Social Skills Training Program
(Goldstein and Pollock)

It is suggested that the child's parents and teachers complete the Social Skills Group Assessment Questionnaire. This will allow the practitioner to identify specific deficiencies for each child and make a point of specifically emphasizing those skills during the program. This, in effect, individualizes each child's program within the group setting.

Skills taught are divided into six sessions as follows:

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Session 6

It is suggested the program is conducted once a week over 6 half hour sessions. Each session is divided into four parts. During the first part, homework is reviewed and skills taught from the previous week are briefly demonstrated. During the second part each new skill is broken down into a step-by-step model for acquiring the skill. The third part involves role play and practice of the new skill and the fourth part is the allocation of homework, based on the skill, for the next lesson.

For best results a small group is suggested, of three to six children.

The following is an overview of the skills taught in this program and the steps suggested to facilitate teaching of these skills.

Session 1


SKILL: Listening - Attend to speaker and acknowledge what is said.
STEPS :
l. Face person who is talking-"eye contact."
2. Sit quietly.
3. Attend to what is being said.
4. Wait your turn to talk.

SKILL: Meeting New People - Introduce self
STEPS :
l. Look at and acknowledge other person.
2. Decide if you want to meet other person.
3. Choose correct time to meet other person.
4. Walk up to other person.
5. Say your name.
6. Wait for person to tell you his/her name. Ask person's name if he/she doesn't tell you.
7. Tell other person something about yourself.

SKILL: Introducing Others
STEPS :
l. Look at and acknowledge other people.
2. State name of one person and tell him the name of other person.
3. State name of second person and tell him/her name of first person.
4. Say something that both people have in common or that might interest both of them.

SKILL: Conversations - Know how and when to converse with another person/persons
STEPS :
l. Choose whom to talk with.
2. Show interest.
3. Choose when to talk.
4. Start talking in friendly way.
5. Stay on the topic.
6. Listen to what other person says.
7. Ask questions.

SKILL: Ending a Conversation
STEPS :
l. Decide why to end a conversation.
2. Decide when to end a conversation.
3. Choose what to say.
4. Wait until other person stops talking.
5. State what you have to say to end the conversation in a friend

Session 2


SKILL:Asking a Question; Asking for Help; Asking a Favor
STEPS :
l. Decide what to ask.
2. Decide who to ask.
3. Plan how to ask at appropriate time.
4. Choose appropriate time.
5. Get person's attention.
6. Tell person what you need in a friendly way.

SKILL:Asking for Help with a Problem
STEPS :
1. Decide what the problem is and if you need help.
2. Decide who you could ask for help.
3. Select the person you want to ask to help you with your problem.
4. Tell that person your problem and ask for help.

SKILL: Following Instructions
STEPS :
l. Listen to what is being said.
2. Ask questions about topic until you clearly understand.
3. Repeat the instructions to yourself.
4. Complete task one step at a time in order given.

Session 3


SKILL: Sharing
STEPS :
1. Decide if you have something to share.
2. Decide with whom to share.
3. Choose best time to share.
4. Offer in an honest way.

SKILL: Interpreting Body Language - Pay attention to facial expressions and body movements.
STEPS :
I. Face person and watch.
2. Look at facial features of subject.
3. Identify feeling of subject.
4. Look at body stance of subject/positioning.
5. Identify what subject is feeling.
6. If unsure, check out verbally.

SKILL:Playing a Game
STEPS :
l. Review the rules of the game.
2. Understand the rules of the game.
3. Decide who starts, takes second turn, etc.
4. Wait for your turn.
5. Think about how you played.
6. When game is over, say something positive about the game.

Session 4


SKILL:Suggesting an Activity
STEPS :
I. Decide on an activity you want to do.
2. Decide with whom you could do the activity.
3. Select someone with whom you want to do the activity.
4. Decide what to say.
5. Decide when to say it.
6. Say it in a friendly way.
7. If answer is "no", ask, "What would you like to do?"

SKILL:Working Cooperatively
STEPS :
1. Decide what you want to do.
2. Decide how you want to work.
3. State your position.
4. Be a good listener while others state their positions.
5. Read other person's body language.
6. Act thoughtfully.

SKILL:Offering to Help
STEPS :
1. Decide if someone needs help.
2. Decide if someone wants help.
3. Think of what you could do to help.
4. Decide how to ask if you can help.
5. Choose best time to help.
6. Offer help.
7. Help person.

Session 5


SKILL:Saying Thank You
STEPS :
1. Decide if someone did something you want to thank her for.
2. Decide ways to thank.
3. Choose best way to thank person.
4. Choose best time to thank person.
5. Thank in a friendly way.
6. Tell person why you are thanking her.

SKILL: Giving a Compliment
STEPS :
l. Decide what you want to tell someone.
2. Decide how you want to say it.
3. Choose a good time to say it.
4. Choose a good place to say it.
5. Give the compliment in a friendly way.

SKILL:Accepting a Compliment
STEPS :
1. Decide if you were given a compliment.
2. Acknowledge compliment.
3. Say, "Thank You."

SKILL:Rewarding Self
STEPS :
l. Decide if you deserve a reward.
2. List the ways you could reward yourself.
3. Select best way you could reward yourself.
4. Reward yourself as soon as possible.

Session 6


SKILL:Apologizing
STEPS :
l. Decide if you need to apologize for something.
2. List various ways to apologize.
3. Choose best way to apologize.
4. Choose best time to apologize.
5. Choose best place to apologize.
6. Apologize in honest way.

SKILL:Understanding the Impact Your Behaviour Has on Others
STEPS :
1. Decide which behaviours are important to you.
2. Stay in control of those behaviours.
3. State your position.
4. Think about how others feel.
5. Think about what others might say.
6. Help others follow rules.

SKILL:Demonstrating the Ability to Understand Behaviour of Others
STEPS :
1. Listen to what person is saying.
2. Watch what the other person is doing.
3. List reasons why person is saying and feeling what he is.
4. Choose best reason.
5. Decide if you need to say or do anything eg. suggest another activity or change subject.
6. Follow through.