Social Skills of Pupils with Mild Intellectual Disability: Do Peer Tutoring, Storytelling and Gender Play a Role?

Abstract

Background: This research examined the significant main effect of peer tutoring, storytelling, and gender, on the social skills of pupils with mild intellectual disability. Using the Social Development Theory of Lev Vygotsky as the rationale for this study, the acquisition of social skills is viewed as based on a social constructivist view of learning. Methodology: The study sample consisted of thirty-four pupils with intellectual disability, purposively selected from three schools in Ibadan Metropolis, and randomly assigned to one of the peer tutoring, storytelling, or control groups. Thirty sessions were held over ten weeks with the peer tutoring and storytelling experimental groups only. A social skills performance scale was administered before and after the intervention to collect data from these three groups. An analysis of covariance was used to examine the data collected. Results: Findings based on the analysed data revealed that there was a significant statistical difference between pre-test and post-test results of the three groups. The effect of gender on social skills of participants was significant, as was the interaction effect of treatment and gender. Conclusion: Recommendations based on the finding of this study are that peer tutoring and storytelling be adopted for teaching social skills to pupils with mild intellectual disability, and that pictorial illustration be used to enhance their reading skills.

Strategies for enhancing social skills of individuals with intellectual disability: A systematic review

“…The interventions were classroom-based interventions ( 54 ), emotional intelligence training ( 55 ), and combined use of video modelling and social stories ( 56 ). Other interventions used were peer tutoring and storytelling ( 57 ), the use of a peer network intervention ( 58 ), and computer games of emotion regulation ( 59 ). The studies of Khodabakhshi-Kooalee et al ( 60 ) and Park et al ( 61 ) investigated puppet play therapy and video modelling, respectively.…”

“…Two studies in the review used two interventions to foster social skills among individuals with intellectual disability. The study combined video modelling and social stories ( 56 ) and peer tutoring and storytelling ( 57 ) to enhance social skills.…”

“…Adeniyi and Omigbodun ( 54 ) and Khodabakhshi-Kooalee et al ( 60 ) had 30 participants in each study, which was 13.2% of the total participants. The study of Jacob et al ( 57 ) had 34 participants, which made up 7.5% of the participants.…”

“…Two studies did not specify the number of weeks or months the interventions lasted ( 56 , 59 ). Adeniyi and Omigbodun ( 54 ) provided an 8-week intervention, while Jacob et al ( 57 ) provided 30 sessions over a period of 10 weeks. Furthermore, Plavnick et al ( 62 ) provided interventions four to five times weekly with each session lasting 40 min.…”

“…Some studies evaluated the impact of the intervention on adaptive functioning and clinical severity, that is, the core deficits of ASD ( 63 ). Several studies assessed social skills ( 57 , 59 ), communication ( 55 ), bridging the gap in social skills deficits ( 54 ), emotional recognition and regulation ( 59 ), and adaptive behaviour and social skills ( 60 ). Three studies had another perspective, such as agencies offering supported employment, and two studies sought to gather the view of parents of persons with intellectual disability.…”