Social Skills Training Research Articles

Analyzing Self-Efficacy and Summary Feedback in Automated Social Skills Training.

Goal: Although automated social skills training has been proposed to enhance human social skills, the following two aspects have not been adequately explored: what types of feedback are effective from virtual agents and the extent to which such systems enhance users' social self-efficacy. Methods: We developed an automated social skills trainer+ that follows human-based social skills training processes and implemented two types of feedback: 1) a summary of the displayed feedback and 2) feedback based on the results of their previous training. Using our developed system, we measured social self-efficacy, feedback evaluations, and the third-party ratings of participants between pre- and post-training as well as their social responsiveness scales. Results: Self-efficacy is significantly correlated to the social responsiveness scale (r = −0.72) and can be improved with our system (mean improvement of 0.68, p < 0.05). The participants highly rated the feedback that was compared to their past training (14 out of 16, p < 0.05) more than the cases without it and the displayed summary feedback (11 out of 16, p = 0.21) more than the verbal comments. Conclusions: Our system effectively summarized user feedback in terms of user self-efficacy and third-party ratings.

Teaching Social Skills—Autism Toolkit

Having a hard time socializing is one of the key features in children witdh autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD can have difficulty with many social skills, includingSome researchers think that teaching social skills is one of the most important things we can do for children with ASD. There are many ways to teach social skills to children with ASD. People who work with children and adolescents with ASD do not believe that simply having them be around typically developing children and teens is enough, because they may not be able to copy, or model, their peers. Using social skill groups, in which children can be coached by a trusted caregiver, in school or in a community setting, can be helpful. Using games, stories, pictures, and drawings, as well as teaching some social rules that many of us take for granted, are some ways to teach social skills. These skills should be practiced in the classroom and at home for the student to learn to use them.Skills like how to start a conversation, how to give a compliment, and how to take turns in a conversation are often taught in social skills training. Teaching nonverbal skills, such as making eye contact, making facial expressions, and using the right gestures, is also very important. You can use a social story, which is a story with pictures and words that shows and tells what will happen and what is expected. It can help your child participate in activities.Children with ASD can learn social skills in many places. In school, social skill goals can be set as part of a child’s Individualized Education Program or Section 504 plan. These goals may be worked on in speech therapy, with a school psychologist or behavioral consultant, in the classroom, or in other places. Some children participate in social skill groups at school or through therapy programs outside of school. Everyday activities also give opportunities to teach social skills. These activities might be going to the store, ordering a meal at a restaurant, playing on a sports team, or going to family social events.Families can give many chances to learn and practice social skills in everyday life. Playing a game teaches the very important and sometimes hard skill of taking turns. Eating dinner together can teach a child about making conversation, taking turns while talking, and listening to others. Talking about a TV show or movie can lead to talking about how and why characters behaved like they did. There are many books and resources to help you work on social skill building with your child.There are 4 important, basic steps for teaching social skills.Sometimes it is easy to get frustrated with your child because she doesn’t seem to “get it” in social situations. Remember that learning social skills is harder for children with ASD. However, repeated social skills practice can greatly help your child improve her social interactions.The information contained in this resource should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances. Original resource included as part of Caring for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Practical Resource Toolkit for Clinicians, 3rd Edition.Inclusion in this resource does not imply an endorsement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP is not responsible for the content of the resources mentioned in this resource. Website addresses are as current as possible but may change at any time.The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not review or endorse any modifications made to this resource and in no event shall the AAP be liable for any such changes.

An Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intervention/Treatment for Children: Two Case Studies

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder, which has greater implications on vulnerable children than adults and it is therefore crucial to identify signs and symptoms at the earliest opportunity to accommodate for the affected child. Targeted treatment methods, such as social skills training, 1-to-1 tuition, speech therapy and Social Stories and Comic Strip Conversation can then be applied early on, which can then lead to substantial improvements at adulthood. Case studies of two male children, aged 4 and 9 were looked into, to identify their special needs. A potential link between genetic factors and ASD was observed, as the children were related to each other (cousins) and showed similar autistic traits. By applying the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), observing and communicating with the children and family members, there were clear indications for ASD. The importance of a multidisciplinary system has been suggested to support the easier and quicker identification of ASD.

