Generalization Of Social Skills Research Articles

The Effects of Multiple-Exemplar Training on Generalization of Social Skills with Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism: a Systematic Review

The Effects of Multiple-Exemplar Training on Generalization of Social Skills with Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism: a Systematic Review

Promoting Generalization of Social Skills to Inclusive Play Settings for Children With Autism and Their Peers

Children on the autism spectrum often experience difficulty generalizing social skills across environments and contexts, which can make developing friendships challenging in early childhood. This means that, in addition to initial social skills instruction, children with autism may need specialized supports to promote the generalization of newly learned skills to natural inclusive play routines such as unstructured social centers and playdates. In this paper, we describe strategies teachers can employ to promote the generalization of newly learned social skills. Specifically, we describe how social narratives, visual supports, and environmental arrangement, prompting, and praise can be used during social centers and playdates to facilitate setting generalization. When teachers systematically support generalized social skills and behaviors, children will have more opportunities to develop meaningful friendships.

Guidelines for Facilitating Direct Instruction of Generalized Social Behavior: Teaching the General Case.

Social deficits are a common feature in individuals with low incidence disabilities. Current solutions used to teach social skills are not always effective, especially when it comes to generalizing these skills to novel contexts. General case programming (GCP) is an instructional methodology founded on the science-based tenets of Direct Instruction, designed to clearly communicate the multiple contexts and response variations a learner is likely to encounter in their complex social environments. The purpose of this article is to describe how GCP can be utilized to help program for generalization of social skills.

Increasing Social Communication of Students With Intellectual Disability in Rural College Classrooms

As more students with an intellectual disability are attending postsecondary programs at colleges and universities, these students are presented with new opportunities for socialization (e.g., conversing with peers and faculty across campus environments, joining organizations of interest, and participating in campus events). The generalization of social skills to new settings and classrooms with unfamiliar people may be challenging for some individuals with an intellectual disability. We conducted a single-case study using a multiple baseline design across student and peer pairs to evaluate the effects of peer training on the social communication of students in rural college classrooms. Specifically, we collected data on students taking three or more turns during conversations, initiating or responding to their peer partners, and discussing academic or social topics (communication function) using partial interval recordings. After a brief training session with peers, all students increased the percentage of intervals taking three or more turns, with the majority of student responses focusing on academic content. We conclude the article by discussing key findings, limitations, future research directions, and implications for practice.

Qualitative Evaluation of a Social Cognitive Training Program for Parents of Children with Autism from Hong Kong

A key feature of autism spectrum disorder is a dysfunction in social participation. This study aimed to explore the parents’ perceptions and experiences of social cognitive training for their child with autism in the Hong Kong context. Using a qualitative narrative approach, twenty-three parent participants were interviewed using purposive sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using content analysis method. Three themes included: Improvements and changes in children’s social participation across different settings; Challenges in the implementation of and engagement in the social cognitive training; and Parents’ views and suggestions about the training. The findings supported that there were parent perceived improvements in their child’s social skills and social participation. The interviews also revealed generalization of social skills and behaviors across home, school and community settings. The results of this study can inform therapists to design appropriate social cognitive intervention and improve social participation for this population group.

Considerations and Perspectives on Interventions to Improve Social Cognition in Adolescents With ASD Without ID: Involving Parents in Social Skills Groups.

Improving social cognition and social skills is a challenge faced by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder without Intellectual Disability at any age. This process is particularly critical during late adolescence (15–18 years), a developmental phase generally characterized by rich social experiences that usually foster the development of friendships. Nevertheless, for youth with ASD, lingering difficulties in social cognition often hinder their ability to generate responses considered socially appropriated. These social deficits can contribute to isolation that has a detrimental effect on mental health. In adulthood, deficits of social skills are strongly associated with an overall lack of support, characterized by a failure to integrate into the labor market, a high unemployment rate, social isolation, and a higher suicide rate. In clinical settings, social skills groups are well-established therapeutic means to improve social cognition and social skills. Nevertheless, these interventions vary greatly regarding their objectives, contents and duration. Moreover, few have been validated and replicated by research. Our aim is to bring certain perspectives to a type of intervention that are widely used in care settings. After reviewing its positive aspects for increasing social cognition, and its limitations, we will discuss strategies to facilitate the generalization of social skills in an ecological context. In particular, we will base our reflection on our clinical experience and on our current project to adapt the PEERS model for adolescents into French. We will consider the current trend of involving parents as “social coaches” to generalize the social knowledge acquired in the social skills groups.

