Abstract
Contemporary social skills training programs for children adopt a variety of teaching and skill generalisation techniques. These include didactic instruction, modeling, behavioural rehearsal, feedback and self-evaluation, behaviour management, assigning homework tasks, visual supports, caregiver and school staff involvement, and peer buddy programs. This chapter begins with an overview of these methods, including practical illustrations and the empirical basis of each. Latest technological innovations in social skills training are subsequently reviewed, followed by an overview of several commercially available social skills training programs that adopt a hybrid of teaching approaches. The chapter concludes with directions for future research, including evaluating social skills training approaches that adopt alternative theoretical models to cognitive-behavioural therapy, examining program outcomes for nonclinical populations and children with psychiatric conditions other than ASD, and testing whether tech tools can enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, and affordability of social skills training.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Autism SA (2016). iModeling—skills for autism spectrum disorder (version 1.3.3) [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Beaumont, R. (2010). Secret Agent Society: Solving the mystery of social encounters—Facilitator kit. Brisbane, Australia: The Social Skills Training Institute.
Beaumont, R., Rotolone, C., & Sofronoff, K. (2015). The Secret Agent Society social skills program for children with a high-functioning autism spectrum disorders: A comparison of two brief versions for schools. Psychology in the Schools, 52(4), 390–402.
Beaumont, R., & Sofronoff, K. (2008). A multicomponent social skills intervention for children with Asperger syndrome: The Junior Detective Training Program. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(7), 743–753. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01920.x
Bellini, S., Peters, J. K., Benner, L., & Hope, A. (2007). A meta-analysis of school-based social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders. Remedial and Special Education, 28, 153–162.
Belllini, S., & Akullian, J. (2007). A meta-analysis of video modeling and video self modeling interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Exceptional Children, 73, 264–287.
Bourke, M. L., & Van Hasselt, V. B. (2001). Social problem solving skills for incarcerated offenders: A treatment manual. Behavior Modification, 25, 163–188.
Cartwright-Hatton, S., Tschernitz, N., & Gomersall, H. (2005). Social anxiety in children: Social skills deficit, or cognitive distortion? Behavior Research and Therapy, 43, 131–141.
Charlop-Christy, M. H. (2004, June). Using video modeling to teach perspective taking to children with autism. Presentation at the annual Vermont Summer Autism Institute, Burlington, VT.
Charlop-Christy, M. H., Le, L., & Freeman, K. A. (2000). A comparison of video modeling with in vivo modeling for teaching children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(6), 537–552.
Chi-Ming, K., Greenberg, M. T., & Kusche, C. A. (2004). Sustained effects of the PATHS curriculum on the social and psychological adjustment of children in special education. Journal or Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 12, 66–78.
Collins, T. A., Gresham, F. M., & Dart, E. H. (2016). The effects of peer-mediated check in/check out on the social skills of socially neglected students. Behavior Modification, 40(4), 611–639.
Crager, D. E., & Horvath, L. S. (2003). The application of social skills training in the treatment of a child with Asperger’s disorder. Clinical Case Studies, 2, 34–49.
Crooke, P. J., Hendrix, R. E., & Rachman, J. Y. (2016). Brief report: Measuring the effectiveness of teaching social thinking to children with Asperger syndrome (AS) and high functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(3), 581–591.
Domitrovich, C. E., Cortes, R. C., & Greenberg, M. T. (2007). Improving young children’s social and emotional competence: A randomized trial of the preschool “PATHS” curriculum. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 28, 67–91.
DuPaul, G. J., & Eckert, T. L. (1994). The effects of social skills curricula: Now you see them, now you don’t. School Psychology Quarterly, 9(2), 113–132.
Einfeld, S. L., Beaumont, R., Clark, T., Clarke, K. S., Costley, D., Gray, K. M., ... Howlin, P. (2017). School-based social skills training for young people with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability. doi:10.3109/13668250.2017.1326587
Foster, S. L., & Bussman, J. R. (2008). Evidence-based approaches to social skills training with children and adolescents. In R. G. Steele, R. D. Elkin, & M. Roberts (Eds.), Handbook of evidence-based therapies for children and adolescents: Bridging science and practice (pp. 409–427). New York, NY: Springer.