Design of a Robotic Coach for Motor, Social and Cognitive Skills Training Toward Applications With ASD Children.

Socially assistive robots may help the treatment of autism spectrum disorder(ASD), through games using dyadic interactions to train social skills. Existing systems are mainly based on simplified protocols which qualitatively evaluate subject performance. We propose a robotic coaching platform for training social, motor and cognitive capabilities, with two main contributions: (i) using triadic interactions(adult, robot and child), with robotic mirroring, and (ii) providing quantitative performance indicators. The key system features were accurately designed, including type of protocols, feedback systems and evaluation metrics, contemplating the requirements for applications with ASD children. We implemented two protocols, Robot-Master and Adult-Master, where children performed different gestures guided by the robot or the adult respectively, eventually receiving feedback about movement execution. In both, the robot mirrors the subject during the movement. To assess system functionalities, with a homogeneous group of subjects, tests were carried out with 28 healthy subjects; one preliminary acquisition was done with an ASD child. Data analysis was customized to design protocol-specific parameters for movement characterization. Our tests show that robotic mirroring execution depends on the complexity and standardization of movements, as well as on the robot technical features. The feedback system evaluated movement phases and successfully estimated the completion of the exercises. Future work includes improving platform flexibility and adaptability, and clinical trials with ASD children to test the impact of the robotic coach on reducing symptoms. We trust that the proposed quantitative performance indicators extend the current state-of-the-art towards clinical usage of robotic-based coaching systems.

Investigating online psychological treatment for adolescents with a visible difference in the Dutch YP Face IT study: protocol of a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionThis paper outlines the study protocol for the Dutch Young People (YP) Face IT Study. Adolescents with a visible difference (ie, disfigurement) often experience challenging social situations such as being...

Intervention Approaches Used for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder—Autism Toolkit

Intervention Approaches Used for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder—Autism Toolkit

Effectiveness of the Parent-Child Social Skills Training Program for Children with Developmental Disorders: A quasi-experimental design

Effectiveness of the Parent-Child Social Skills Training Program for Children with Developmental Disorders: A quasi-experimental design

Group social skills training in resource rooms

Group social skills training in resource rooms

Effects of social skills training on school climate

Effects of social skills training on school climate

What are the effects of social skills training on children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.

What are the effects of social skills training on children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.

PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: DIRECTIONS AND PROSPECTS

Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disabilities that occur in early childhood and are characterized with a persistent deficit of social interaction. Treatment of this disease is often multimodal and may include early intensive behavioral therapy (applied behavioral analysis), speech therapy, occupational and physiotherapy, social skills training, special education and training. Modern options for drug treatment of the autism spectrum remain limited. There is no evidence that any of the known drugs have a significant effect on social exclusion, which is one of the characteristic symptoms of this disorder. However, there are potential effects on its other disorders; in particular, risperidone and aripiprazole have the highest level of evidence for the irritability treatment. Memantine, riluzole, amantadine, and buspirone reduced irritability in children with autism spectrum disorders when administered in combination with risperidone. One of the common manifestations of the autism spectrum in children is a symptom of attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder. Methylphenidate has been reported to be effective in treating hyperactivity, but its efficacy in children with autism spectrum disorders is usually lower than in those developing physiologically. The efficacy of prolonged−release guanfacine and clonidine has been demonstrated. Stereotyped and repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorders are difficult to treat. Antidepressants have been shown to be ineffective in children with these disorders. Moreover, children with autism spectrum disorders develop more severe side effects when taking these drugs. Cannabidiol is likely to be a promising substance for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, but there are still insufficient convincing clinical data on the efficacy and safety of cannabinoid therapy. Key words: autism spectrum disorders, comorbid conditions, treatment.