Peer-Supported Inclusive Social Skills Instruction for Elementary Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention package consisting of individualized lessons, adult-directed prompting, and peer support, in the acquisition and generalization of social skills by three elementary participants with emotional and behavioral disorders in an inclusive natural school environment. Prior to intervention, each participant exhibited deficits in social engagement compared to same-age peers. The study was conducted in two phases. In phase 1, assessment data were collected from a variety of sources to determine the social skills deficits and training targets for each student. During phase 2, the intervention package was implemented. Based on visual and statistical analysis of data, results demonstrated increased social engagement in the lunchroom (Tau-U = 1.00) and generalization of acquired social skills to an untrained inclusive environment (Tau-U = 0.80 and 0.94) for all participants. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are presented.

Peer-Mediated Social Skill Generalization for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability

ABSTRACT Many researchers and practitioners cite concerns with maintenance and generalization as a serious issue for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), although few studies explicitly target performance of behaviors outside training environments. After an initial intervention failed to produce robust generalization outcomes, the present investigation examined the combinative effects of a peer-mediated intervention with video-based group instruction on the generalization of social skills by four high school students with ASD and co-occurring intellectual disability. A multiple probe across behaviors design was used to examine the effects of the packaged intervention on generalization of social skills to three natural settings within the high school. All participants demonstrated an increase in performance of social skills across all generalization environments following peer-mediated intervention for social skills that had been acquired—but minimally generalized—in a previous video-based group instruction study. Results suggest peer mediated intervention enhanced the generalization outcomes of an already effective intervention teaching social interaction to adolescents with ASD.

Social Skills Training for Adolescents With Intellectual Disabilities

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) often demonstrate impairments in social functioning, with deficits becoming more apparent during adolescence. This study evaluated the effects of the Superheroes Social Skills program, a program that combines behavioral skills training and video modeling to teach target social skills, on accurate demonstration of three target social skills in adolescents with ID. Skills taught in the present study include Expressing Wants and Needs, Conversation, and Turn Taking. Four adolescents with ID participated in a 3-week social skills intervention, with the intervention occurring twice per week. A multiple baseline across skills design was used to determine the effect of the intervention on social skill accuracy in both a training and generalization setting. All participants demonstrated substantial improvements in skill accuracy in both settings, with teacher ratings of social functioning further suggesting generalization of social skills to nontraining settings.

Effects of Simulation Training and Self-Management Procedures on Acquisition and Generalization of Social Skills Involved in Eating Out: Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Effects of Simulation Training and Self-Management Procedures on Acquisition and Generalization of Social Skills Involved in Eating Out: Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Effects of music-based social stories on comprehension and generalization of social skills in children with autism spectrum disorders: A randomized effectiveness study

The purpose of this randomized controlled study was to examine the effects of music-based social stories on the comprehension and generalization of social skills in children with autism spectrum disorders. The principle investigator (PI) collected data during three separate one-week summer camps. Participants (N=30) were randomly assigned by cluster to one of three non-music control groups (social story read to them) or one of three experimental music therapy groups (social story sung to them). Participants’ parents completed the autism social skills profile (ASSP) at pre- and posttest and five comprehension check (CC) questions over time pertaining to their child's assigned social story. The only main effect for the ASSP that was significant was subcategory but there were numerous significant two- and three-way interactions confounding results. Main effects for time on the CC were significant, with scores being highest on the posttest. Overall, the lack of significant main effects was likely a function of minimal treatment dose. Although results of the study were confounded by numerous significant interactions, clinicians might pair social stories with music to facilitate comprehension, generalization, and on-task behaviors conducive to learning social information. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.

