Social Skills Program Research Articles

Introducing the Power In Nepali Girls (PING) empowerment scale

ABSTRACT The multi-dimensional concept of empowerment is context specific, uniquely defined in various cultures, and challenging to measure. The aim of this study was to develop a scale for measuring empowerment among adolescent girls in Nepal. Twenty-nine items related to empowerment were drawn from formative, participatory research conducted in southern Nepal to comprise a draft empowerment scale. A case/control survey among 300 adolescent Nepali girls was then conducted to refine the scale. Factor analysis determined the most parsimonious scale and identified the underlying structure of items, resulting in the The Power In Nepali Girls (PING), a two-factor, 16-item empowerment scale. Factor 1 items address decision-making power and treatment in family and society. Factor 2 items address knowledge, education, and skills development. We used the 16-item scale to assess the impact of a social and financial skills program on empowerment among adolescent girls residing in southern Nepal. The PING scale is a culturally- and population-specific measure that can be used to quantify the impact of empowerment programs in Nepal among adolescent girls. The methods used also serve as a template for future work aiming to design context-specific measures of empowerment using community-engaged approaches.

Promote Positive Behaviors in Preschoolers by Implementing an Innovative Educational Program for the Training and Development of Social and Emotional Skills (DeCo-S.E.).

The purpose of our research is to determine emotional and behavioural modelling in an emotionally safe environment in a group of kindergarten preschoolers, following the application of an innovative curriculum project, designed and implemented for the first time, Educational Program for the training and development of social and emotional skills (DeCo-S.E.). Eighteen teachers, involved in the research, were divided into two samples: the experimental group (EG) consisting of 10 preschool teachers who were trained to take up the DeCo-S.E. program, and the control group (GC) including eight preschool teachers who applied the classic educational strategies. The DeCo-S.E. program is aimed at developing social and emotional skills (emotion identification, frustration tolerance), reducing behavior problems, and solving problems with peers as part of the training process. The study also included 142 children in their last year at kindergarten, aged X ± SD 5.87 ± 2.87 years old, divided into two groups: the EG consisting of 74 children to whom the experimental program was implemented and the GC comprising 72 children who did not take part in the training program. In the present study, we applied only the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales for Teachers (PKBS-2) questionnaire to children in the pre- and post-experimental phases. The results were processed with the statistical software SPSS 22. The analysis of the scores of the questionnaire applied to the children highlighted a significant improvement in EG on both scales. The study reveals the effectiveness of the Development of social and emotional skills programs in preschool children has proven its effectiveness by reducing undesirable/maladaptive behaviours and positively developing socio-emotional skills in preschool children.

Pilot Study Examining Caregiver–Child and Family Functioning in PEERS® for Preschoolers

Social impairments characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are evident in early childhood and often worsen. Research indicates including caregivers in social skills groups may increase generalization for child outcomes, while also benefiting caregivers by increasing their self-confidence in ability to coach their child. Further, there may be an impact on the entire family. This pilot study examined benefits to the caregiver–child relationship, caregiver self-efficacy, parenting style, and family functioning in an exploratory study of the PEERS® for Preschoolers (P4P) social skills program. The present pilot study aimed to examine the above variables with 15 children with ASD (11 boys; 66.7% white) without intellectual impairment in four groups, applying this novel intervention, informed by other PEERS® programs. Children ranged from 4 to 7 years (M = 4.87, SD = 1.25). Children and caregivers participated in groups twice weekly (i.e., 8 weeks, 16 sessions). Measures that captured specified variables were completed by caregivers as well as through an observational task. Results showed increases in parenting self-efficacy and positive caregiver–child interaction strategies, specifically in caregiver affect/animation and achievement orientation over intervention and at follow-up. Caregivers also noted improvements in overall parenting styles. Changes in family functioning were not indicated. This pilot intervention may positively impact both the child and caregiver, though more research is needed with larger samples that include a control group and apply conclusions to the larger population. Future research should address why changes to family functioning did not emerge and specific mechanisms that lead to positive caregiver-specific outcomes.