Cost-utility and cost-effectiveness of individual placement support and cognitive remediation in people with severe mental illness: Results from a randomized clinical trial.

Administrators and policymakers are increasingly interested in individual placement and support (IPS) as a way of helping people with severe mental illness (SMI) obtain employment or education. It is thus important to investigate the cost-effectiveness to secure that resources are being used properly. In a randomized clinical trial, 720 people diagnosed with SMI were allocated into three groups; (a) IPS, (b) IPS supplemented with cognitive remediation a social skills training (IPSE), and (c) Service as usual (SAU). Health care costs, municipal social care costs, and labor market service costs were extracted from nationwide registers and combined with data on use of IPS services. Cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analyses were conducted with two primary outcomes: quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and hours in employment. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were computed for both QALY, using participant's responses to the EQ-5D questionnaire, and for hours in employment. Both IPS and IPSE were less costly, and more effective than SAU. Overall, there was a statistically significant cost difference of €9,543 when comparing IPS with SAU and €7,288 when comparing IPSE with SAU. ICER's did generally not render statistically significant results. However, there was a tendency toward the IPS and IPSE interventions being dominant, that is, cheaper with greater effect in health-related quality of life and hours in employment or education compared to usual care. Individual placement support with and without a supplement of cognitive remediation tends to be cost saving and more effective compared to SAU.

Short-term Social Skills Training in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Clinical Trial in an Outpatient Setting

Background: Loss of social skills in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders affects their quality of life. Social skill training is an effective intervention to improve the patient’s function and quality of life. Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of short-term social skills training on symptoms, quality of life, and global functioning in these patients in an outpatient setting in Iran. Methods: Twenty-nine patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, none in the acute phase and on antipsychotics, were recruited by convenience sampling. We used the global assessment of functioning scale, positive and negative syndrome scale, and the world health organization quality of life assessment (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument. The patients participated in 12 group sessions of social skill training. Immediately at the end of the intervention and 3 months later, reassessments were done. Results: The mean score of positive and negative symptoms and psychological domain of quality of life improved at the end of the intervention and three months later. Repeated measures ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference in three times of assessments. The mean score of GAF improved in all three assessments. Pairwise comparison between baseline and the end of the intervention, and also between the baseline and after three months of follow-up suggested a statistically significant difference. Conclusions: Social skills training may reduce symptoms and promote global functioning in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, which was achieved after three months of follow-up. This intervention should be incorporated in a comprehensive rehabilitation program in aftercare services.

Main methods of psychotherapy for negative schizophrenia symptoms

The review covers publications on the main methods of psychotherapy that can reduce negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Negative symptoms are difficult to treat, and generally persist despite standard antipsychotic treatment. Combined methods including medical and non-medical treatments can be more effective and fully meet the therapeutic needs of a patient. We examined the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy, social skills training, and family interventions on negative symptoms. The negative symptoms of schizophrenia underlie poor functioning, impaired professional performance and patient disability, thereby being a key factor in the enormous financial cost to the healthcare. Effective treatment of negative symptoms will lead to clinical and functional recovery in patients with schizophrenic spectrum disorders.

Effectiveness of Social Skills Training in Person with Schizophrenia: A Case Study

Background: Schizophrenia imposes problems in day to day living, community functioning, interpersonal relationships, problem-solving strategies or new skills acquisition. Psychosocial intervention like social skills training helps in the improvement of social skills of the person with schizophrenia. The applicability of social skills training for the patient with poor social skills has been well evidenced in social work practice. Aim: The present case study aimed to improve the social skills of the person with schizophrenia by using social skills training. Methodology: This case study was a single subject case study done in the inpatient department of LGBRIMH, Tezpur. A case diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria was selected. Psychiatric social work assessment was done using clinical and social history proforma, Work Behaviour Inventory, Social Adaptive Functioning Evaluation (SAFE), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Social Skills Checklist was administered before and after the intervention. Based on the assessment social skill training was provided to improve the social skills of the client. Results: There were changes observed in pre and post scores of social functioning, social skills, positive and negative symptoms. Significant changes were noticed in social skills and work functioning. Conclusion: Social skills training is effective and can be provided for improving social skills, for enhancing work behaviour and social functioning.