A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Social Skills Interventions for Youth With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study examined the effects of two social skills interventions, Sociodramatic Affective Relational Intervention (SDARI) and Skillstreaming, to compare their treatment mechanisms, social performance- and knowledge-training. A total of 13 youth with autism spectrum disorders were randomly assigned to 4 weeks of 1-day/week SDARI or Skillstreaming. Groups were matched on parent and child demographics, and intervention staff training. Participants were assessed on social behavior during treatment sessions, peer sociometrics, staff-reported social skills, and parent-reported social skill generalization. Results indicated that both groups increased in reciprocated friendship nominations and staff-reported social skills. Relative to Skillstreaming participants, SDARI participants liked and interacted more with each other after a single session. However, Skillstreaming participants increased in peer liking and interaction over the course of the intervention; SDARI participants decreased slightly. Parents reported no change in social functioning at home. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

COMPARING THE TEACHING INTERACTION PROCEDURE TO SOCIAL STORIES FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM

This study compared social stories and the teaching interaction procedure to teach social skills to 6 children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder. Researchers taught 18 social skills with social stories and 18 social skills with the teaching interaction procedure within a parallel treatment design. The teaching interaction procedure resulted in mastery of all 18 skills across the 6 participants. Social stories, in the same amount of teaching sessions, resulted in mastery of 4 of the 18 social skills across the 6 participants. Participants also displayed more generalization of social skills taught with the teaching interaction procedure to known adults and peers.

Social Communication: A Framework for Assessment and Intervention

Social Communication: A Framework for Assessment and Intervention

Use of video modeling to increase generalization of social play by children with autism.

Abstract The use of video modeling to increase generalization of social play skills in children with autism is discussed. The possible reasons that have made this procedure so favorable among researchers and practitioners are explored. Two studies are described in which video modeling increased the generalization of social play in 6 children, and critical features of procedure are emphasized. Suggestions regarding the potential mechanisms responsible for the effectiveness of this procedure are discussed relative to basic behavioral theory and research. Key Words: Video modeling, generalization, social play, autism, children. Introduction The development of social skills by children with autism is qualitatively and quantitatively different from that observed in other childhood disorders or in typically developing peers as early as the second year of life (e.g., Ruble, 2001; Wetherby, Watt, Morgan, & Shumway, 2007). It has been suggested that social impairment may be a primary deficit that results in the development of secondary deficits such as communicative disorders or self-stimulatory behaviors (e.g., Baker, 2000; Bellini, Akullian, & Hopf, 2007; Rogers, 2000). For example, in verbal children, both the frequency of language use, even in an echolalic form, as well as the development of novel vocabulary have been demonstrated to increase along with increases in social engagement (e.g., Krantz & McClannahan, 1993; Kuhl, Coffey-Corina, Padden, & Dawson, 2005; Nikopoulos & Keenan, 2007; Stahmer, 1995; Thorp, Stahmer, & Schreibman, 1995). Furthermore, inappropriate behaviors have been shown to decrease during periods of active social engagement (Lee & Odom, 1996; Nikopoulos & Keenan, 2006). When children with autism have major difficulties in engaging in social interactions they may also have fewer opportunities to initiate social play (e.g., Beyer & Gammeltof, 2000; Koegel, Koegel, Frea, & Fredeen, 2001; Pierce & Schreibman, 1994) or to learn language (Kaiser, Hester, & McDuffie, 2001). Thus, social and communication skills are often studied as an integrated unit since impairments in the entire social communication domain have been acknowledged as a significant part of the symptom-based genetic research in autistic spectrum disorders (Klin, Jones, Schultz, Volkmar, & Cohen, 2002). Indeed, several studies have demonstrated that engagement in social communicative interactions directly affects other behaviors such as stereotyped or self-injurious behaviors even when these behaviors are not significantly targeted by the teaching program (Green, Gilchrist, Burton, & Cox, 2000; Horner, Carr, Strain, Todd, & Reed, 2002; McGee, Morrier, & Daly, 1999; Rogers, 2000; Summers, Houlding, & Reitzel, 2004). Since social skills are related to the long-term adjustment of and prognosis for both typically and atypically developing children, any program for children with autism must address and promote these valuable skills (Charlop-Christy & Daneshvar, 2003; Hwang & Hughes, 2000). The following sections of this paper will introduce the role of video modeling in promoting social development; describe the reasons for an increasing interest in video modeling among practitioners and researchers; summarize two studies that have examined the ability of video modeling to promote generalization of social skills; and examine elements of video modeling within a behavior analytic framework. Use of Video Modeling to Enhance Social Skills Many studies have been conducted to promote the social skills of children with autism by focusing on increasing their social communicative engagement with others (e.g., adults; typical peers) during play situations. Procedures have included social stories (Kuoch & Mirenda, 2003; Smith, 2001), peer-mediated intervention (DiSalvo & Oswald, 2002; McGrath, Bosch, Sullivan, & Fuqua, 2003), pivotal response intervention (Koegel, Koegel, Shoshan, & McNerney, 1999), self-management package (Newman, Reineche, & Meinberg, 2000), script-fading procedure (Krantz & McClannahan, 1993; Sarokoff, Taylor, & Poulson, 2001), and tactile prompts (Shabani et al. …

