Application of a Group Training Program in Social Skills and Problem Solving to Learning Disabled and Non-Learning Disabled Youth

The efficacy of training learning disabled adolescents in social and problem-solving skills was evaluated by conducting a group skill-training program with three sets of youths: learning disabled adolescents attending an alternative high school, non-learning disabled youths attending the same school, and court-adjudicated youths on probation with a juvenile court. The six skills taught as part of the program included: giving positive feedback, giving negative feedback, accepting negative feedback, resisting peer pressure, negotiation, and problem solving in social situations. Training procedures consisted of skill explanation, rationales, modeling, and behavioral rehearsal with feedback. Skills were trained in a multiple-baseline design across skills. Youth performance of the skills was assessed through behavioral role-play testing using novel, nonpracticed situations. All three groups of subjects showed increased skill levels following training. On the cognitive problem-solving skill, learning disabled adolescents demonstrated only a slight gain when compared to non-learning disabled and court-adjudicated youths.