Att stärka barnens sociala förmåga i förskolan. : Pedagogers arbete med barn i svårigheter i socialt samspel och hjälpmedel i arbetet.

The purpose of this study has been to describe and analyze how seven Swedish preschool teachers and two special education teachers think and work with children who show a lack of social skills. The study method has been semi-structured interviews with the educators which have been analyzed and sorted under different themes/categories. The theoretical framework used in this study is sociocultural, relational and categorical perspectives. These perspectives have been chosen in order to better understand how teachers see their role in supporting children in need of special support. The environment in the preschool is found to be of great help and the teachers’ approach is of great importance.The research emphasizes the importance of integrating thinking, feeling and behavior. Social skills are an important part of the pre-school assignment. The children have to learn how to¨cooperate and empathize with others. The result of the study shows that children’s skills in playing and taking turns are the biggest issues in the daily activities. The teachers see an important task in helping children achieve social competence and helping children translate their emotions. The special education team assists greatly in the preschool teachers’ work with children in need of special support