Employing intensive teaching triads to enhance the impact of a peer-mediated social skills program

ABSTRACT This research examines the use of teaching triads to the classroom-wide implementation of Stay, Play & Talk a peer-mediated social skills program for children in an inclusive Kindergarten classroom in Ontario, Canada. This research used prompting through peers to increase initiations and responses between children identified as having social communicative difficulties and children who were typically developing. Utilising a single-subject, multiple-baseline across participants design, the research investigates the impact of a prompting through peers intervention during teaching triads on the number of utterances (defined as verbal communicative behaviour that is an initiation or response to a peer or adult) for three five-year-old participants identified as having social communication deficits. After exposure to the peer-mediated intervention, results indicate that all three participants demonstrated an increase in their social communication skills with their typically-developing peers.

Program evaluation of an adapted PEERS® social skills program in young adults with autism spectrum disorder and/or mild intellectual impairment and social skills difficulties.

Social challenges are common for young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or mild intellectual impairment, yet few evidence-based interventions exist to address these challenges. PEERS®, the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills, has been shown to be effective in improving the social skills of young adults with ASD; however, it requires a significant time commitment for parents of young adults. As such, this mixed-methods study aimed to investigate the experiences of young adults, parents and PEERS® social coaches participating in an adapted PEERS® program, and to evaluate its acceptability and efficacy. Young adults with ASD and/or mild intellectual impairment participated in a 16-week PEERS® program. Parents and PEERS® social coaches attended fewer, condensed sessions, where they learnt program content to support the young adults' social skill development at home and in the community. Focus groups were conducted post intervention. Quantitative pre-post assessment using the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults, the Test of Young Adult Social Skills Knowledge, and Quality of Socialization Questionnaire-Young Adults was completed by young adults. The Social Responsiveness Scale Second Edition was completed by young adults and their parents. Qualitative results revealed that, taken together, young adults, parents and PEERS® social coaches all felt that the adapted PEERS® program was 'challenging, but worth it'. The program was acceptable with a 93%attendance rate across all sessions. Whilst young adults' perceptions of their own social functioning did not change post-intervention, their knowledge of social skills content improved significantly (p < 0.05). Parent perceptions of young adults' social responsiveness also improved (p < 0.05). Social skill knowledge, social responsiveness, and social engagement improved significantly following the completion of the adapted PEERS® program. It was deemed acceptable and worthwhile by young adults, their parents and PEERS® social coaches.

Identifying and describing subtypes of spontaneous empathic facial expression production in autistic adults

BackgroundIt is unclear whether atypical patterns of facial expression production metrics in autism reflect the dynamic and nuanced nature of facial expressions across people or a true diagnostic difference. Furthermore, the heterogeneity observed across autism symptomatology suggests a need for more adaptive and personalized social skills programs. Towards this goal, it would be useful to have a more concrete and empirical understanding of the different expressiveness profiles within the autistic population and how they differ from neurotypicals.MethodsWe used automated facial coding and an unsupervised clustering approach to limit inter-individual variability in facial expression production that may have otherwise obscured group differences in previous studies, allowing an “apples-to-apples” comparison between autistic and neurotypical adults. Specifically, we applied k-means clustering to identify subtypes of facial expressiveness in an autism group (N = 27) and a neurotypical control group (N = 57) separately. The two most stable clusters from these analyses were then further characterized and compared based on their expressiveness and emotive congruence to emotionally charged stimuli.ResultsOur main finding was that a subset of autistic adults in our sample show heightened spontaneous facial expressions irrespective of image valence. We did not find evidence for greater incongruous (i.e., inappropriate) facial expressions in autism. Finally, we found a negative trend between expressiveness and emotion recognition within the autism group.ConclusionThe results from our previous study on self-reported empathy and current expressivity findings point to a higher degree of facial expressions recruited for emotional resonance in autism that may not always be adaptive (e.g., experiencing similar emotional resonance regardless of valence). These findings also build on previous work indicating that facial expression intensity is not diminished in autism and suggest the need for intervention programs to focus on emotion recognition and social skills in the context of both negative and positive emotions.

