Social Skills Difficulties Research Articles

SENSORY INTEGRATIVE APPROACH IN CHILDREN FROM INFANCY TO PRESCHOОL AGE – GUIDELINES FOR PREVENTION, EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND INTERVENTION AT FIRST SIGNS OF SENSORY INTEGRATIVE DYSFUNCTION

Sensory integration (SI) is a complex process, the theory of which is based on a number of studies in the field of neuroscience. The greatest contribution to the development of this theory has Dr. A. Jean Ayres, who began her research on the subject back in 1950. SI can be defined as an effective interaction between man and the ever-changing environment that is based on the successful interpretation of sensory impressions. These impressions come into the nervous system in the form of information from sensory systems (visual, auditory, olfactory, taste, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular and interoceptive). There the information is processed and arranged, and as a result the nervous system is ready to answer. This response is called an adaptive response and helps the individual to succeed successfully in terms of his/hers inner sensation, movement, emotions and behavior. When the SI process is disturbed at one of its stages, making an adaptive response is difficult. This condition is called sensory integrative dysfunction (SID) or also sensory processing disorder (SPD). Clinically sensory integrative dysfunctions may be related to manifestations of delayed psycho-motor development in the child, emotional imbalance, behavioral problems and difficulties in learning, communication and social skills. Signs of SID are most common in the following conditions: high-risk infants; autistic spectrum disorders; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); fragile X syndrome; children with learning disabilities; brain damage; some genetic syndromes and others. The aim of the present study is to highlight the importance of building a good SI in every child and the need to carry out prevention and early intervention at the first signs of SID. The tasks of the study are: 1) to track the main stages of SI development during the first seven years of child's life; 2) to differentiate the main types of difficulty with regard to sensory processing; 3) describe the main symptoms of SID typical of the relevant age groups; 4) to offer some validated methods and tests for assessment of the condition; 5) give guidance on the therapeutic approach. This study is aimed at parents, teachers, medical and non-medical specialists working within or outside the nosological unit. It aims not only to help them recognize and understand the signs of SID, but also to guide them: how to support the specific needs of children through their personal and professional competencies and when it is necessary to redirect them to a specialized sensory integrative therapy (SIT). There is a number of scientific evidence that therapeutic interventions at the age of three years in children with different development deficits are more successful. Understanding children with SID, timely and accurate assessment, and appropriate therapy, would help improve their condition and prevent future complications.

Protocol: New approaches to managing the social deficits of Turner Syndrome using the PEERS program.

Turner Syndrome (TS) is a sex chromosome aneuploidy (45,X) associated with social skill difficulties. Recent clinical care guidelines recommend that the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) social skills intervention programme be trialled in this population. PEERS has been successfully used in adolescents with autism spectrum conditions without intellectual disabilities. The PEERS program will be piloted with adolescents and young women with TS aged 16-20 using an uncontrolled study trial with a multiple-case series design. The program will be delivered face to face and online.The assessment battery is designed to measure social skills comprehensively from diverse informants (parent, teacher young person). It includes measures of social performance, social knowledge and social cognition. Parents and young people taking part in the intervention will also feedback on the acceptability and feasibility of the pilot. The outcomes of this small scale pilot (n=6-10) will be used to adapt the programme based on feedback and estimate the sample for a future randomised controlled trial.

Protocol: New approaches to managing the social deficits of Turner Syndrome using the PEERS program

Turner Syndrome (TS) is a sex chromosome aneuploidy (45,X) associated with social skill difficulties. Recent clinical care guidelines recommend that the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) social skills intervention programme be trialled in this population. PEERS has been successfully used in adolescents with autism spectrum conditions without intellectual disabilities. The PEERS program will be piloted with adolescents and young women with TS aged 16-20 using an uncontrolled study trial with a multiple-case series design. The program will be delivered face to face and online. The assessment battery is designed to measure social skills comprehensively from diverse informants (parent, teacher young person). It includes measures of social performance, social knowledge and social cognition. Parents and young people taking part in the intervention will also feedback on the acceptability and feasibility of the pilot. The outcomes of this small scale pilot (n=6-10) will be used to adapt the programme based on feedback and estimate the sample for a future randomised controlled trial.

Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Olan Çocuklar İçin Erken Sosyal İletişim ve Etkileşim Ölçeği (ESİE) Geçerlik ve Güvenirlik Çalışması

Difficulties in nonverbal social communication and interaction skills are one of the diagnostic criteria and distinctive features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, it was aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Early Social Communication and Interaction (ESCI) scale, which was developed to assess nonverbal social communication and social interaction skills. Participants of the study consisted of 111 children with ASD aged 28.0-98.0 months. The ESCI scale was individually administered to the children, and interaction behaviors were analyzed by encoding them via video recordings. The validity of the scale was assessed by content and construct validity; reliability was assessed with internal Consistency-Cronbach Alpha and inter-observer reliability. As a result of the principal components analysis to examine the construct validity, the ESCI scale was found to have a one-factor structure which accounts for 72.51% of the variance. It has been determined that the factor loadings of the six measurements in the scale change between .72 and .90. It was found that the scores obtained from the measurements and the average of the total scores increased as the language level became complicated and the internal correlation coefficients between the measurements were significant and changed between .47 and .82. The Cronbach Alpha values for the reliability of the ESCI scale were found to be .87 in total and found to vary between .70 and .93 for the measurements. Findings show that nonverbal social communication and social interaction skills of children with ASD can be assessed with ESCI scale valid and reliable.

Protocol: New approaches to managing the social deficits of Turner Syndrome using the PEERS program

Turner Syndrome (TS) is a sex chromosome aneuploidy (45,X) associated with social skill difficulties. Recent clinical care guidelines recommend that the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) social skills intervention programme be trialled in this population. PEERS has been successfully used in adolescents with autism spectrum conditions without intellectual disabilities. The PEERS program will be piloted with adolescents and young women with TS aged 16-20 using an uncontrolled study trial with a multiple-case series design. The program will be delivered face to face and online.The assessment battery is designed to measure social skills comprehensively from diverse informants (parent, teacher young person). It includes measures of social performance, social knowledge and social cognition. Parents and young people taking part in the intervention will also feedback on the acceptability and feasibility of the pilot. The outcomes of this small scale pilot (n=6-10) will be used to adapt the programme based on feedback and estimate the sample for a future randomised controlled trial.

Psychopharmacotherapy in children placed in group homes and residential centres in Canada: Psychopathological portrait of children receiving psychotropic medications and educators' perception of treatment

This article aims to show the psychopathology portrait of Canadian children placed in foster care (foster group homes and rehabilitation centres) receiving psychotropic medications, and to clarify their overall level of functioning. It also focuses on educators' knowledge and perceptions of psychopharmacotherapy. A group of medicated children (n=71) was compared to a group of non-medicated children (n=30). Children and their educators were interviewed, and an analysis of youths' institutional files was also performed. Results showed that medicated boys and girls taking one or more medications had a diagnosis of a mental disorder recorded in their files more often than non-medicated children (p<0.05). Based on educators' perceptions, these children displayed more attention problems, social skill difficulties, aggressive behaviors, anxiety and depression symptoms, thought problems and post-traumatic stress symptoms (p<0.05). Their overall functioning was also more disturbed in comparison to non-medicated children (p<0.05), as were their moods, thoughts and behaviors towards others (p<0.05). However, based on the child's perspective (semi-structured interview), no distinction can be made between medicated and non-medicated children, since both groups reported comparable levels of symptoms and diagnostic signs. At last, results of the regression model showed that post-traumatic stress symptoms and educators' favorable opinion concerning psychopharmacotherapy were significantly associated with the use of prescribed medications. Implications are discussed.

Learning disabilities in Canada: Definitions and accommodations.

