Social Skills Assessment and Training for the Learning Disabled

Abstract

> o cc o Q. .2 This month's Topical Review is the first in a two-part series on the social skills of learning disabled children. In a field traditionally dominated by concerns about intellectual functioning, concern for the development of social skills in LD children has been sparked by data showing that skill deficiencies in this area are associated with poor long-term adjustment and success both in and out of the classroom. This two-part Review presents information about the social skills deficits ofLD children, methods for assessing social skills, and treatment programs designed to ameliorateweaknesses in social skills. The first two of these topics are covered this month, while the last topic will be addressed in the next issue.-J.K.T.

Collaborative Consultation: Empowering Public School Personnel to Provide Heterogeneous Schooling for All-or, Who Rang That Bell?

“…Explicit instructional models for developing social skills for both nonhandicapped and handicapped students have been researched (Putnam et al, 1989;Schumaker & Hazel, 1984). Direct, consistent, and planned interaction between students with and without handicapping conditions is needed to promote the social acceptance and active participation of students with handicaps in integrated settings (Williams, Iverson, Schutz, Duncan, & Holbrook, 1982).…”