Social competence is particularly salient for students who are classified into one of the high-incidence disability groups such as specific learning disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Among the most popular of the instructional approaches for these students has been social skills training (SST). Various meta-analyses of the literature suggest that SST has not produced large, socially important, long-term, or generalized changes in social competence of students with high-incidence disabilities. Probable explanations for the weak effects in some meta-analyses are discussed and specific recommendations are offered for designing and producing more effective SST interventions.

Schools often identify settings in which transitions occur, such as hallways and cafeteria, as major problem behavior areas. School psychologists may be called on to assist in bringing problem behaviors during transitions under control as a consulting resource for general education, or as a form of behavioral support for students with behavior problems in special education. This study was designed to investigate the effect of a school-wide intervention plan, consisting of precorrection and active supervision strategies, on the social behavior of elementary students in major transition settings. Three transition settings were targeted in an elementary school: (a) entering the school building, (b) moving to the cafeteria for lunch, and (c) exiting the school building. A multiple baseline design across the three transition settings was used. An analysis of baseline data indicated high rates of student problem behavior, especially running, hitting, and yelling, and low rates of precorrection and active supervision behaviors by staff. Results showed increases in precorrection and active supervision behaviors by staff with concomitant, substantial reductions in student problem behavior. Details of the methodology and results, and practical implications and directions for future research are described and discussed.The need for school psychologists to assist in the development and evaluation of school-wide behavior support systems is derived from two concerns. First, consistent with their traditional role as consulting resources for special educators, school psychologists consult with educators regarding the behavioral supports necessary to improve the participation of students with social, emotional, or behavioral

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Demonstrates how an instructional strategy, precorrection, can be applied to changing chronic behavior problems