Learning disabilities (LD) affect many students in Canada. The best estimate of the prevalence of LD among children is 3.2% (Brennan, 2009; Learning Disabilities Association of Canada, 2017). Similarly, Bizier, Till, and Nicholls (2015) reports that 2.0% of the Canadian population between the ages of 15 and 24 have a diagnosed LD. However, the concept of LD is not uniformly defined across Canada, and consequently, any measure of national prevalence regarding individuals with LD is likely to be inaccurate. For example, in both the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (Brennan, 2009) and the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability (Bizier, Till, & Nicholls, 2015), LD are defined as attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and other developmental disabilities of scholastic skills. In comparison, the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) does not share the same definition and makes no explicit mention of ADHD and ADD in their explanations of LD. Including ADHD individuals in the definition of LD is likely to inflate the prevalence of LD in the nation as treatments and services for those with ADHD and LD vary greatly. A lack of a clear and easily explained definition of LD can affect variability in prevalence and services for individuals with LD (Scruggs & Mastropieri, 2002). Understanding the differences can contribute to the development of a widely accepted definition that can then allow for the implementation of better practices concerning LD across the country. This review aims to identify commonalities and differences among policies regarding accommodations for students with LD in different Canadian provinces and territories. It also aims to promote the goal of standardizing the definition of LD and empirically supported accommodations across Canada to ensure equal opportunity for all Canadian students with LD.Defining LDThere exists much variability in the way LD is defined across research, political, and clinical contexts. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) includes diagnostic criteria for specific learning disorders and specifies that these disorders are neurodevelopmental in nature and affected individuals experience significant difficulty with academic ability and skills. Moreover, the fifth edition of the DSM (DSM-5) outlines three different types of specific learning disorders, including impairments in reading, written expression, and mathematics. These impairments present themselves in mild, moderate, or severe forms and are separately evaluated from ADHD. However, despite the updated DSM-5 definition, definitions of LD in research, clinical settings, and educational settings and policies differ. The general problem regarding LD is that the definitions often lack enough specificity and are mostly understood as generalised learning problems (Kavale & Forness, 2000). Moreover, the lack of an agreed upon and functional definition of LD is of particular concern among Canadian provinces and territories, as each has its own policies regarding services and accommodations that are made available to students with LD.Canadian DefinitionsThe Canadian federal government does not have any documentation that explicitly defines LD or outlines services for individuals with LD, as it is an issue that is related to education and governed on a provincial level. Instead, the definition of LD for Canadians largely depends on geographic location within the country given that provincial governments all have their own working definitions, key terms, and policies concerning the matter. However, the most widely accepted definition of LD comes from LDAC, which specifies that LD are lifelong, neurobiological, or injury-related brain impairments that affect one or more processes related to learning. The severity of these disorders can vary and often refer to specific impairments in oral language, writing, reading, mathematics, or specific difficulties involving organisational or social skills difficulties (Learning Disabilities Association of Canada, 2017). …

Feasibility of using sphero in rehabilitation of children with autism in social and communication skills.

The majority of children with autism face difficulties in social interaction and communication skills. Consequently, in this paper we present a pilot study in which we explored the usability of SpheroTM as a rehabilitation tool for developing social and communication skills. We designed an interactive scenario where children with autism should verbally control the robot and utter voice commands. Our observations show that the children were very interested to interact with the robot in the given framework. They showed surprising behaviors that are promising evidences of effectiveness of using Sphero in rehabilitation of social and communication deficits.

Salivary Oxytocin Concentration Associates with the Subjective Feeling of Body Ownership during the Rubber Hand Illusion.

