What does a social skills group look like? Describe the elements in a social skills group.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A social skills group usually involves two to six individuals with ASD who meet once per week for a period of time.Group sessions typically include a structured lesson on a specific skill – modeling of the skills, role-playing or practicing the modeled skill, engaging in discussion, and sharing feedback (Reichow et al., 2012; Ware et al., 2012).It starts with an assessment by meeting individually with parents or caregivers to gather information about the child’s history and any concerns the parents may have.Teachers will also identify the child’s ability to use various social skills, as well as any unknown interests, sensory issues, and health concerns of the child before starting the group.The information collected can help to form groups of children based on their developmental level and need.Ware et al.’s (2012) research followed a structured format.Folders were initially created for students to take home after each weekly session.The folders included the skill of the week, steps for using the skill, and ideas for parents to practice the skills with their child.At the beginning of each meeting, children were instructed to give their folders to the group leader and greet each other.Each child would then pick a prize from the box, give it to the leader, and receive a reinforcement chart.The prize was picked before the skills lesson to serve as a motivator for each child to participate in the group.The reinforcement chart contained spaces for stickers, which the leader gave to children when they used a skill or made an effort to participate.If a sticker chart was completely filled at the end of the group, the children got to take their prizes home (Ware et al., 2012).