1. Culturally Adapted Social Skills Interventions:
A Review of Intervention Adaptations
ABSTRACT
With the present shifts in demographics, there lies a need for practitioners (in schools and clinics) to become culturally responsive in their delivery model, and development, of social skills intervention with diverse clients. A systematic literature review was conducted to provide a more thorough understanding of the current strategies that account for culture in social skills interventions, and the degree to which the current intervention studies included subjects with Autism. The purpose of the current review was to provide information about the current evidence on the topic, and to identify key areas for future research.
Mattina Davenport, MA & Micah O. Mazurek, PhD
University of Missouri
RESULTS
CONCLUSIONS
Implications for practice:
Match materials to clients’ physical characteristics
Use informal interviews (with clients or caregivers) to incorporate common experiences of clients into role plays, social scenarios, video modeling, and other activities
Make sure sessions incorporate the preferred language of clients
Match therapists and peer models to the linguistic and physical characteristics of the the client
Allow clients the flexibility to use their language, culture-specific slang, or formal English during sessions
Future Research:
Examine the effectiveness of cultural adaptations of social skills interventions with diverse minority groups
Examine the efficacy of implementing both surface and deep structure considerations both together and apart
Test the effectiveness of culturally adapted studies as compared to those that are not adapted
Study Authors
Disability?
Surface Structure Considerations
Deep Structure Considerations
Banks et al. (1996) No
None
Feelings cards and feelings boards
Informal Conversations used
Bardon, Brondolo (1994)
Matched physical characteristics
African American themes used
Role plays and problem solving situations emphasized content related to Nguzo Saba
Included content related to unity, self-centeredness, and how it impacts individual, family, and community
Garza & Bratton (2005)
Children paired with bilingual Hispanic therapist
Materials were adapted to the physical characteristics of Mexicans
Materials and activities were matched to Mexican culture
Kim (2016)
ASD
Video modeling clips and parent play therapy sessions were adjusted for used language
Used content matching local social scenarios within materials
Lee et al. (2016)
Cantonese language adaptations were made and culturally appropriate idioms and slang were used
Leff et al. (2009)
Relational Aggression
Contained African American cartoons and video illustrations  
Content of illustrations were matched to cultural experiences of students
Lo, Correa, & Anderson (2015)
ELL
Peer modeling clips matched physical characteristics
Content focused on cross-cultural social network building
The activities and role plays matched participant experiences
Lo, Mustain, Brophy, & White (2011)
ID/LD
Visuals matching physical characteristics
African American folk stories were used
Role play scenarios incorporated past experiences of students
Moreira et al. (2010)
Program was included in normed academic subjects as civic education, Portuguese language, and environment and mathematics.
Robinson-Ervin et al. (2016)
EBD
Materials, scenarios, videos, music, etc., matched the physical characteristics of students
Peer models and modeling clips matched ethnicity of participants
Used culturally relevant materials, scenarios, videos, music, etc.
Incorporated experiences into scenarios
Used settings related to the participants' background during role play practice.
Yoo et al. (2014)
All materials used translated to Korean
INTRODUCTION
Cartledge and Loe (2001) highlighted the integral relationship between culture and social behavior, and the importance of accommodating the diverse needs of the growing racially and linguistically diverse populations (Colby & Ortman, 2015).
Cultural adaptations have been defined as the systematic modifications of an intervention to consider language, culture, and context in a way that is compatible with family’s cultural patterns, meanings, and values (Bernal et al., 2009).
Surface structure cultural adaptations have been described as methodology that consist of matching people, or language, to observable racial/ethnic characteristics of the population (Butler & Titus, 2015).
Deep structure cultural adaptations have been defined as content strategies that incorporated cultural, social, historical, environmental, or psychological aspects that influence the target minority group’s behavior (Butler & Titus, 2015; Resinicow, Baranowski, Ahluwalia, & Braithwaite, 1998)
SELECTED REFERENCES
Butler, A. M., & Titus, C. (2015). Systematic review of engagement in culturally adapted parent training for disruptive behavior. Journal of Early Intervention, 37(4),
Cartledge, G., & Loe, S. A. (2001). Cultural diversity and social skill instruction. Exceptionality, 9(1-2),
Colby, S. L., & Ortman, J. M. (2015). Projections of the size and composition of the US population: 2014 to 2060. Current Population Reports, (P ).
Resnicow, K., Baranowski, T., Ahluwalia, J. S., & Braithwaite, R. L. (1998). Cultural sensitivity in public health: defined and demystified. Ethnicity & Disease, 9(1),
METHOD
A systematic review of the literature was conducted using pre-defined search procedures and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Only 81 studies met inclusion criteria, and only 11 studies specifically specified cultural adaptations. Based on available evidence, some preliminary findings emerged.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant #T73MC00022, Missouri LEND. This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.