Oxytocin is a hormone of the posterior pituitary that promotes lactation, maternal bonding, and birth. Recent studies have shown that oxytocin may modulate social recognition in both sexes, and thus it may be related to empathy. Brain regions that are associated with social recognition and empathy (e.g., the insular cortex) are activated in the rubber hand illusion (RHI), which involves illusory ownership of a rubber hand caused by brush strokes applied synchronously to both a rubber hand and one of the participant's hand, which is hidden from view. It is intriguing to examine whether oxytocin modulates plastic changes in body representation, such as the changes occurring in the RHI. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between salivary oxytocin concentration and the feeling of rubber hand ownership. Brush strokes were applied synchronously or asynchronously to the participant's hand and a rubber hand on different days. Salivary oxytocin was measured before and after the behavioral tasks. We found that participants who had high concentrations of salivary oxytocin tended to feel strong ownership of the rubber hand. We also found that the participants with a high autism spectrum quotient (AQ) score who particularly felt difficulties in social skills and communications tended to feel weak rubber hand ownership. We observed that illusory body ownership was closely linked to social communications and a related neuroendocrine basis. The results of the present study suggest that an individual's salivary oxytocin concentration can predict the extent to which the individual experiences the RHI; furthermore, oxytocin might modulate the sensation of body ownership.

Social skills in preschool children with unilateral and mild bilateral hearing loss

ABSTRACTHearing loss may represent a risk for developing social skills difficulties; however, little is known about the potential risk resulting from unilateral or mild bilateral hearing loss (UMHL). We compared the social skills of 14 children with UMHL and 21 children with moderate to severe hearing loss (MSHL) with those of 123 children with typical hearing (TH). All the children were 4–5 years old, and all the children with hearing loss used hearing aids. The study was carried out in Norway. Associations between social skills and age at amplification and vocabulary skills were examined. The children with UMHL had lower social skills than the TH children, whereas the children with MSHL received scores similar to those of the TH children. The children with UMHL were detected and amplified later than the children with MSHL. Early amplification was associated with better social skills but not with better vocabulary. The results suggest that despite a limited effect on vocabulary development, early intervention is likely to promote social skills development in children with UMHL.

ADHD and Temporality: A Desynchronized Way of Being in the World

ABSTRACTADHD is, I argue, an impairment in sense of time and a matter of difference in rhythm; it can be understood as a certain being in the world, or more specifically, as a disruption in the experience of time and a state of desynchronization and arrhythmia. Through excerpts of interviews with adults diagnosed with ADHD and observations, I illustrate how impairment in time is manifested in an embodied experience of being out of sync. I suggest that the experience of ADHD is characterized as 1) an inner restlessness and bodily arrhythmia; 2) an intersubjective desynchronization between the individual and its surroundings; and 3) a feeling of lagging behind socially due to difficulties in social skills. In closing, I argue that an increasingly accelerating society is augmenting the experience of being out of sync rather than eliminating it.

POTENCIAR LA CALIDAD DE LAS RELACIONES: MEDIACIÓN CON ALUMNADO ASPERGER Y TDAH

Rresumen.La existencia del Servicio de Mediación en un centro escolar permite que el alumnado disponga de la oportunidad de poder expresar los pensamientos y las emociones que más les pueden avergonzar, enfadar o presionar con respecto a las relaciones que mantienen con los compañeros y compañeras. La experiencia llevada a cabo durante los dos últimos años desde el Servicio de Mediación nos ha permitido comprobar que cada vez son más las mediaciones donde los alumnos y alumnas comparten experiencias de marginación y exclusión hacia compañeros, bien sea por la apariencia física, por la diversidad cultural, por necesidades educativas especiales, o por cuestiones de clase social y económica, pero de manera muy distinta a como lo expresan en otros contextos que no son los que fomenta el espacio de la Mediación. La primera realidad por la que es preciso iniciar esta comunicación es que, durante los dos últimos cursos y en especial en el 2011-2012 y 2012- 2013, se puede constatar que hay mayor población escolar con dificultades en habilidades sociales en los centros y colegios. De hecho surgen muchos conflictos relacionados con estos alumnos, en especial aquellos que tienen TDA-H (Desorden del desarrollo de atención e hiperactividad) y alumnos con Asperger. Para dichos alumnos el contacto con los iguales supone un gran esfuerzo y no siempre lleva consigo la recompensa de poder hacerse entender o lograr que les comprendan, lo cual siempre lleva parejo algún conflicto a nivel personal y cierta incidencia en el clima social de relaciones y en la convivencia.

