Abstract
Interventions that mobilize the parents to coach and reinforce their children's social skills have been shown to improve children's social functioning and decrease inappropriate social behaviors in the home and at school. However, few studies have examined whether these treatment outcomes can be successfully transferred from the research to the clinical setting. We examined the effectiveness of a 12-session manualized social skills intervention involving parent participation. As part of regular clinical practice, measures of children's social skills, self-control, and psychopathology were collected pre- and post-treatment. Findings suggest that parent ratings of children's social skills and self-control improved and aggressive behavior decreased.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beelmann, A., Pfingsten, U., & Loesel, F. (1994). Effects of training social competence in children: A meta-analysis of recent evaluation studies. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 23.
Bierman, K. L., & Furman, W. (1984). The effects of social skills training and peer involvement on the social adjustment of preadolescents. Child Development, 55, 151–162.
Budd, K. S. (1986). Parents as mediators in the social skills training of children. In L. L’Abate & M. A. Milan (Eds.), Handbook of social skills training and research (pp. 245–262). New York: Wiley.
Buhrmester, D. (1990). Intimacy of friendship, interpersonal competence, and adjustment during preadolescence and adolescence. Child Development, 61, 1101–1111.
Cohen, J. (1977). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. New York: Academic Press.
Coie, J. D., Lockman, J. E., Terry, R., & Hyman, C. (1992). Predicting early adolescent disorder from childhood aggression and peer rejection. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 783–792.
Doyle, A., Ostrander, R., Skare, S., Crosby, R. D., & August G. J. (1997). Convergent and criterion-related validity of the Behavior Assessment System for Children–Parent Rating Scale. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 26, 276–284.
Erdley, C. A., Nangle, D. W., Newman, J. E., & Carpenter, E. M. (2001). Children's friendship experiences and psychological adjustment: Theory and research. In D. W. Nangle & C. A. Erdley (Eds.), The role of friendship in psychological adjustment: New directions for child and adolescent development. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Frankel, F., Cantwell, D. P., & Myatt, R. (1996). Helping ostracized children: Social skills training and parent support for socially rejected children. In E. D. Hibbs & P. S. Jensen (Eds.) Psychosoical treatments for child and adolescent disorders: Empirically based strategies for clinical practice (pp. 595–617). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Frankel, F., Myatt, R., & Cantwell, D. P. (1995). Training outpatient boys to conform with the social ecology of popular peers: Effects on parent and teacher ratings. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 24, 300–310.
Frankel, F., Myatt, R., Cantwell, D. P., & Feinberg, D. T. (1997a). Parent-assisted transfer of children's social skills training: Effects on children with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1056–1064.
Frankel, F., Myatt, R., Cantwell, D. P., & Feinberg, D. T. (1997b). Use of the child behavior checklist and DSM-III-R diagnosis in predicting outcome of children's social skills training. Journal of Behavioral Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 28, 149–161.
Greenberg, M. T., Kusche, C. A., Cook, E. T., & Quamma, J. P. (1995). Promoting emotional competence in school-aged children: The effects of the PATHS curriculum. Development & Psychopathology, 7, 117–136.
Hibbs, E. D. (2001). Evaluating empirically based psychotherapy research for children and adolescents. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 10(Suppl1).
Kendall, P. C., & Wilcox, L. E. (1979). Self-control in children: development of a rating scale. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 47, 1020–1029.
Kendall, P. C., Zupan, B. A., & Braswell, L. (1981). Self-control in children: Further analyses of the Self-Control Rating Scale. Behavior Therapy, 12, 667–681.
Kolko, D. J., Loar, L. L., & Sturnick, D. (1990). Inpatient social cognitive skills training groups with conduct disordered and attention deficit disordered children. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 31, 737–748.
Kupersmidt, J. B., & Coie, J. D. (1990). Preadolescent peer status, aggression, and school adjustment as predictors of externalizing problems in adolescence. Child Development, 61, 1350–1362.
Kupersmidt J. B., & Dodge K. A. (2004). Children's peer relations: From development to intervention. Decade of behavior (pp. 181–208). Washington DC, American Psychological Association.
la Greca, A. M., & Santogrossi, D. A. (1980). Social skills training with elementary school students: A behavioral group approach. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 48, 220–227.
Lochman, J. E., & Wells, K. C. (1996). A social-cognitive intervention with aggressive children: Prevention effects and contextual implementation issues (Vol. 3): City, State: Publisher?
Lonigan, C. J., Elbert, J. C., & Johnson, S. B. (1998). Empirically supported psychosocial interventions for children: An overview. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 27, 138–145.
Nelson, J., & Aboud, F. E. (1985). The resolution of social conflict between friends. Child Development, 56, 1009–1017.
Pfiffner, L. J., & McBurnett, K. (1997). Social skills training with parent generalization: Treatment effects for children with attention deficit disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 749–757.
Reisman, J. M. (1986). Friendship and its implications for mental health or social competence. Journal of Early Adolescence, 5, 383–391.
Reynolds, C. R., & Kamphaus R. W. (1998). Behavior Assessment System for Children: Manual. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Services Inc.
Roff, M., Sells, B., & Golden, M. M. (1972). Social adjustment and personality development in children. Minneapolis: University of Minneapolis Press.
Schneider, B. H. (1992). Didactic methods for enhancing children's peer relations: A quantitative review. Clinical Psychology Review, 12, 363–382.
Webster-Stratton, C. Jamilla R., & Hammond M. (2001). Social skills and problem-solving training for children with early-onset conduct problems: Who benefits? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42, 943–952.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sim, L., Whiteside, S.P., Dittner, C.A. et al. Effectiveness of a Social Skills Training Program with School Age Children: Transition to the Clinical Setting. J Child Fam Stud 15, 408–417 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9049-6
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9049-6