Comparative Effects of Teaching Social Skills through Direct Instruction and Cognitive Approach on Behavioral Problems in Students with Educable Intellectual Disability

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aim: Behavioral problems are common in educable intellectual disability students. The purpose of the present study was comparison of the effects of direct instruction and cognitive method on social skills in individuals with mild intellectual disability.
Materials and Method: A semi-experimental study was conducted with pretest-posttest and control group. A total of 30 students with mild intellectual disability were selected based on available sampling and were randomly divided into three groups (two experimental groups and one control group). First, behavioral problems and social skills scores were collected using Gresham and Elliott social skills questionnaires (1990). Next, participants in the experimental group were individually trained for 20 sessions: one group received cognitive approach and the other group received direct instruction. After trainings, the Social Skills Questionnaire was administered again among teachers and parents. The data were then analyzed using analysis of covariance method in SPSS19.
Results: The results showed that from teachers' perspective, social skills training through cognitive approach and direct instruction did not significantly decrease behavioral problems, but from parents' perspective, cognitive approach significantly decrease behavioral problems and direct instruction did not.
Conclusion: According to the findings, it can be stated that training programs that focus on understanding total situation and social cue encoding have more impacts on behavioral problems in educable intellectual disability students.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. Abdolahzaeh Rafi M, Hassanzadeh M, Nesayan A, Asadi Gandomani R. Prevalence of behavioral disorders in students and prediction of that based on emotional abuse. Journal of Research in Psychological Health. 2016; 10(2):1-14.##
  2. Yegane T, Khanzadeh A. Comparative study of behavioral problems in athletes and non-athletes children. Scientific Journal of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. 2012;17(4):17-29. ##
  3. Kirk S, Gallager J, Coleman MR. Education exceptional children. Boston: Cengage Learning. 2015. ##
  4. Montague M, Enders, C, & Castro M. Academic and behavioral outcomes for students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders. 2005; 31(1):84-94. ##
  5. Belanger S, Brunet S, Danjou Q, Tellier G, Boivin J, Gauthier M. behavior disorders in children with an intellectual disability. peediatr child health. 2012;17(2):84-8. ##
  6. Nesayan A, Assadi Gandomani R. Effectiveness of Social Skills Training on Behavioral Problems in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability. rehabiliation. 2016;17(2):157-67. ##
  7. Hartley S L, Sikora D M, & McCoy R. Prevalence and risk factors of maladaptive behavior in young children with autistic disorder. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 2008; 52(10):819– 29. ##
  8. Jan JE, Freeman RD. Melatonin therapy for circadian rhythm sleep disorders in children with multiple disabilities: What have we learned in the last decade? Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 2004;46:776-82. ##
  9. Handen BL, Gilchrist R. Psychopharmacology in children andadolescents with mental retardation. Journal of Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2006;47:871-82. ##

10. Aman MG, Armstrong S, Buican B, Sillick T. Four-year follow-up of children with low intelligence and ADHD: A replication. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2002;23(1):119-34. ##

11. Ganaie S, Beigh A, Mir S, Shah S, Hussain A, Dar A & et al. social maturity and problem behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. Journal of neuropsychiatry. 2015;1(3):1-8. ##

12. Emecen D. Comparison of Direct Instruction and Problem Solving Approach in Teaching Social Skills to Children with Mental Retardation. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice. 2011;11(3):1414-20. ##

13. Chang C, D'Zurilla T, Sanna L. Social problem solving. American Psychological Association Washington, DC. 2002. ##

14. Sukhodolsky D, Butter E. Handbook of intellectual and developmental disability. Springer US. 2007. ##

15. Wehmeyer M, & Kelchner K. Interpersonal cognitive problem-solving skills of individuals with mental retardation. Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities. 1994;29(4):265-78. ##

16. O’Reilly, M. Lancionib E., Sigafoos, J. O’Donoghue,D. Lacey,C. Edrisinha, C. Teaching social skills to adults with intellectual disabilities: a comparison of external control and problem-solving interventions. Research in Developmental Disabilities 2004;25(399-412). ##

17. Foss G, Auty W, & Irving L. A comparative evaluation of modeling, problem-solving, and behavior rehearsal for teaching employment-related interpersonal skills to secondary students with mental retardation. Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded. 1989;23(3):17-27. ##

18. Park HS, & Gaylord-Ross, R. A problem solving approach to social skills training in employment settings with mentally retarded youth. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 1989;22(4):373-80. ##

19. Castles E, & Glass C. Training in social and interpersonal problem solving skills for mildly and moderately mentally retarded adults. American Journal of Mental Deficiency. 1986;91:35-42. ##

20. Shahim S. Valid and reliable rating scale to evaluate social skills in primary school children. Journal of Education and Psychology of Shiraz. 1998;4:17-29. ##

21. Shahim S. The social skills in educable retarded children using the rating scale of social skills. Journal of Psychology and Educational Sciences of Tehran. 2009;4:18-37. ##

22. Castles E, & Glass, C. Training in social and interpersonal problem solving skills for mildly and moderately mentally retarded adults. American Journal of Mental Deficiency. 1986;91:35-42. ##

The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
Volume 6, Issue 4
January and February 2018
Pages 106-114

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 30 August 2016
  • Revise Date: 22 December 2016
  • Accept Date: 15 January 2017
  • First Publish Date: 22 December 2017

Share

How to cite

Statistics