Brief Report: Feasibility of Delivering the Secret Agent Society Group Social Skills Program via Telehealth During COVID-19: A Pilot Exploration.

During the Coronavirus Pandemic, many have worried about the adverse impact on the social functioning of children with autism spectrum disorder. Telehealth delivered group social skills programs offer one way to address this concern. This brief report describes modifications made to the telehealth delivery of the Secret Agent Society group social skills program to five children on the Autism Spectrum aged eight to nine years and their caregivers. It also presents parent-, child- and clinician- feedback on the pros and cons of the telehealth program format, and describes how the intervention helped children to transition to more in-person contact at a time when social distancing restrictions were lifted. Recommendations for telehealth delivery of future social skills group interventions are also discussed.

A Distance-Delivered Social Skills Program for Young Adults with Williams Syndrome: Evaluating Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy.

Adults with Williams syndrome (WS) display hypersocial behaviors and experience social skills deficits. To improve social outcomes, we evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an 8-week distance-delivered social skills program for adults with WS. Sessions were offered twice a week for 90 min. Twenty-four adults with WS were assigned to an intervention or waitlist control group. Outcomes were assessed through interviews and surveys with adults with WS, parents, and facilitators. The intervention was rated as acceptable and feasible by all. Parents rated adults with WS as displaying significant improvements in social skills; yet ratings by adults with WS did not change. Adults also displayed increased social skills knowledge following participation. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

A mixed methods evaluation of the acceptability of therapy using LEGO® bricks (LEGO® based therapy) in mainstream primary and secondary education.

Many autistic children and young people need extra support with social skills. Social skills programmes, such as LEGO® based therapy (LBT), are commonly used to help with these difficulties. The aim of this study was to examine the acceptability of LBT using qualitative interviews and questionnaires with facilitators and parents/guardians on behalf of autistic children and young people. Acceptability was measured in line with constructs of the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. Questionnaires were analyzed descriptively and between group comparisons were undertaken using the Mann–Whitney U Test. Telephone interviews were undertaken with a sub‐sample of facilitators. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and framework analysis was performed by two researchers supported by NVivo. The questionnaire response rate was 80% for facilitators and 77% for parents/guardians. Overall acceptability, measured on a 1–5 (minimum–maximum) scale, was high for both facilitators and parents/guardians with a median (range) of 5 (4–5) and 4 (3–5), respectively. Facilitators rated the acceptability of the programme significantly higher overall than parents (p < 0.001). Facilitators reported that participants and wider school staff viewed the programme positively. They observed improvements in communication and social skills during the sessions. Potential barriers to programme delivery, such as resources and staff schedules, were identified but facilitators reported that these challenges did not outweigh the benefits. There is increasing emphasis on the role of schools in seeking to improve social outcomes for autistic children therefore this high degree of acceptability makes this an attractive school‐based programme for schools, autistic children and their families.Lay SummarySocial skills programmes, such as LEGO® based therapy (LBT), are often used to help autistic children and young people with their social skills. The acceptability of LBT with school staff and parents/guardians on behalf of children and young people was explored using interviews and questionnaires. Our results show that LBT is viewed as a highly acceptable programme that can help autistic children and young people improve their communication and social skills.

Examining Feasibility and Outcomes of the PEERS® for Preschoolers Program.

