Using a pre-post randomized controlled trial, the purpose of this study was to determine whether a social problem-solving curriculum, "Take CHARGE!," based on a cognitive-behavioral approach, could improve students' knowledge of problem-solving skills, as well as self-report of social behaviors for 92 middle school students with…

Objectives: Drumming may have therapeutic and learning benefits but there exists little causal evidence regarding the benefits for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBD) such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Methods: Six EBD pupils (EBD Drum) and six peers (Peer Drum) were given 2, 30-min rock drumming lessons per week, over 5…

Autistic traits are associated with frequent psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and everyday functional challenges. These associations may be especially prominent in women. Some women with autistic traits "camouflage" feelings of awkwardness in typical social situations by effortfully engaging in expected social behaviors. We…

Background: Many educators assume that students develop appropriate social skills as a by-product of participation in physical education and sports (Hellison 2003). However, it has been demonstrated that appropriate social behaviours improve when interventions are implemented (Balderson and Sharpe 2005). It is known that students with…

Public schools are replete with children and adolescents like Billy, Reid, and Rowdy whom teachers describe as rude, disruptive, and obnoxious, and not all of them are in special education. Asher (1990) estimated that 10% of school-age children have social skills deficits severe enough to be rejected by their peers and up to 75% of children with…

Play dates can serve several functions for young children, including children with social difficulties, such as developmental delays, behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and shyness. Play dates provide children with additional opportunities to be around peers and to practice skills associated with peer play interactions. Play dates…

Many students identified with emotional or behavioral disorders have social skill deficits, often displayed as less mature or inappropriate social behavior. Students may have difficulty engaging in appropriate play or social interactions and may at times become aggressive. The inability to interact with others has a negative impact on academic…

In the present study, we sought to extend instrument validation research for a strength-based emotional and behavior rating scale, the "Teacher Rating Scale of the Behavior and Emotional Rating Scale-Second Edition" (BERS-2; Epstein, M. H. (2004). "Behavioral and emotional rating scale" (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: PRO-ED) through…

The goal of educators is to prepare students to live independent, productive lives. This objective is accomplished by helping students acquire the requisite skills to function independently. Most youths develop an aptitude to make wise behavioral choices by observing the individuals with whom they interact. Unfortunately, students with emotional…

Implementation of a social skill training package with three elementary-school children who had behavioral and learning disorders resulted in increasing student acquisition of targeted social behaviors, which in turn led to lengthier peer interactions. Increases in nontargeted social responses were also demonstrated. (Author/JDD)

Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy (CBGT) is the most widely researched intervention program for social anxiety disorder (SAD, also known as social phobia), with a number of studies demonstrating its effectiveness. Another common treatment, social skills training (SST), has also been shown to be efficacious for SAD. The present study compared the…

This paper presents a part of a research report from a study conducted to investigate the social skills competence of students with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) by the author (Chen, 2004). The purpose of this paper is to review literature published from 1970 through 2004 that are associated with social skills training for students with…

This study investigated differences in social skills among 203 institutionalized individuals (mean age 43) with severe and profound mental retardation grouped into those exhibiting self-injurious behavior, aggression, both behaviors, or neither behavior. Results indicated that individuals displaying maladaptive behaviors exhibited a restricted…

The social/behavioral characteristics of 63 preschool children with low and high language abilities were observed for 60 min during teacher-directed structured activities and 60 min during child-directed unstructured activities in Head Start classrooms. Children with low language were observed to have significantly higher rates of disruptive…

A review of current theory and practice regarding social skills training for children with behavior problems precedes the proposal of a different approach to social skills training, which takes into account the effects of social perception biases of peers which may hinder mainstreaming attempts. (Author/CB)