Social Skills
Adequate social development may be considered the foundation of personal and social adjustment in life. Mathur and Rutherford (1996). A socially skilled person is capable of managing his or her social environment by understanding and responding to social situations effectively. Social Skills can be viewed as socially acceptable patterns of behavior that enable students to gain social reinforcement and acceptance and avoid aversive social situations. Walker, Colvin, and Ramsey, (1995). This section contains information about current social skills research and effective interventions.

Research Spotlight
Peaceable Schools Project: Brigham Young University- Public School Partnership. K. Richard Young PhD.-lead investigator., Michelle Marchant, PhD.- program director

The Peaceable School Project is an innovative partnership between Brigham Young University and public schools in the Provo, Utah area. During the 2000-2001 school year efforts were focused on interventions at Timpanogos Elementary School. BYU staff and school faculty identified behavioral and citizenship education needs in the school.

The two entities worked together to plan and implement pilot interventions. Some interventions were designed to affect the school climate overall. Other efforts were aimed at improving class-wide behavioral and social functioning. Specific instruction involved specific students who had been carefully identified as being at great risk for continued behavioral and social skills deficiencies. Instructional strategies included teaching behavioral self-management skills, Golden-Arrow Praise note, citizenship skill training,and specific social skills training.

A three leveled gating procedure for identification of at risk students was used to ensure that the appropriate candidates were identified for individual skills training. Participation in this program was totally voluntary and parent permission was obtained before any individual training commenced. Teachers were able to choose to participate in class-wide interventions. The faculty at large chose to participate in this program.

The 2001-2002 school year includes three schools. The efforts at Timpanogos Elementary continued and two new schools were added. Interventions have been tailored to meet the differing needs of each school. Creative methods for using research-based interventions have been developed for use in each of the schools. A well-trained team of staff and research assistance are moving these efforts forward.

The motto for this project is Walk the Peacable Walk, and it is identified by a terrific logo. This project is definitely one to keep an eye on. It works to provide students with the behavior and social skills they need to be successful in school socially and academically. Look for more highlights on this program and others like it. For more information contact Dr. Richard Young or Dr. Michelle Marchant in the Counseling Psychology and Special Education Department at Brigham Young University.

Article Review
Is Social Skills Training Effective for Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders? Research Issues and Needs Mathur, Sarup R. & Rutherford, Robert B.,

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the factors that may influence the long-term effectiveness of social skills training. Ideas evaluated are the conceptual frameworks, social validity of target skills, nature of social skills deficits, assessment procedures, description of interventions, contextual factors, and generalization.

REVIEW: This meta-analytical article offers an objective look at current research in the area of social skills intervention. It does a great job at pointing out the strong and weak points of current research methods being used. This article is very helpful for those who are planning research in this area. It highlights those common areas of weakness with research design and implementation that often render the results less valuable than they could be.

This piece is also very informative for those who are interested in this field on a less formal basis. The information discussed could help individuals judge the quality and project outcomes of the different social skills intervention programs that are available.

Full Reference:

Mathur, S.R, Rutherford, R.B., (1996) Is social skills training effective for student with emotional or behavioral disorders? Research issues and needs. Behavioral Disorders 22(1), 21-28.