Frankel, F., & Myatt, R. (2003). Children’s friendship training. New York, NY: Brunner-Rotledge.
Frankel, F., Myatt, R., Cantwell, D. P., & Feinberg, D. T. (1997). Parent-assisted transfer of children’s social skills training: Effects on children with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(8), 1056.1064.
Frankel, F., & Whitham, C. (2011). Parent-assisted group treatment for friendship problems of children with autism spectrum disorders. Brain Research, 22, 240–245.
Garrison-Harrell, L., Kamps, D., & Kravits, T. (1997). The effects of peer networks on social-communicative behaviors for students with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 12(4), 241–256.
Gena, A., Couloura, S., & Kymissis, E. (2005). Modifying the effective behavior of preschoolers with autism using in vivo or video modeling and reinforcement contingencies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(5), 545–556.
Gray, C. (1994). Comic strip conversations. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.
Gray, C. (2015). The new social story book, revised and expanded 15 th anniversary edition: Over 150 social stories that teach everyday social skills to children and adults with autism and their peers. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.
Gresham, F. M. (1985). Utility of cognitive-behavioral procedures for social skills training with children: A review. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 13, 411–423.
Jenson, W., Bowen, J., Clark, E., Block, H., Gabriensen, T., Hood, J., … Springer, B. (2011). Superheroes social skills. Eugene, OR: Pacific Northwest.
Kamps, D., Royer, J., Dugan, E., Kravits, T., Gonzalez-Lopez, A., Garcia, J., … Kane, L. G. (2002). Peer training to facilitate social interaction for elementary students with autism and their peers. Exceptional Children, 68, 173–187.
Kasari, C., Dean, M., Kretzmann, M., Shih, W., Orlich, F., Whitney, R., … King, B. (2016). Children with autism spectrum disorder and social skills groups at school: A randomized trial comparing intervention approach and peer composition. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 57, 171–179.
Kasari, C., Rotheram-Fuller, E., Locke, J., & Gulsrud, A. (2012). Making the connection: Randomized controlled trial of social skills at school for children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53, 431–439.
Kazdin, A. E. (2001). Behavior modification in applied settings (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Kenworthy, L., Anthony, L. G., Naiman, D. Q., Cannon, L., Wills, M. C., Luong-Tran, C., & Wallace, G. L. (2014). Randomized controlled effectiveness trial of executive function intervention for children on the autism spectrum. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55, 374–383.
King, C. A., & Kirschenbaum, D. S. (1992). Hel** young children develop social skills: The social growth program. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.
Knoff, H. M. (2001). The Stop & Think Social Skills Program (preschool – grade 1, grades 2/3, grades 4/5, middle school 6–8). Longmont, CO: Sopris West.
Knoff, H. M. (2005). The Stop & Think Social Skills Program: Exploring its research base and rationale. Little Rock, AK: Project ACHIEVE Press.
Kupersmidt, J., Coie, J., & Dodge, K. (1990). The role of peer relationships in the development of disorder. In S. Asher & J. Coie (Eds.), Peer rejection in childhood (pp. 274–308). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Kusche, C. A., & Greenberg, M. T. (1994). The PATHS curriculum. Seattle: Developmental Research and Programs.
Mandelberg, J., Frankel, F., Cunningham, T., Gorospe, C., & Laugeson, E. A. (2014). Long-term outcomes of parent-assisted social skills intervention for high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorders. Autism, 18, 255–263.
Marriage, K. J., Gordon, V., & Brand, L. (1995). A social skills group for boys with Asperger’s syndrome. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 29, 58–62.
Matson, J. L., Sevin, J. A., & Box, M. L. (1995). Social skills in children. In W. O. O’Donohue & L. Krasner (Eds.), Handbook of psychological skills and training: Clinical techniques and applications (pp. 36–53). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Mikami, A. Y., & Hinshaw, S. P. (2006). Resilient adolescent adjustment among girls: Buffers of childhood peer rejection and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 34, 823–837.
