Social Skills Training for Children with Intellectual Disabilities.

Impairment in social functioning is an associated feature of intellectual disabilities (ID) and the diagnosis of mental retardation (American Association on Mental Retardation, 2002; American Psychiatric Association, 2000), and is also characteristic of many other developmental disabilities. The National Research Council's report on mental retardation and the eligibility requirements for social security benefits indicates social skills assessment as a priority (National Research Council, 2002). In particular, social skills deficits are vital to diagnosing individuals within the borderline and mild ranges of ID. For individuals whose cognitive abilities are within the borderline range, the degree of social skills impairment may often represent the difference between dependency and self-sufficiency. Therefore, interventions targeted at decreasing an individual's vulnerability through social skills development are critical components of any habilitation plan. This chapter reviews recent research on social skills deficits in children with ID, discusses selected studies of social skills training (SST), and identifies priorities for future research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]