Investigations Into the Efficacy of Short-Term Group Social Skills Training for Socially Isolated Children

Abstract

This paper presents the results of two studies designed to investigate the effects of short-term group social skills training on a population of socially withdrawn elementary school children. The skill training programs of six to eight hourly sessions did not have a significantly greater impact on socially withdrawn children than did comparison training programs designed to control for the effects of group interaction or a wait-listed no-treatment group. The authors discuss the results of both studies and offer suggestions for improving the quality of the program and the design of future studies.