Social Skills Training KNR 253

Social Skills CURRENT Leisure Education Component content –Communication skills –Relationship-building skills –Self-presentation skills PREVIOUS Leisure Education Component content –Dual –Small Group –Large Group

Leisure & Social Skills Activity is reason for getting together, but social interaction has the real meaning Activity has meaning, but interactions is essential for successful involvement Activity requires little social interaction, but enjoyment increased by interaction Activity is entirely social

Social Skills Defined Social skills are socially acceptable behaviors that enable a person to engage in effective interactions with others AND Avoid socially unacceptable responses from others Austin, 2009, p. 115

Social Competence Defined Possessing a variety of knowledge & behaviors that can be utilized & displayed when & where necessary, to engage in meaningful & reciprocal social exchanges, & that result in person being deemed social competent (or at least not socially incompetent. Odom & McConnell, 1985 quoted in Stumbo & Wardlaw, 2011

Social Competence Having a collection of social skills alone is not sufficient to define social competence Must also include the person’s ability to use them at the right time in the right way and with the right people

Social Skills Grid Social SkillFamilyFriendsSomeone at work Community person you don’t know Greet a person Offer to help Take turns Conversation topic

Social Skills vs. Social Competence Social skills are behaviors that are taught, learned & performed Social competence represents judgments or evaluations of these behaviors by others in various settings.

Social Skills Training Much of life’s satisfaction is associated with our relationships Many of our clients have problems with social skills –Examples?

Social Skills Training 5 characteristics of social skills (Austin’s reading) 1.Goal directed or performed in order to achieve a purpose 2.Each behavior relates to a goal and should be interrelated and synchronized with other behaviors 3.May be broken down into parts 4.Are learned behaviors that are reinforced in ways that motivate the individual to choose the most appropriate response 5.Are under the control of the individual

Social Skills Training Steps identified by Sneegas (1989) 1.Assessment of the problem area 2.Task analysis of the behavioral components necessary to achieve the social skill 3.Provide clients an introduction to the social skill and a rationale for the learning of the social skill

Social Skills Training 4.Demonstration and modeling of specific social behaviors 5.Practice and rehearsal of the new behavior 6.Provision of feedback and reinforcement of the behavior, and 7.Generalization to a variety of situations

Examples of Social Skills Attending & listening Conversation Supporting others Problem-solving Self-control Personal space Talking with strangers Stereotypic or unusual behaviors Smiling Eye contact Asking personal questions Greeting Starting conversation Loudness

Instructional Techniques to Teach Social Skills Demonstration Modeling Role-playing Discussion groups Video feedback Homework Games Stacking the Deck