Children's Social Skills: Assessment and Classification Practices

Elliott, Stephen N.; Gresham, Frank M.

doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.1987.tb00808.x

Cited by 76 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Deficient social skills can impede the ability to establish and maintain satisfying peer relationships and a lack of friends or close relationships is in turn associated with low self-esteem (Rubin et al 2004), and may be a contributing factor to depressed mood (Barnhill 2001). Additionally, children who are deficient in social skills and who are poorly accepted by peers have a high incidence of school maladjustment and school dropout, juvenile delinquency, child psychopathology, and adult mental health difficulties (Elliott and Gresham 1987). Two groups for whom social skill deficits appear to be particularly pronounced include children with SP (Beidel et al 1999) and children with Asperger's Disorder (AD) (Rao et al 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

Social Skills Deficits and Vocal Characteristics of Children with Social Phobia or Asperger’s Disorder: A Comparative Study

Scharfstein

Beidel

Sims

et al. 2011

J Abnorm Child Psychol

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Social skills deficits are commonly reported among children with social phobia (SP) and children with Asperger's Disorder (AD); however, a lack of direct comparison makes it unclear whether these groups, both of which endorse the presence of social anxiety, have similar or unique skills deficits. In this investigation, the social behaviors of children with SP (n=30) or AD (n=30) were compared to a typically developing (TD) peer group (n=30) during structured role play interactions. Data were analyzed using blinded observers' ratings of overt behaviors and digital vocal analysis of verbal communication. Compared to children with AD and TD children, children with SP exhibited less overall social skill, an ineffective ability to manage the conversational topic (pragmatic social behavior), and deficient speech production (speech and prosodic social behavior). There were no differences in observer ratings between children with AD and TD children. However, using digital analysis of vocal characteristics (i.e., intensity, pitch), distinct vocal patterns emerged. Specifically, children with AD spoke more softly than TD children, and had lower vocal pitch and less vocal pitch variability than children with SP. This pattern may be subjectively heard as monotonic speech. Consistent with a vocal pattern associated with heightened anxiety, children with SP spoke more softly and had less voice volume variation than TD children, and had higher vocal pitch and more vocal pitch variability (jitteriness) than children with AD. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

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mentioning

confidence: 95%

Social Skills Deficits and Vocal Characteristics of Children with Social Phobia or Asperger’s Disorder: A Comparative Study

Scharfstein

Beidel

Sims

et al. 2011

J Abnorm Child Psychol

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“…Social skills can be defined as specific behaviors that result in positive social interactions (Elliott & Gresham, 1987;Gresham, 1986) and encompass both verbal and non-verbal behaviors necessary for effective interpersonal communication. Examples of social skills include: smiling and making eye contact, asking and responding to questions, and giving and acknowledging compliments during a social exchange (Beidel, Turner, & Morris, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Skills Interventions for Children with Asperger’s Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism: A Review and Recommendations

Rao

Beidel

Murray

2007

J Autism Dev Disord

514

362

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This paper reviews the literature examining social skills training (SST) programs for youth with AS/HFA, with an emphasis on critically evaluating efficacy and highlighting areas of future research. The review highlights the disparity between SST programs described in the extant literature, including lack of a universal definition of social skills, various levels of intensity and duration of treatment, divergent theoretical backgrounds, and variety in services provided in clinic or classroom settings. Overall, it is clear that, despite their widespread clinical use, empirical support for SST programs for children with AS/HFA is minimal at this time. Based on this critical review, a "roadmap" for future research, consistent with recommendations put forth by a leading group of autism researchers, is presented.

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“…This reflects the combined nature of social interaction and communication difficulties in ASD. Social skills can be thought of as the behaviours involved in initiating and maintaining interpersonal relationships (Elliot and Gresham 1987) and are linked to peer-acceptance, psychological wellbeing and academic achievement (Hartup 1989). There is variation in the degree to which individuals with ASD are motivated to interact with peers, with some individuals desiring social interaction, but lacking the skills to negotiate social situations, while others show minimal interest in social interactions (Reichow et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effectiveness of Social Skills Training Groups for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Hotton

Coles

2015

Rev J Autism Dev Disord

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A u t i s m s p e c t r u m d i s o r d e r ( A S D ) i s characterised by social difficulties that can have a negative impact on an individual's psychological and social wellbeing. To date, reviews of social skills training groups have mainly focussed on children, rather than adolescents and adults. This review aimed to critically evaluate studies published in the past 20 years that had used group-based social skills training to improve the social skills of adults and/or adolescents with ASD. Thirteen studies were identified, and group-based social skills training was generally effective at improving social skills, with some studies observing transfer effects to improvements in wider psychological wellbeing. Future research should focus on comparing different social skills training protocols in real-world clinical settings.

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Children's Social Skills: Assessment and Classification Practices

Cited by 76 publications

References 27 publications

Social Skills Deficits and Vocal Characteristics of Children with Social Phobia or Asperger’s Disorder: A Comparative Study

Social Skills Deficits and Vocal Characteristics of Children with Social Phobia or Asperger’s Disorder: A Comparative Study

Social Skills Interventions for Children with Asperger’s Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism: A Review and Recommendations

The Effectiveness of Social Skills Training Groups for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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