A Comparison of the Effects of Two Social Skill Training Approaches on Teacher and Child Behavior

Abstract

The importance of social skills to achievement of important life outcomes has been long documented, as have the social skill deficits encountered by many children with disabilities. Numerous social skill interventions have been implemented in inclusive settings with young children with disabilities; however, many of the interventions were multi-faceted, making it difficult to identify specific intervention activities that accounted for behavioral change. The purpose of the present study was to compare two social skill interventions to determine whether changes in teacher behavior resulted in differential changes in preschool children's social skill behaviors. The results indicated that teacher behavior could be modified and that praise was a strong component in facilitating change among children. The results also demonstrated that the inclusion of young children with disabilities in small-group art activities did not negatively impact the social behaviors of the group. However, neither intervention resulted in significant changes in the social behaviors of the young children with disabilities. Continued research is needed to identify interventions that teachers can readily implement and that will positively impact the social skill development of preschool-age children, with and without disabilities.