The Generalization of Social Skills for a Child with Behavior Disorders in the School Setting

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this case study was to develop an intervention which would promote the generalization of social skills for a child with an educational classification of behavior disorders (BD). Generalization of social skills is a frequently discussed problem and an outcome that may be of particular importance in the successful inclusion of children with BD in regular education classrooms. One student, previously enrolled in a BD classroom, was identified as having few appropriate social interactions and several interfering inappropriate social behaviors. Various strategies were employed to facilitate the generalization of learned social skills. Results indicate that social skills instruction alone failed to result in generalization. The subsequent use of a group contingency resulted in generalization across behaviors and school settings.