Le jeu théâtral comme inducteur de changement dans les habiletés sociales

This article presents a case study on the use of acting with six people suffering from severe and long-lasting psychotic state. The study aims at elaborating the hypothesis on the use of this activity in readaptation. The effect of expression therapy on the development of social skills has rarely been substantiated by empirical studies. The literature review points out a poor generalization of social skills following social skills training ; it also allows a description of the acting and its therapeutic potential. A qualitative methodology is applied to an investigation conducted in a psychiatric day center and uses the description of behavior before and after the program. The results indicate resemblances between the therapeutically acquired social skills and the social behavior from everyday life. The use of acting in therapy would contribute at the generalization of social skills.

Using Key Instructional Elements to Systematically Promote Social Skill Generalization for Students with Challenging Behavior

School success may be minimal for students who have difficulties building social relationships and ultimately fail at developing social competence. As a result, social skills training is often provided to increase prosocial interaction. Despite evidence of the effectiveness of teaching appropriate social functioning, there is concern about generalization and maintenance of learned skills. In this article, we first describe the problems with current social skills instruction for students who exhibit challenging behaviors and lack of generalization data. We then introduce and provide examples of strategies to program systematically for generalization and maintenance to achieve social competence for students with emotional disabilities and/or challenging behavior.

Promoting social skills generalization with ADHD-diagnosed children in a sports setting

Efforts to promote social skills generalization among ADHD-diagnosed children have had limited success. Despite evidence that attentiveness and social skills can be enhanced, the general absence of gains beyond the original treatment setting or extended through time suggests a need for systematic generalization planning. In the present study, a combination of techniques described by Stokes and Baer (1977) were implemented to foster the transfer of target behaviors across settings. A multiple-baseline design across 4 participants was used to evaluate efforts to promote the generalization of social skills in a sports context. Results suggested that a combination of generalization procedures, including training sufficient exemplars, training loosely, indiscriminable contingencies, programming common stimuli, and training to generalize, was effective in producing generalization of social skills from individual training sessions to a group kickball game. No arbitrary contingencies for appropriate social behavior were in effect during the kickball game and very little evidence of generalization was observed in the absence of explicit programming efforts. Researchers should continue to refine techniques for programming generalization and more actively involving paraprofessionals in the treatment of ADHD-diagnosed children.

The Generalization of Social Skills for a Child with Behavior Disorders in the School Setting

ABSTRACT The purpose of this case study was to develop an intervention which would promote the generalization of social skills for a child with an educational classification of behavior disorders (BD). Generalization of social skills is a frequently discussed problem and an outcome that may be of particular importance in the successful inclusion of children with BD in regular education classrooms. One student, previously enrolled in a BD classroom, was identified as having few appropriate social interactions and several interfering inappropriate social behaviors. Various strategies were employed to facilitate the generalization of learned social skills. Results indicate that social skills instruction alone failed to result in generalization. The subsequent use of a group contingency resulted in generalization across behaviors and school settings.

Confusion and Failure in Facilitating Generalized Social Responding in the School Setting: Sometimes 2 + 2 = 5

Although social skills instruction is widely cited as an effective intervention for a variety of problem behaviors, research does not support the generalization of its effects across settings. Practices that have been sufficient to achieve generalization in academic instruction have been insufficient in achieving similar outcomes for social instruction. Historical confusion and failure in facilitating generalized behaviors can be attributed to the complexity of the social environment. Due to the complexity of this problem, those who provide social skills instruction must adapt best practices for instruction and generalization. This article (a) analyzes generalization failures; (b) outlines some critical differences between instruction in social and academic skill areas; and (c) suggests the depth of analysis, instruction, and facilitation that will be required to achieve generalization of social skills.