| Description |
Developing social skills in school-aged children with cognitive disabilities is critical to classroom learning, forming peer relationships, increasing emotional regulation, and independence in adolescence and adulthood. This study was a continuation of research that examined the efficiency of We Are Friends, a computerized program designed to increase social skills in children who struggle socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. Results from the initial study showed that skills were greatly improved in participants when the program was used in conjunction with ongoing classroom instruction as opposed to the control group that received no intervention. However, original results did not reflect whether targeted social skills generalized outside of contrived settings. The current study aims to expound on this to determine whether skill acquisition from a combined use of program intervention along with classroom instruction will generalize to unstructured settings, as well as if peer socialization will positively affect social skills in non- participant groups. Participants were 143 kindergarten to 4th grade students with cognitive disabilities, ranging from ages five to nine. Natural observations of participants were conducted in the lunchroom and at outdoor recess. Frequency data were gathered and then composited to find if participants improved behaviorally compared to baseline results. Results showed that the implementation of We Are Friends was effective in skill acquisition and generalizing independent implementation of skills among participants. Independent responses increased and negative responses decreased across almost all behavioral categories, even by as much as 20% improvement. Significant changes in different behaviors varied depending on the age group and behavior. These findings suggest that implementation of the We Are Friends program is more effective in helping students develop social skills than typical embedded routines or social skills curriculum by themselves. Further research should be conducted to determine whether the program will generalize these skills outside of school to home and community settings. |