Social impairments characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are evident in early childhood and often worsen. There is a paucity of evidence-based interventions explicitly targeting social skill development for young children with ASD and few actively integrate caregivers. The PEERS® program, an evidence-based caregiver-assisted social skills program, was extended for young children with ASD (i.e., PEERS® for Preschoolers (P4P)). This pilot study expands upon initial results by examining the feasibility of a briefer intervention period and the effectiveness in improving child social skills among 15 children with ASD. Results suggest P4P recruitment, participant retention, and implementation are feasible across clinicians and sites. Further, P4P appears to improve social skills, maintained post-intervention. Future research might examine mechanisms that lead to results.

Pelaksanaan Program Layanan Sosial Dan Keterampilan Pada Anak Penyandang Masalah Kesejateraan Sosial (PMKS) Di Panti Sosial

This research was motivated by the large number of youth with social welfare problems who managed to have the provisions and abilities through social service programs and skills services held by the Panti Sosial Binan Remaja Harapan Kota Padang Panjang, regardless of their slightly problematic social status.This study uses a qualitative approach, with data sources consisting of research subjects, namely the manager of the Harapan Adolescent Social Institution in the City of Padang Panjang, and research informants, namely students at the Panti Sosial Bina Remaja Harapan City of Padang Panjang. This study uses data collection techniques such as interviews, observations, and documentation, using data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions as data analysis techniques, as well as triangulation of sources and methods for data validity techniques.The results of this study indicate that the implementation of the Social Service and Skills Program for Children with Social Welfare Problems (PMKS) at the Panti Sosial Bina Remaja Harapan City of Padang Panjang, namely: the social service program contains entrepreneurship, social and community relations, ethics and behavior change, religious guidance, women's jurisprudence guidance, psychological guidance, art guidance, sports and others. Meanwhile, the skills service program includes sewing and embroidery skills. Overall, the implementation in the field went smoothly, and was in accordance with the expectations of the Padang Panjang City Community Development Center for Youth Hope. The results of the program are also in accordance with what has become the target of the program itself, such as students who have the courage to socialize with local residents by showing good ethics, have been able to produce clothes for everyday use, and some have started to open businesses. sew yourself and even sell the stitches

Evaluation of a Social Skills Program for Early Elementary Students: We Have Skills

This paper reports the results of a randomized controlled trial evaluating We Have Skills, a brief curriculum designed to teach early elementary students academic and social skills as well as improve teacher efficacy in classroom management. Intervention efficacy was tested with 127 teachers, randomly assigned to condition, and 2,817 of their students. On key outcomes of student academically related behavioral skills and classroom adjustment, intervention teachers reported greater gains for their students than comparison teachers (Hedges’s g ≥ 0.19). Baseline scores moderated effects, demonstrating greater differences between conditions for initially struggling students. Intervention teachers also reported greater improvements on their sense of self-efficacy for classroom management and concerns about student behavior (|g| ≥ 0.30) relative to comparison teachers. Effect sizes were similar to or greater than those reported for similar programs, and an economic analysis suggested that We Have Skills was less costly than many. The findings support cost-effective solutions that teach social–behavioral skills in early elementary grades—and suggest that such programs may be especially beneficial for students who struggle with academically related behaviors.

How can the education sector support children’s mental health? Views of Australian healthcare clinicians

ObjectivesPolicy makers in developed countries have long considered the education system an avenue for supporting mental health care for children. Whilst educators have identified many challenges to providing this support (e.g. non-core role, stigma, overcrowded curriculum), understanding clinicians’ views on the role of educators and schools and how clinicians and schools could work together to achieve good mental health outcomes are important questions. However, clinician voices in how schools and health should work together for children’s mental health care are frequently missing from the debate. We aimed to report clinicians’ views about how the education system could support student’s mental health and improve access to mental health care for children and adolescents.Methods143 clinicians (approximately 35 each of child and adolescent psychiatrists, pediatricians, child psychologists and general practitioners (GPs)) from the states of Victoria and South Australia participated in semi-structured phone interviews between March 2018 and February 2019. Inductive content analysis was applied to address the broad study aims.FindingsKey themes emerged: (1) The role of schools in supporting individual children; (2) School based programs to support children and families; and (3) Challenges of implementing these suggestions. Clinicians across all professional groups suggested the education system could play an important role in improving access to mental health services through harnessing existing staff or co-locating mental health clinicians. They also suggested schools could identify at risk children and implement coping and social skills programs.ConclusionsSchools and educators could play a key role in prevention and early intervention of children’s mental health problems. However, before recommending exactly how to do this, key evidence gaps need to be addressed.