Auditory-motor rhythm synchronization in children with autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social and communication skills as well as atypical sensory perception and motor skills. Sensorimotor abilities such as auditory-motor integration are essential for social interaction and communication. The goal of this research was to investigate the development of auditory-motor rhythm synchronization for the first time in ASD versus typically-developing (TD) children. MethodsParticipants were 31 boys with ASD and 23 TD boys that were matched in age and IQ. Participants were tested on an auditory-motor rhythm synchronization task in which they tapped in synchrony with rhythms of varying metrical complexity. ResultsBoth children with ASD and TD performed similarly on this task and both groups performed better with age. ConclusionsThis work demonstrates that non-verbal rhythm synchronization is intact in ASD over the course of childhood development. This research serves to better understand sensorimotor interactions in ASD and to better define sensory phenotypes in ASD.

The effects of a social and talent development intervention for high ability youth with social skill difficulties

Contemporary models highlight the need to cultivate cognitive and psychosocial factors in developing domain-specific talent. This model was the basis for the current study where high ability youth with self-reported social difficulties (n = 28, 12 with a coexisting disability) participated in a social skills and talent development intervention over the course of a two-week summer enrichment program. Compared to high ability youth not in the social skills intervention (n = 9), participants reported positive changes in friendship qualities (help), indicating a treatment effect. Among all participants, positive changes were reported in friendship companionship and security, suggesting the talent development program alone had significant impact on psychosocial factors (friendship qualities). For those in the social skills group, higher scores on performance approach goal orientations were related to lower change scores in friendship closeness, suggesting if one is driven academically to outperform peers, this may negatively affect their ability to form close ties with peers.

Propiedades psicométricas de una escala para medir dificultades en habilidades sociales relacionadas con la victimización

Objective. Determine the psychometric properties of a scale to measure social skills difficulties in handling peer aggression. Method . 502 Mexican students participated in the study of which 279 were boys ( M = 10.52, DE = 1.13 years) and 223 girls ( M = 10.81, DE = 1.25 years). The study compared the empirical adjustment of two measurement models (one-dimensional and two-dimensional) to measure social skills difficulties associated with victimization by peers and establish evidence of concurrent validity of the scale to investigate the relationship of their scores with reports of victimization. Results. It was found that the measurement model comprised of two dimensions (vulnerability and passivity) has better indicators of adjustment ( X2 = 36.60, df =19, p = 0.009; X2/df = 1.92; CFI = 0.98; AGFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.04 CI 90 [0.02 - 0.06]; SRMR = 0.04; AIC = 70.60) with respect to a dimension for both ( X2 = 290.42, df = 20, p = 0.000; X2/df = 15.27; CFI = 0.48; AGFI = 0.75; RMSEA = 0.27 CI 90 [0.20 - 0.25]; SRMR = 0,16; AIC = 337,42). The difficulties in developing social skills explain a significant part of the variance of the reports of victimization of both students (men: R2 = 0.20, f2= 0.25; women: R 2 = 0.24, f2= 0.32). Conclusion . The scale has psychometric properties that allow its use in measuring social skills difficulties to face peer aggression.

The Effect of Educational Software, Video Modelling and Group Discussion on Social-Skill Acquisition Among Students with Mild Intellectual Disabilities.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often demonstrate difficulties in social skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a comprehensive intervention program on the acquisition of social skills among students with mild IDD. Single subject multiple baseline design across situations was used for teaching five school-age children with mild IDD social skills embedded in school-based situations. Results demonstrate that the intervention program that included video modelling and games embedded with group discussions and simulations increased the level and use of adequate social behaviours within the school's natural environment. Results demonstrate the unique attribution of a comprehensive interactive program for acquisition and transfer of participants' social skills such as language pragmatics and social rules within the school environment. Group discussions and simulations were beneficial and enabled both group and personalized instruction through the unique application of the program designed for the study.