“Group therapy for schizophrenia: A meta-analysis”: Correction to Burlingame et al. (2020).

Reports an error in "Group therapy for schizophrenia: A meta-analysis" by Gary M. Burlingame, Hal Svien, Lars Hoppe, Isaac Hunt and Jenny Rosendahl (Psychotherapy, 2020[Jun], Vol 57[2], 219-236). In the article, the Orfanos et al. (2015) meta-analysis was missing from Burlingame et al. (2020) and should have appeared as Footnote 1 at the end of the abstract. Consistent with Orfanos et al. (2015), the Burlingame et al. (2020) findings support the notion that group treatments can improve negative symptoms of schizophrenia, across active and passive controls. Unlike Orfanos et al.'s (2015) study, Burlingame et al. (2020) also found a significant effect size for positive symptoms. Reference Orfanos, S., Banks, C., & Priebe, S. (2015). Are group psychotherapeutic treatments effective for patients with schizophrenia? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 84, 241-249. https://doi.org/10.1159/ 000377705. Footnote 2 was missing from the end of the first sentence in the Method section. This meta-analysis is not registered with PROSPERO, and the PROSPERO protocol (CRD42013004419) does not include the disorder of schizophrenia... (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2020-37337-001.) The effectiveness of group treatments for people with schizophrenia has not been examined on symptom-specific (positive and negative symptoms) outcomes, and the differential effects of the most popular group treatments remain unknown. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that tested (a) the effectiveness of 7 frequently used group treatments on positive and negative symptoms and (b) if treatment-specific outcome improvement was associated with improvement on schizophrenia symptoms. Major databases were searched from 1990 to 2018 for randomized controlled trials of group treatment for people with schizophrenia, including first-episode psychosis. A random effects meta-analysis and meta-regression was conducted on 52 studies representing 4,156 individuals that produced a significant, small effect on symptom-specific outcomes (g = 0.30), with 4 group treatments (cognitive remediation, multifamily, psychoeducational, and social skills training) posting significant improvement. In addition, change on treatment-specific outcomes explained 16% of schizophrenia symptom and 44% of general functioning improvement. Results are discussed with respect to how they replicate past meta-analytic findings and possible revision of practice guidelines to incorporate evidence-based group treatments for schizophrenia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Pedagogical approaches to develop social skills of learners with autism spectrum disorder: Perceptions of three foundation phase teachers

There are limited studies into the exact pervasiveness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in sub-Saharan Africa, and fewer still into early intervention for learners with autism. This paper focuses on how three foundation phase teachers provided explicitly structured classroom experiences to develop social skills training, particularly independence, behavioural etiquette and self-esteem of their learners. Some learners with ASD do become well- adjusted independent adults, but others experience challenges in interpreting emotions or forming and sustaining healthy interpersonal relations. This study was underpinned by Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural theory which highlights the importance of social learning in the education of children with disabilities. A qualitative research design and an interpretivist paradigm were used for generating the data needed to track the development. Three purposively selected foundation phase (FP) teachers in three different types of schools were selected as the sample. Three vignettes provide the background to the discussions. Knowing that ASD is characterised by order and disorder, some pedagogical approaches may generate new divisions, while those presented here have noticeably benefited the learners with ASD; the teachers created learning opportunities to elevate the social skills of their high functioning learners with ASD.

