There have been many changes in social skill instruction over the past three decades. Many of them are good, some continue to challenge. The author is just as convinced today as she was at the beginning of her career that children can be taught to be more adaptive. She does not believe that educators cannot afford to fail, because this is germane to the educational mission. Perhaps not a perfect analogy, but she thinks of medical science confronted with a particularly resistant viral strain, unresponsive to existing medications. Ignoring the virus is not an option. Instead, medical research efforts are intensified and persist until they succeed in containing the virus and improving health. Similarly, despite the challenges, commitment to effective social skill interventions ought to be increased not relaxed. The author concludes by saying that few things are more important than the successful education of all of children, particularly those with special needs.