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Focus on social cognition and empathy

BackgroundSchizophrenic patients show deficits in social cognition, functioning and in interpreting facial expressions. These disabilities contribute to global impairment in social and relational skills. Data started being collected in the context of the Italian Network of Research on Psychosis headed by Prof. Maj and Prof. Galderisi (Galderisi S et al. The influence of illness-related variables, personal resources and context-related factors on real-life functioning of people with schizophrenia. World Psychiatry 2014:275–87. Mucci A et al. The Specific Level of Functioning Scale: Construct validity, internal consistency and factor structure in a large Italian sample of people with schizophrenia living in the community. Schizophr Res 2014;159(1):144-50); collection in our centre went on also after the conclusion of the national project.AimsTo identify the correlations among social inference, facial emotion identification and clinical history and therapies in schizophrenic patients.Material and methodsWe recruited patients with Schizophrenia referring to our Psychiatry Ward, AOU Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy. Socio-demographic characteristics were gathered; assessment of patients included The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), the Facial Emotion Identification Test (FEIT), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS).ResultsData collection is still ongoing. In a previous study we pointed out that schizophrenic patients showed social skills deficits and difficulties in identifying facial emotions. These features underlie poor and limited social relationships proper to schizophrenia. Our preliminary results revealed thatidentification of facial emotions is influenced by psychopathological symptoms especially by avolition, blunted affect and alogia. Implication will be discussed.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Supporting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder at Primary School: Are the Promises of Early Intervention Maintained?

Early and intensive intervention (EI) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is considered to be “best practice” to reduce the symptoms of autism and maximize the outcome for children’s functioning. Many studies have established the effectiveness of, particularly, early intensive behavioral intervention, and in some cases improvements have been impressive, with children moving off the autism spectrum. However, very few long-term follow-up studies have been conducted to determine if the progress seen as a result of EI has been maintained as children with ASD continue through school. Eight long-term follow-up studies published between 1993 and 2014 are reviewed. The researchers reported that although most children had made progress in many areas as measured by standardized assessments, children in some studies had regressed. Significant difficulties in autism symptomatology, behavior, and social skills remained at follow-up for many children across studies. It appears that ongoing, uninterrupted intervention after the conclusion of early intervention is necessary to ensure gains made in EI are maintained. However, because of numerous methodological issues in the studies, these conclusions cannot be definitive, and additional longitudinal research is called for.

Group-based Pyschoeducational Interventions for University Students with Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Social Skills

Group-based Pyschoeducational Interventions for University Students with Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Social Skills

Using Multitouch Collaboration Technology to Enhance Social Interaction of Children with High-Functioning Autism

ABSTRACTAims. Children with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD) have major difficulties in social communication skills, which may impact their performance and participation in everyday life. The goal of this study was to examine whether the StoryTable, an intervention paradigm based on a collaborative narrative, multitouch tabletop interface, enhanced social interaction for children with HFASD, and to determine whether the acquired abilities were transferred to behaviors during other tasks. Methods. Fourteen boys with HFASD, aged 7–12 years, participated in a 3-week, 11-session intervention. Social interactions during two nonintervention tasks were videotaped at three points in time, one prior to the intervention (pre), a second immediately following the intervention (post) and a third three weeks after the intervention (follow-up). The video-recorded files were coded using the Friendship Observation Scale to ascertain the frequencies of positive and negative social interactions and collaborative play. Differences in these behaviors were tested for significance using nonparametric statistical tests. Results. There were significantly higher rates of positive social interactions and collaborative play, and lower rates of negative social interactions following the intervention suggesting generalization of the social skills learned during the intervention. Improvement was maintained when tested three weeks later. Conclusion. These findings provide support for the use of collaborative technology-based interventions within educational settings to enhance social interaction of children with HFASD.