Competência Social na Escola: Efetividade de Programa de Ensino a Distância para Professores

Abstract Social skills programs usually take place face-to-face in small groups. Aiming at greater reach and dissemination, this study had the objective of experimentally evaluating the impact of a distance learning program on teachers’ social and social educational skills and on students’ socio-emotional development (social skills and behavior problems). Scores obtained with standardized scales in a sample of 35 teachers (15 from the experimental group and 20 from the control) and 231 students (103 and 128, respectively) were statistically analyzed by comparing groups and moments. The results evidenced the program’s effectiveness on the teachers’ social and social pedagogical competence and on the students’ social emotional development, especially among those most compromised in social skills and behavior problems. The program’s potentially effective characteristics, the innovative character of the Distance Education applied to the field of social skills and teacher education are discussed, as well as its limitations and directions for future research.

Programa de Habilidades Sociais e Educativas com Professores do Ensino Fundamental

Abstract The study evaluated the effects of a Social and Educational Skills Program on the repertoire of social skills, educational social skills, and self-efficacy beliefs in teachers. Participants included 45 teachers who taught at the final grades of elementary school, in public schools in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Participants were allocated by convenience into 2 groups: intervention (n=22) and control (n=23). The program consisted of 10 meetings, with pre-test and post-test measures. The teachers responded to the following instruments: Social Skills Inventory, Educational Social Skills Inventory-teacher, Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, and Socioeconomic Questionnaire. Results indicated that the intervention promoted the repertoire of social and educational skills of teachers and increased teaching self-efficacy beliefs. It was concluded that the intervention showed some indicators of efficacy, signaling the interpersonal development of the educators. Future research should include accompanying measures and experimental design.

소년원의 코로나19 대응 현황

The covid-19 pandemic influences all the aspects of society including operations of juvenile correctional facilities in South Korea. The purpose of the current study is to examine changes in population, regular programs, and extracurricular activities of the juvenile correctional facilities. According to the results, there was no significant changes in the total number of inmates, admissions, and the ratio of early releases among the total releases since the outbreak of covid-19, indicating that reducing the population of facilities was not considered to limit the spread of covid-19. Regular programs, such as education, vocational/training, and character-based (rehabilitation, social skills) programs operated during the pandemic because the programs were managed by residential staffs. However, activities run by non-residential staffs or outside facilities, such as religious services and community activities were almost stopped since February 2020. Face-to-face visitations were limited, while phone calls significantly increased since the onset of covid-19. Discussions and implications of the results are provided.

Effects of Social Skills Program on Social Behavior, Interpersonal Relationships, and Depression in Adults with Developmental Disabilities

이 연구에서는 사회성기술 프로그램이 성인기 발달장애인의 사회행동, 대인관계, 우울에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지를 알아보았다. 이를 위해 발달장애 성인 12명과 부모님 10명을 대상으로 단일집단 사전 사후 연구방법으로 총 21주에 걸쳐 프로그램을 실시하였다. 연구 결과 사회성기술 프로그램은 발달장애 성인의 사회행동, 대인관계에는 유의한 영향을 미쳤으나 우울에는 유의한 영향을 미치지 않았다. 하위요인별 구체적인 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 사회행동에서는 언어적 행동, 비언어적 행동, 대화 내용과 같은 모든 하위요인에서 유의한 차이가 나타났다. 둘째, 대인관계에서는 신뢰감, 개방성, 이해성에는 유의한 차이를 보였으나 만족감, 의사소통, 친근감, 민감성에서는 유의한 차이가 나타나지 않았다. 셋째, 우울에서는 자신과 미래에 대한 부정적 생각, 걱정과 초조, 우울한 기분, 신체적 증상, 의욕 상실과 같은 모든 하위요인에서 사전점수에 비해 사후점수가 낮게 나타났으나 유의한 차이는 나타나지 않았다. 이와 같은 결과를 토대로 성인기 발달장애인을 위한 사회성기술 교육 방향을 논의하였다.

