Social Skills Instruction Research Articles

The role of radio broadcasting in TAFE

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Social Skill Needs of Mainstreamed Students: Peer and Teacher Perceptions

The social skill needs of LD children were assessed based on the perceptions of their nonhandicapped peers and regular class teachers. A total of 450 elementary-aged pupils completed questionnaires on a nonhandicapped and an LD-labeled child. Items related to academics, kindness, communication, friendship, and play behaviors. Only the responses to the kindness items favored the LD-labeled child. On a Likert scale, teachers rated which of 136 social skills were most important for LD children's social integration into the regular classroom. Teacher ratings placed most emphasis on task- and order-related behaviors. The discrepancy between the two groups' social skill focus is discussed. Also addressed are the implications for future social skill instruction designed to facilitate handicapped students' integration into the regular classroom.

A Task-Analytical Approach to Social Behavior

Social behavior interventions are often reactive in nature in the sense that educators respond to isolated inappropriate behaviors instead of teaching social skills. This article examines the need for instruction in social skills and discusses the role of task analysis in such instruction. The task-analytic approach to curriculum development is explained and applied to sample social skill tasks. Particular attention is given to the need for specification of the strategic components of social tasks.

Classroom-based Social Skills Instruction for Severely Handicapped Preschool Children

Social skills instruction has been a neglected aspect of educational programs for young severely handicapped children. This paper offers suggestions, drawn from a variety of research literatures, for building classroom-based social skills instructional programs. Important features of classroom programming included allotting a specific portion of the class schedule but also providing opportunities for generalization across the day. The differential effectiveness of play activities and materials for supporting social skill instruction are noted, and a post hoc analysis of a peer-mediated intervention that demonstrated treatment by activity effects is briefly described. A number of potential intructional target behaviors are identified and two forms of classroom instruction for promoting social skills are described. The advantages of using peers as instructional agents are highlighted and the importance of access to socially responsive, nonhandicapped peers for facilitating generalization of social skills for severely handicapped children is emphasized.

Social skills instruction for exceptional children

(1982). Social skills instruction for exceptional children. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 21, Exceptional Children in the Schools, pp. 129-133.

Family walk-in centre—Eaton socon: Evaluation of a project on preventive intervention based in the community

The Family Walk-In Centre opened November 1978 as a pilot project at Eaton Socon in Cambridgeshire with the aims: to encourage parents to visit the centre on “their terms,” including parents who have abused or who fear they will abuse or neglect their child who may be difficult or handicapped, or because of chronic or acute family problems; further to mobilize “Self Help” groups and offer professional support. “Help” offered to the families included informal and formal group work, family casework and education in social and physical skills. Volunteer and professional support was given at the Centre and at home. Close liaison with specialist agencies was maintained to enable families to receive appropriate help. Periodic reviews and visits were made to maintain contact. An analysis of 50 families who attended the Centre between October 1979 and May 1980 was made to assess: the attendance and reattendance rate which indicated their acceptance of help offered and their motivation to use the Centre; the types of problems presented to the Centre, the types of action taken, the progress made when reviewed after three months and the degree of involvement by the volunteers. A final analysis will comprise 100 families. A preliminary summary found: significant reduction in the registration of new cases of child abuse; self-referrals exceeded significantly other modes of referral; loneliness and parenting difficulties formed the major proportion of families seeking help; 48% of families continued to attend for 3 months or more; work done centered upon discussion of parenting problems in 30% of the cases and involvement in activities with other families in 28%; 18% were assessed as showing improved child care after 3 months. The children are being monitored and will be assessed when they enter the infant school.

Classroom management

An attempt is made to collate the research available on classroom management and to direct it away from myth towards a scientific study. Classroom management is described as the collection of measures by which teachers control the events of a lesson and provide and maintain a learning atmosphere. As many of the resultant behaviours are also the same ones that society requires of the child, he/she is learning social skills at the same time. It is also noted that the teaching of social skills is as much part of the school's role as the teaching of mathematics. The research suggests that social behaviours can be learnt in the same way as cognitive rules. Other strategies such as ‘modelling’ and ‘behaviour modification’ are also discussed. The findings are summarized and recommendations for classroom management are made.