Reducing negative symptoms in schizophrenia: Feasibility and acceptability of a combined cognitive-behavioral social skills training and compensatory cognitive training intervention

The current study examined the feasibility and acceptability of an integrated Cognitive-Behavioral Social Skills Training and Compensatory Cognitive Training (CBSST-CCT) intervention compared with Goal-Focused Supportive Contact (SC) in a pilot randomized controlled trial for people with schizophrenia with high negative symptom severity. The sample included 55 participants from five community settings; masters-level study clinicians delivered interventions on-site. Participants completed assessments of cognitive, functional, and psychiatric symptoms at baseline, mid-treatment, post-treatment (12.5 weeks), and 6-month follow-up. Enrollment goals were not initially met, necessitating the addition of a fifth site; however, all groups and assessments were completed on-site. Study procedures were acceptable, as evidenced by 100% enrollment and completion of baseline assessments following informed consent; however, over 1/3rd of participants dropped out. No modifications were necessary to the intervention procedures and CBSST-CCT fidelity ratings were acceptable. The intervention was deemed acceptable among participants who attended ≥1 session, as evidenced by similar attendance rates in CBSST-CCT compared to SC. Among CBSST-CCT participants, lower positive symptoms were significantly associated with better attendance. Overall, we found mixed evidence for the feasibility and acceptability of the CBSST-CCT protocol in people with schizophrenia with high negative symptoms. Challenges are highlighted and recommendations for future investigations are provided.

Pathways to Enable Primary Healthcare Nurses in Providing Comprehensive Primary Healthcare to Rural, Tribal Communities in Rajasthan, India.

Background: Emerging health needs and uneven distribution of human resources of health have led to poor access to quality healthcare in rural areas. Rural pathways provide an approach to plan and evaluate strategies for ensuring availability, retention, motivation, and performance of human resources for health in rural areas. While effectiveness of primary healthcare (PHC) nurses to deliver primary health care is established, there is not enough evidence on ways to ensure their availability, retention, motivation, and performance. The paper draws on the program experience and evidence from a primary healthcare network (AMRIT Clinics), in which nurses play a central role in delivering primary healthcare in rural tribal areas of Rajasthan, India, to bridge this gap.Methods: Rural, tribal areas of Rajasthan have limited access to functional healthcare facilities, despite having a high burden of diseases. We used the rural pathway approach to describe factors that contributed to the performance of the nurses in AMRIT Clinics. We analyzed information from the human resource information system and health management information system; and supplemented it with semi-structured interviews with nurses, conducted by an independent organization.Results: Most nurses were sourced from rural and tribal communities that the clinics serve; nurses from these communities were likely to have a higher retention than those from urban areas. Sourcing from rural and tribal communities, on-going training in clinical and social skills, a non-hierarchical work environment, and individualized mentoring appear to be responsible for high motivation of the primary healthcare nurses in AMRIT Clinics. Task redistribution with due credentialing, intensive and on-going training, and access to tele-consultation helped in sustaining high performance. However, family expectations to perform gendered roles and pull of government jobs affect their retention.Conclusion: Rural and remote areas with healthcare needs and scarcity of health provisions need to optimize the health workforce by adopting a multi-pronged pathway in its design and implementation. At the same time, there is a need to focus on structural factors that affect retention of workforce within the pathway. Our experience highlights a pathway of up-skilling PHC nurses in providing comprehensive primary healthcare in rural and remote communities in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).

Rehabilitation of Children with Intellectual Disability: Challenges in Social Skills Training in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Intellectual disability among children is on the rise with no proper social skills training facilities around the province – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Special education institutions have been established to rehabilitate differently abled children; however, their focus is more on children's literacy with a physical disability. Resultantly, children with intellectual disabilities constitute a 'minority group' within the province's differently abled population. Consequently, children with intellectual disabilities remain excluded. The qualitative study aims to examine the quality of the state-sponsored special education institutions, emphasizing on social/life skill training services for children with intellectual disabilities. Based on a total of 25 individual interviews and observations from five selected districts, it is argued that despite the growing number of children with intellectual disabilities, the services are limited to physiotherapy services only. Speech therapies and social skills training are almost non-existent in the public sector special education institutes. Lack of a clear government policy and sufficient funding results in scarce resources, including trained staff, coupled with poor social welfare and special education services, which intensifies the problem. Engaging empowerment theory of Julian Rappaport (1977), the study recommends providing all essential services to children with ID for enabling and living an empowered life.