Schoolwide social skills training: Providing preventive services to students at-risk.

Abstract

This paper reports a schoolwide social skills assessment and training model including a two-gate student identification procedure (i.e., in-class social skills training for all students and small group intensive training for at-risk target students). The model is directed at reducing future serious problems by addressing identified difficulties early (i.e., through secondary prevention procedures). Specific model objectives are to (a) utilize a compre-This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly. Teacher rating ofsocial skills A. Estimate frequency of behaviors B. Estimate behavior's importance to teacher C. Estimate skill and performance deficits D. Provide guideline for teacher interview and direct observations E. Evaluate social validity of intervention 2. Parent ratings of social skills A. Estimate social skills deficits across settings B. Estimate parent's perceived importance of social behaviors C. Provide guideline for parent interview D. Evaluate social validity of intervention 3. Sociometrics A. Measure social preference and social impact B. Obtain sociometric status classification (rejected, neglected, or controversial) C. Evaluate change in social perceptions as a function of intervention 4. Self-report of social skills A. Obtain child's perception of social behavior B. Consider child ratings in target selection C. Evaluate child perceptions regarding treatment effectiveness 5. Parent-Teacher interviews A. Further delineate and specify target behaviors B. Explicate consultation goals and behavioral objectives C. Provide functional analysis of behavior in specific situations D. Identify setting events and conditional factors surrounding behaviors E. Assess treatment preferences and acceptability to consultees F. Develop cross-setting interventions to facilitate consistency and generalization G. Evaluate perceptions regarding treatment effectiveness 6. Direct observations A. Provide functional analysis of behavior B. Obtain direct measure of behavior in applied settings C. Observe qualitative aspects of social behavior, such as nature, function, and peer reactions D. Allow social comparison of target child with matched peer 7. Child interview A. Obtain child's perception of social behavior B. Consider child's input in selecting target behavior, goals of consultation, and intervention strategies C. Evaluate child perceptions regarding treatment effectiveness

Child-centered interaction in the design of a game for social skills intervention

“…Research has identified that social skill deficits place children at risk in early life as they are integral to many emotional and behavioral problems. If left untreated, they may be predictive of maladjustment in school and poor academic performance [Jones et al 1993]. In fact, these negative consequences seem to be precursors of more serious problems in adolescence and adulthood such as dropping out of school, juvenile and adult criminality, and adult psychopathology [Dodge and Pettit 2003].…”

Convergent validity of the BASC and SSRS: Implications for social skills assessment

“…Second, a broader definition of mental retardation that includes social competence is reflected in the new American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) definition and classification manual (Luckasson et al, 1992). Third, schoolwide social skills assessment and training models for identifying children at risk for developing pervasive social problems and instructing them in important prosocial skills have been devised (e.g., Jones, Sheridan, & Binns, 1993). Fourth, there is a growing body of empirical support for the effectiveness of social skills intervention procedures with a variety of subject populations (see Flanagan, Genshaft, & Bergman, 1995;Gresham, 1985;Schneider & Byrne, 1985, for a review).…”

Social Awareness and Transition to Employment for Adolescents with Mental Retardation

“…Cognitive process approaches also concentrate on REMEDIAL AND SPECIAL EDUCATION Volume 18, Number 4, July/August 1997 interpersonal problem solving, which Foss, Auty, and Irvin (1989) found to be more effective than behavioral rehearsal or modeling in teaching employment-related interpersonal skills to secondary students with mental retardation. Several authors have also advocated using interpersonal cognitive problem-solving training that involves teaching the processes involved in social interaction and how to think about interpersonal problems for at-risk students (Jones et al, 1993;Pellegrini & Urbain, 1985;Sapp & Farrell, 1994). Regardless of whether the target population includes at-risk students or those with mental retardation, instructional methods emphasizing cognitive processes and problem solving focus on understanding social events and behaviors that, therefore, apply to a wider range of conditions and situations (Korinek & Polloway, 1993).…”