Mikami, Y. A., Jia, M., & Noa, J. J. (2014). Social skills training. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23, 775–788. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2014.05.007
Mitchell, P., Parsons, S., & Leonard, A. (2007). Using virtual environments for teaching social understanding to 6 adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(3), 589–600.
Moore, D., McGrath, P., & Thorpe, J. (2000). Computer aided learning for people with autism—A framework for research and development. Innovations on Education & Training International, 37(3), 218–228.
Murray, D. (1997). Autism and information technology: Therapy with computers. In S. Powell & R. Jordan (Eds.), Autism and learning: A guide to good practice (pp. 100–117). London: David Fulton Publishers.
O’Handley, R. D., Ford, W. B., Radley, K. C., Helbig, K. A., & Wimberly, J. K. (2016). Social skills training for adolescents with intellectual disabilities: A school-based evaluation. Behavior Modification, 40, 541–567.
Parsons, S., Leonard, A., & Mitchell, P. (2006). Virtual environments for social skills training: Comments from two adolescents with autistic spectrum disorder. Computers and Education, 47(2), 186–206.
Radley, K. C., Hanglein, J., & Arak, M. (2016). School-based social skills training for preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 20(8), 938–951. pii: 1362361315617361 [epub ahead of print].
Rose, S. D., & Edleson, J. L. (1987). Working with children and adolescents in groups. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Sansosti, F. J., & Powell-Smith, K. A. (2006). Using social stories to improve the social behavior of children with Asperger syndrome. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 8(1), 43–57.
Scattone, D., Wilczynski, S. M., Edwards, R. P., & Rabian, B. (2002). Decreasing disruptive behaviors of children with autism using social stories. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(6), 535–543.
Schroeder, A. (2003). Socially speaking game. School Specialty Publishing, Super Duper Publications.
Simpson, A., Langone, J., & Ayres, K. (2004). Embedded video and computer based instruction to improve social skills for students with autism. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 29, 240–252.
Social Skill Builder Inc. (2016). Social detective (version 1.2) [mobile application software]. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com
Sofronoff, K., Silva, J., & Beaumont, R. (2015). The Secret Agent Society social-emotional skills program for children with a high-functioning autism Spectrum disorder: A parent-directed trial. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 32, 55–70. doi:10.1177/1088357615583467
Storebo, O. J., Gluud, C., Winkel, P., & Simonsen, E. (2012). Social-skills and parental training plus standard treatment versus standard treatment for children with ADHD—The randomised SOSTRA trial. PloS One, 7(6), e37280. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037280
Tan, Y. L., Mazzucchelli, T. G., & Beaumont, R. (2015). An evaluation of individually delivered Secret Agent Society social skills program for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders: A pilot study. Behaviour Change, 32(3), 159–174.
Thomson, K., Riosa, P. B., & Weiss, J. A. (2015). Brief report of preliminary outcomes of an emotion regulation intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(11), 3487–3495.
Watkins, L., O’Reilly, M., Kuhn, M., Gevarter, C., Lancioni, G. E., Sigafoos, J., & Lang, R. (2015). A review of peer-mediated social interventions for students with autism in inclusive settings. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(4), 1070–1083.
Webster-Stratton, C. (2006). The incredible years: A trouble-shooting guide for parents of children aged 3–8. Seattle, WA: Incredible Years Press.
Webster-Stratton, C., Hollinsworth, T., & Kolpacoff, M. (1989). The long-term effectiveness and clinical significance of three cost-effective training programs for families with conduct-problem children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 550–553.
Webster-Stratton, C., & Reid, M. J. (2016). The incredible years parents, teachers and children training series: A multifaceted treatment approach for young children with conduct problems. In J. Weisz & A. Kazdin (Eds.), Evidence-based psychotherapies for children and adolescents (3rd ed., pp. 194–210). New York, NY: Guilford Publications.
Winner, M. G., Crooke, P., & Knopp, K. (2008). You are a social detective: Explaining social thinking to kids. Great Barrington, MA: North River Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Beaumont, R., Hariton, J., Bennett, S., Miranda, A., Mitchell, E.S. (2017). Social Learning Instructional Models. In: Matson, J. (eds) Handbook of Social Behavior and Skills in Children . Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64592-6_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64592-6_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-64591-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-64592-6
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)