If you have more than one child, have one child be the person meeting another kid and have the second child pretend to be someone else. Create a role for the second child, such as a new neighbor child or a kid at an activity away from home. Have the first child introduce himself to the other child and attempt to start a conversation about something that they have in common, such as the neighborhood or the activity. Allow the two children to change roles as often as possible so that they both develop confidence and experience in the process. Most important, discuss what worked and what did not in the experience, as well as what both kids can do to improve upon it.
One of the tasks you need to teach an older child is how to meet potential employers at a job interview. For this role-playing activity, have the student select a job type for which he would like to interview. Discuss in advance what his credentials will consist of and remember that this is only pretending. Once that's decided, have the student arrive at the job interview with you acting as the potential employer. Conduct the interview with your child, leading the interview with statements such as, "Tell me about your qualifications."
No matter what is said, don't stop the interview but take notes about what occurs. Once the interview is complete, discuss with your child what happened, what could improve the interview and the perceptions that a potential employer might have based on the interview given. Practice this exercise as often as possible until your child is confident and fully prepared for the interview process.
Create a variety of situations that your child may experience related to meeting people. For example, pretend to be the waiter when your child arrives at a restaurant to order a meal, or act as the checkout person at the market. Interact with your child in each situation that you create and then discuss what happened in as much detail as possible. In developing these types of meeting scenarios for you child, you're teaching him social scripts that lead him to comprehend proper behavior and interaction in society.
If you have two computers with Internet access, assist your child with the proper methods of meeting people and interacting with them online by visiting the same sites and communicating with your child on the web as you go. Take on various roles as you contact your child online and encourage your child to respond to your fictitious character. Through this activity, you teach your child proper online interactions with people and can teach your child Internet safety and how to guard personal safety.