# Techniques to develop social sharing in children

Canonical: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-social-sharing
Publisher: Pinnacle Blooms Network / Bharath Healthcare Laboratories Private Limited

Sharing develops as a sequence of teachable sub-skills: turn-taking, joint attention, perspective-taking and reinforced approximations within naturalistic, motivating play, supported by visual aids, video modelling and peer-mediated activities. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

*Sharing is not a single skill — it is a tower built from joint attention, turn-taking and the dawning awareness that another mind wants something too.*

## In short
Sharing develops fastest when we treat it as a **sequence of teachable sub-skills** rather than a moral instruction. Effective therapy scaffolds turn-taking, builds shared attention, models perspective-taking, and reinforces every approximation in naturalistic, motivating play — never by forcing a child to surrender a prized object. Embed it where it already lives: in routines, games and peer moments the child enjoys.

## Techniques that work
- **Turn-taking as the foundation** — structured "my turn / your turn" with high-interest, briefly-held items (a ball, a wind-up toy). Keep turns short so waiting is achievable, then fade adult prompting.
- **Naturalistic teaching (NDBI principles)** — capture the child's motivation; create gentle communicative temptations where sharing or requesting earns a natural, immediate reward.
- **Visual supports & timers** — "first/then" boards and sand timers externalise the abstract concept of waiting and returning, reducing distress.
- **Video modelling and peer-mediated play** — peers and short clips powerfully demonstrate sharing scripts; pair with a competent peer in a structured dyad.
- **Perspective-taking groundwork** — emotion labelling, commenting on others' wants ("He likes that car too"), and joint-attention games seed Theory-of-Mind precursors.
- **Reinforce approximations** — offering, looking, tolerating a peer's turn — before expecting full reciprocal sharing. Generalise across settings and partners.

Grade difficulty by object value, wait duration, number of peers and prompt level, and collect simple data on initiations versus prompted responses.

## The Pinnacle way
A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed **only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care** — never from an app or checklist. Explore the skill at [social – sharing](/social-sharing), our [behavioural & play-based therapy](/behaviour-therapy) support, and how the [AbilityScore® is structured](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated).

## Trusted sources
WHO ICF interpersonal interactions and relationships (d7); ASHA guidance on social communication intervention; AAP developmental milestone resources on social play.

**Next step —** Partner with us to embed these techniques into a measurable plan. [Connect with a Pinnacle clinical team](/behaviour-therapy).

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

## Sources
- WHO ICF — interpersonal interactions and relationships: https://icd.who.int
- ASHA — social communication intervention: https://www.asha.org
- AAP HealthyChildren — social play and development: https://www.healthychildren.org

## Connected topics and perspectives
- Skills: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/skills
- Therapist: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/therapist
- Social: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/domain/social
- Support: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/intent/support
- Act: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/lifecycle/act
- Book Assessment: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/route/book-assessment
- Family Empowerment: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/empowerment/family_empowerment

## Related question paths

### Recognise signs & concerns
- If a child isn't yet sharing: a caregiver's guide: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-a-caregiver-what-should-i-do-if-a-child-in-my-care-is-not-yet-showing-social-sharing
- When Should a Child Start Social Sharing?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/at-what-age-should-a-child-social-sharing
- By what age do children learn to share?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/by-what-age-is-a-child-usually-expected-to-social-sharing-and-what-should-a-teacher-expect-in-class
- Could difficulty with social sharing be a sign of developmental delay?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/could-difficulty-with-social-sharing-be-a-sign-of-a-developmental-delay
- Observing Social Sharing During a Home Visit: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/during-a-home-visit-what-should-a-frontline-worker-observe-about-a-child-learning-to-social-sharing
- Difficulty sharing: when should a frontline worker escalate?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/if-a-child-cannot-social-sharing-at-the-expected-age-when-should-a-frontline-health-worker-escalate
- Is difficulty with social sharing a clinical red flag?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-difficulty-learning-to-social-sharing-a-clinical-red-flag-that-warrants-a-developmental-referral
- Is it normal that my child is not yet showing social sharing?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-it-normal-that-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-social-sharing
- Is it normal that my toddler is not yet showing social sharing?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social-sharing
- What does it mean if my child is not yet showing social sharing?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-does-it-mean-if-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-social-sharing
- What signs suggest my child may need support with social – sharing?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-signs-suggest-my-child-may-need-support-with-social-sharing
- When do children usually start sharing?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-do-children-usually-social-sharing

### Understand assessment
- How to Assess & Track Social Sharing: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-a-clinician-assess-and-track-a-child-s-progress-in-learning-to-social-sharing
- Amber Zone for Social Sharing Explained: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-social-sharing-what-does-that-mean
- What a green zone for social – sharing means: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-social-sharing-what-does-that-mean
- Red Zone for Social – Sharing Explained: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-social-sharing-what-does-that-mean

### Explore therapy & support
- How Therapy Addresses Difficulty Sharing: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-does-therapy-address-difficulty-sharing-in-a-child
- Therapy techniques for difficulty sharing: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-therapy-techniques-help-a-child-with-difficulty-sharing
- What therapy helps a child learn to share?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-social-sharing
- How can a teacher support a child working on social sharing?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-a-teacher-support-a-child-working-on-social-sharing
- As a therapist, what techniques help a child develop social play?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-social-play
- How should a therapist prioritise a child in the amber zone for social – sharing?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-social-sharing
- Prioritising a green-zone social–sharing result: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-green-zone-for-social-sharing
- How should a therapist prioritise a child in the red zone for social sharing?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-red-zone-for-social-sharing
- How a Teacher Can Support a Student Learning to Share: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-a-teacher-support-a-student-who-is-still-learning-to-social-sharing
- Amber zone for social – sharing — what next?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-social-sharing-what-should-we-do-next
- Green Zone for Social – Sharing: What To Do Next: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-social-sharing-what-should-we-do-next
- Red Zone for Social Sharing — Next Steps: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-social-sharing-what-should-we-do-next

### At home & in everyday life
- Helping Your Child Learn to Share, Gently: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/as-a-caregiver-how-can-i-gently-help-a-child-practise-learning-to-social-sharing-during-everyday-routines
- How can I help my toddler learn to share at home?: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-can-i-help-my-child-with-learn-to-social-sharing-at-home
- Everyday Therapy activity for social sharing in toddlers: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-one-everyday-therapy-activity-to-help-my-child-with-social-sharing