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Social Skill Development and Training for Children and Adolescents: Theoretical and Practical Guidelines by Dr. Richard Dana Children and Adolescents with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder or other special needs frequently present with difficulties in interpersonal relationship skills. These deficits range from mild to severe and may impact on self-esteem, affect, school performance and a variety of other psychosocial domains. Interpersonal relationships correlate highly with self-esteem. It is extremely difficult for any child to have a strong sense of self if his/her interpersonal world is impoverished or characterized by chronic conflicts. Given that interpersonal skills are required for many endeavors, it is critical to intervene in this area when working with special needs children and adolescents. Children with Learning Disabilities, ADD and other special needs may present a constellation of interpersonal skill deficits which may include:
Clinical intervention may be needed to help children acquire these skills. In addition, parents and teachers need training and consultation to maximize their effectiveness in helping children learn to disengage from negative behavior patterns and create more positive communication strategies. The number of hours that children spend in relationships during their developmental years is staggering. Preschool programs, daycare, elementary school, religious school, sports, extra curricular activities and summer camp, all log on a significant number of interpersonal hours. Moment after moment special needs children are interacting with their peers and these interactions in turn are shaping their self esteem and identity. As mental health practitioners, it is a humbling experience to think about the brief amount of time that we spend with our clients. Accordingly, effective social skills training must extend beyond the group treatment experience. We must examine ways that practitioners and teachers can and must facilitate growth outside of the group experience and serve as a coordinator and catalyst for change in the larger arena of a child's life. In this role, we will examine the multiple dimensions of a mental health practitioner's role and implications for skill development of clinicians. Social Competency/Toolbox Theory Social Competency is based on developing a variety of skills or "tools" and choosing to use the right tool at the right time. Social competency involves:
Skill Examples
Social skill development groups bring together 4-8- children who are within a 1_ year age range. Social skill groups can be time limited or ongoing and most often include some of all of the following components:
In addition to the group format, duo therapy or pair therapy can focus on social skill development work. Most social skill groups will incorporate a social skill inventory such as the one enclosed by "Thinking Publications." This provides a range of social skills from simple to complex to assist the group leader in targeting and developing the content for a particular group's process. In addition to the psychoeducational or cognitive-behavioral work of social skill development groups, parent training of the same skills is critical given the need for children to be assisted in practice and repetition. The literature shows that special needs children require practice, repetition and rehearsal in order to transfer newly developed skills. Social Skill Transfer and Generalization
The transfer of social skill gains developed in a group treatment modality are accomplished through collateral work and training in the child's school, family and community. True life skills are practiced outside of the therapy group; generalization and transfer of therapeutic gains is the acid test of any social skill intervention. Effective parent training goes hand in hand with child social skill development. Teachers, special educators, coaches, scout leaders, and clergy all become people who can enhance or inhibit a child's social integration. Therefore, mental health clinicians must begin to see their role as synthesizer, consultant, and psychoeducational specialist operating at the hub of a child's world, incorporating all of the points on the circumference as part of the intervention. With this perspective in mind, the effectiveness of a clinical intervention is maximized.
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