Development of Black to Success: A Culturally Enriched Social Skills Program for Black Adolescent Males

Within schools across the nation, disproportionality in school discipline policies and practices continues to impact many racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) students. To combat the detrimental implications of discipline disproportionality, systemic changes to policies, practices, and accountability for teachers and school staff are required. Additionally, more culturally responsive social–emotional learning programs and interventions intended for Black males are needed to teach and promote culturally relevant prosocial behaviors. The current study sought to collect evidence from leading experts regarding the cultural validity of a culturally enriched social skills program for Black male adolescents titled Black to Success (B2S). Feedback from experts was integrated into the B2S curriculum to foster effectiveness and appropriateness for Black male participants. Results suggest that experts agreed or strongly agreed that the ten social skills and instructional strategies within B2S were important and culturally relevant, and included activities that promote positive racial/ethnic identity development of Black adolescent males.Impact Statement Feedback from school psychologist with expertise in social skills, racial/ethnic identity development, and culturally responsive adaptations to interventions for Black male adolescents enabled modifications to improve the cultural relevance and effectiveness of a culturally enriched social skills program for Black male adolescents. Such interventions are needed for Black adolescent males to promote culturally appropriate prosocial behavior and help Black males navigate the systemic barriers such as discipline disproportionality found within schools. Impact Statement Feedback from school psychologist with expertise in social skills, racial/ethnic identity development, and culturally responsive adaptations to interventions for Black male adolescents enabled modifications to improve the cultural relevance and effectiveness of a culturally enriched social skills program for Black male adolescents. Such interventions are needed for Black adolescent males to promote culturally appropriate prosocial behavior and help Black males navigate the systemic barriers such as discipline disproportionality found within schools.

Effect of a social skills program on the improvement of the organizational climate of educational institutions for schools

The article set out to determine the effect of a social skills program on improving the organizational climate of the professors and administrative workers of the Germán Tejada Vela educational institution in Moyobamba. The research was quantitative, quasi-experythmental design, experimental type; the population consisted of 180 teaching and administrative workers; the sample was 90. The social health program was developed through workshops with the experimental group and a questionnaire was applied about the organizational climate as a pretest and post-test to both groups. The results were processed by the SPSS version 20.0 statistical program; analysis of the results, itis concluded that the effect of the implementation of a social skills programme on the improvement of the organizational climate of the teaching and administrative workers of that institution is positive and significant.

A thematic analysis of influences on parents’ autism intervention decisions

BackgroundFactors impacting parents’ selection of interventions for their child on the autism spectrum need to be understood in order to better support decision-making. The aim of the current study was to explore parent-reported influences on decisions. MethodA sample of 14 Australian parents (13 mothers; 1 father) of a child (4–11 years) diagnosed on the autism spectrum were interviewed about their decisions regarding the use of interventions. A thematic analysis was used to identify prominent themes. FindingsA total of three themes, comprising 11 subthemes were identified. The primary themes were: finding interventions; meeting child and family needs; and acceptability and access. ConclusionParents’ responses highlighted influences on decisions to use evidence-based practices (e.g., behavioural therapies and social skills programs), as well as those with limited empirical support (e.g., animal-assisted therapy and dietary intervention). Influences frequently reported in extant research were reported by parents in this study (e.g., recommendations, logistics of access, and children’s individual needs) as well as issues that warrant further investigation (e.g., coping with challenges and stress, importance of intervention intensity, and consideration of the whole family).