or joining play

• Video modeling to demonstrate appropriate conversational behavior

• Emotion identification games using visual cards and real-life scenarios

• Group sessions for practicing interaction with peers in a guided setting

We focus on real-world application—whether it’s knowing when to say “excuse me” or how to express disagreement respectfully.

Children who also struggle with sensory processing may benefit from tools like the Sensory Peapod, which offers calming support during sessions, making it easier to stay engaged and focused.

Why Social Communication Support Is Essential in Phnom Penh
In a city like Phnom Penh, where schools are becoming increasingly inclusive and bilingual environments are common, the ability to use language socially is more important than ever. Children need to:

• Navigate mixed-language classrooms

• Join group learning activities

• Build friendships with peers from diverse backgrounds

At OrbRom Center, we offer bilingual support and culturally appropriate scenarios to make therapy more relevant and effective for Cambodian families.

What Parents Can Do at Home to Build Social Language
Social communication doesn’t stop at the clinic—it must be practiced every day. Our therapists guide parents to:

• Encourage eye contact and turn-taking during family meals

• Play board games to model rule-following and verbal interaction

• Use daily routines (like shopping or visiting a neighbor) to teach greetings and polite expressions

• Read picture books and talk about how characters feel and respond

At home, children also benefit from calm, distraction-free environments. Using a Sleep Sound Machine at night helps improve rest, which plays a critical role in attention, emotion regulation, and learning the next day.

Speech Therapy for Social Communication at OrbRom Center
Our therapists take a personalized, strength-based approach to building social communication skills. Each child receives a therapy plan tailored to their needs, which may include:

• 1:1 sessions for skill building

• Peer-based sessions for real-time practice

• Coaching for parents and teachers

• Ongoing assessments to measure progress

Whether your child is shy, avoids eye contact, or talks constantly without engaging others, our team can help them develop more effective and age-appropriate communication habits.

Conclusion: Building Friendships Through Language
Speech therapy is not just about talking—it’s about connecting. At OrbRom Center in Phnom Penh, we help children build the social language skills they need to thrive in relationships, school, and life.

If your child struggles to make friends, keeps getting “left out,” or finds it hard to express emotions in a healthy way, speech therapy focused on social skills could be the key to unlocking their confidence.

Visit our Speech Therapy Services page to learn how we support children across Phnom Penh in becoming stronger, more connected communicators.