School-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) has been identified as an effective and efficient method to teach students prosocial skills. It requires both effective behavior support practices and systems that will support these changes, including data-based decision making among the school leadership team. There are many practical and systemic…

A social skills training program for deaf adolescents was developed which stresses (1) observable positive social behaviors and (2) social problem-solving thinking skills. Pilot evaluation of the eight-week program with 35 male adolescents revealed that the experimental group scored significantly higher than controls on a test of social skills and…

A cognitive, nonintrusive method of controlling head-rocking behavior in an 11-year-old blind subject involved having the boy place his hand on his cheek or chin when prompted that he was rocking his head. The subject demonstrated significant decreases in head rocking during intervention and generalization during followup. (Author/JDD)

Stating that the trainer's ultimate goal is to help trainees make beneficial behavior changes on the job, the author presents models for trainers to use in teaching communication-skill formulas. She discusses three areas necessary for the successful application of communication skills: knowledge, practice, and valuing. (MF)

This article explains how cooperative-learning behaviors can be taught systematically and directly to students with behavior disorders using a four-step procedure in conjunction with an enhanced cooperative-learning environment to encourage generalization. Application with five primary grade students is reported. (DB)

This edition of the newsletter of the National Information Center for Handicapped Children and Youth introduces methods used to change children's behavior and help them acquire the skills needed to work with others, have friendships, achieve independence, and enjoy normal social relationships. Brief articles have the following titles: "Social…

This document consists of part four of a book of readings that examine issues affecting men in the late 20th century. It was written for counselors at all educational levels, social workers, community therapists, private practitioners, clinicians, teachers, hospital workers, and Employee Assistance Program workers. Four chapters are included in…

Strategies typically used for teaching academic skills can also be used to teach disabled children to become more socially competent. They include modeling, strategic placement, correspondence training, rehearsal and practice, positive reinforcement/shaping, prompting and coaching, positive practice, and multimethod training packages. (VW)

The social ineptitude and the emotional and practical upsets of many learning disabled children require practitioners to find ways to help them improve their social skills. Training in Interpersonal Cognitive Problem-Solving skills, modified to address their unique difficulties, may improve behavior of learning disabled children. (Author/VW)

It appears that the Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR) method might have some usefulness as a classroom management technique under some conditions. More work needs to be done to explore the nature of the conditions under which IPR is most valuable. (Author)

The article examines options in social skills training for students with mild disabilities. Described are behavioral interventions and five packaged curricula. Among eight guidelines for evaluating a package are efficacy of approach, cost, and concern for generalization. Teachers are encouraged to teach social skills both directly and incidentally…

This digest summarizes the literature on principles of changing behaviors in students with behavior disorders. Principles include: (1) focus on behaviors that need to be changed; (2) identify new behaviors to be developed; (3) provide opportunities to practice new behaviors; (4) treat social skills deficits as errors in learning; (5) teach…

Two newsletters focus on alternatives for community living and approaches to teaching social skills to children and youth with disabilities. The first issue provides information on some family support services and community-based living arrangements that are currently available for children with severe and profound handicaps or chronic illnesses.…

Skill-based social deficits exist in students with learning disabilities when a student has not learned a given skill; performance-based deficits exist when the student possesses a skill but doesn't perform in appropriate circumstances. Interventions for both types of deficit and a strategy to build self-control skills are offered. (DB)

When two nonhandicapped peers of an autistic five-year old were trained to initiate social interaction, social interaction increased and then dramatically decreased in a reversal phase, and no decrease in the autistic child's disruptive behaviors was observed. When the autistic child was trained to initiate interaction, social interaction…