Background/purpose. It has been established that students with special educational needs should have equal opportunities for learning with the rest of the formal developmental students in a common school, regardless of their characteristics or difficulties. In an environment that promotes normal physical and emotional well-being, mental…

Effective interpersonal relationships and communication with community members necessitate the development of appropriate social skills. The theory underpinning the study was the Inoculation Theory. This study investigated the predictive influence of resistance to peer influence, self-esteem, and gender on social skills development among…

We examined the effects of a computer-based strategy to develop self-advocacy skills for 15 middle school students with mild and moderate disabilities. A pre- and posttest experimental design with random assignment to treatment and wait-list control groups was employed to investigate changes in student participation and level of…

Background: Social and communication impairments are a core diagnostic feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and can act as a barrier to developing relationships. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2016) guidelines recommend group social skills interventions as the first-line treatment to help adults with ASD improve their…

This study aimed at examining the effect of a behavioral program on raising the level of self-concept among individuals with mild intellectual disability. To achieve this goal, the researcher prepared a skills-based behavioral training program that is geared towards individuals with mild intellectual disability. Subjects were assigned randomly in…

Background: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often demonstrate difficulties in social skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a comprehensive intervention program on the acquisition of social skills among students with mild IDD. Method: Single subject multiple baseline design across situations…

Disproportionality of African American males in special education and for disciplinary referrals has persisted for several decades. Culturally responsive social skill instruction, designed to teach critical skills and to involve peers from the learners' cultural group, can serve as a means to promote the overall social competence of African…

Described are strategies for teaching social communication skills to 8- to 10-year-old students with mild handicaps. The instructional model involves determining behaviors to be taught; assessing social communication skills; teaching skills through motivating student performance, modeling, and practicing; and maintaining and transferring skills. A…

Investigated efficacy of social skills training program with seven mildly handicapped elementary school students across three school settings: regular classroom, special education resource room, and recess. Training generated improvement on pre- and postmeasures and behavior ratings. Improvements were maintained two weeks posttreatment. All…

Many pupils with mild handicaps are failing to succeed in mainstream placements because of their poor social skills. Social skills training is increasingly part of the special education curriculum for these pupils. This article examines issues and strategies regarding the generalization and maintenance of social skills in mainstream settings. (JDD)

Comic Strip Conversations is a positive behavioral support strategy that has been used effectively to improve the social skills of students with autism. Research on the effectiveness of this strategy was extended to four students with other mild/moderate learning, cognitive and behavioral disabilities. Two elementary teachers used Comic Strip…

Suggestions for implementing cooperative learning strategies with mildly handicapped students in mainstreamed, resource room, and self-contained classroom settings are given. Guidelines are presented for: selecting a format for cooperative learning; establishing working guidelines; forming groups; arranging the classroom; developing cooperative…

This article describes a comprehensive transition program for students with mild disabilities. The program revolves around a classroom-based employability skills curriculum taught over a semester's duration. Four program components are addressed: employability skills training, family involvement, adult agency referral, and on-the-job support. (CR)

A junior high school sought to prepare mildly handicapped students for an effective transition from school to work by incorporating prework skills into already existing curricula, especially into science, world studies, and reading. The project's three components included: social, organizational, and communication skills; world of work…

Teachers in rural areas are finding that more and more special needs children are being included in their K-12 classrooms to comply with the mandate for a free and appropriate public education even in isolated small school systems. For students with mild intellectual disabilities (MID) this placement is meant to accomplish both the academic and…