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Social Skills Training: An Evaluation of Generalization in Natural Environments
 Interactions and social skills have been studied in social
groups among children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum
Disorder for a variety of different purposes and in a myriad
of settings (Miltenberger, 2008).
 Typically these settings have been contrived and
programming has been structured. Therefore, studying these
interactions has often been regarded as difficult given that
data could not be accurately measured in comparison to a
natural social environment.
 For the given reasons, we decided to form a social group
that met in generalized settings of the participant’s choices.
 In so doing, the environment in which the social group
was conducted was deemed most comparable to a social
setting in which these participants may have socialized
naturally.
Subjects
 The participants involved in this group included two male subjects, one aged
12, with a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome; and the other aged 13 with a
diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD).
Design
 We conducted a series of social skills group training sessions across three
settings, utilizing multiple stimulus exemplars, including various mediators,
locations, activities, and prompting and reinforcement contingencies.
 Initial sessions involved a clinical teaching environment, as well as two
additional subjects other than the two aforementioned. Generalization sessions
did not include the two additional participants due to factors that caused these
participants to leave the group setup.
 During the initial treatment phase, subjects attended weekly sessions with the
two additional participants that lasted 1.5 hours in duration. These took place in a
clinical setting. During the generalization phase the remaining two subjects met in
generalized environments of their choice for 45 minute sessions.
Treatment
 During initial sessions; which occurred in a clinical setting, the two subjects
and the additional participants attended a group-based social skills training
session that involved Behavioural Skills Training to teach various social skills,
e.g., initiating conversation and joining play. (Stewart et al. 2007).
 Qualitative data indicated that goals were not being met within this
environment due to several variables, one of them being the participants report of
dissatisfaction with the setting. Therefore, it was decided that generalization
would need to occur within natural environments.
Generalization
 The final sessions involving the two remaining subjects took place in
community settings of their choosing in order to track and account for
generalization of the skills learned in the initial sessions.
 Initially, subtle prompting was required in order to promote frequency of skill
occurrence.
 As sessions continued prompts were faded using a prompt hierarchy. and skills
acquisition and independence were observed.
Baseline
 During initial sessions of the social skills group data was not accurately
recorded given the presence of confounding variables and the nature of the
session.
 During the initial generalization session, subtle prompting procedures including
positional prompting and gestural prompts were required to increase socialization
and interaction between the two participants. The two participants were on their
own in an area that they chose while mediators and clinicians sat nearby.
 Both participants were noted to engage in conversation at a rate of 0.66
responses per minute in the generalization baseline condition.
BACKGROUND
PURPOSE
METHOD
RESULTS
LIMITATIONS
CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
 Insufficient data derived from initial clinical settings due to
variables such as participant dissatisfaction with the location,
presence of aversive stimuli during these sessions, and difficulties
managing confounding variables (e.g., the presence of
challenging behaviours).
 It was initially difficult to determine appropriate locations and
learning environments, resulting in a call for change to both the
session location as well as the group structure. This modification
resulted in a need for reconsideration of data collection
contingencies and motivating operations.
 Additionally, having both the clinicians as well as mediators
present in the natural environment during generalization sessions
may have decreased the neutrality of the environment. While our
attempt was to create a scenario most comparable to a natural
social setting, having mediators and clinicians present may have
impacted how natural the environment was.
 To determine if social skills (e.g., maintaining
conversation) could be taught using prompting and fading
procedures in natural settings (e.g., restaurants).
 To determine if the frequency of appropriate, socially
significant behaviours can be practiced and increased in
natural environments within the community.
 The participants and clinicians involved in this case
sought to determine if social skills practiced using the
Behavioural Skills Training (BST) approach could
generalize and increase in frequency in natural
environments.
 Social skills (in this case maintaining conversation) can
increase in the presence of natural environmental stimuli (e.g,
snacks, games, etc.).
 Less-structured methods of teaching (training loosely) may be
sufficient to teach and strengthen desired socially significant
behaviour in natural environments.
 Consideration of age, diagnosis, compatibility with other
participants, and preferences of the subject s involved in teaching
social skills is imperative in developing teaching approaches and
strategies.
 Involving participants in deciding which environments
teaching occurs may be an important means of determining
effective natural contingencies of reinforcement.
Stewart, K.K., Carr, J.E., LeBlanc, L.A. (2007). Evaluation of
Family-Implemented Behavioral Skills Training for
Teaching Social Skills to a Child with Asperger’s
Disorder. Clinical Case Studies. 6(3). 252-262.
Gaylord-Ross, R.J, Haring, T.G., Breen,C., Pints-Conway, V.
(1984).The Training and Generalization of Social Interaction
Skills with Autistic Youth. Journal of Applied Behavior
Analysis, 17(2), 229-247.
Miltenberger, R.G. (2008). Behaviour Modification Principles
and Procedures, Belmont, California: Wadsworth.
PARTICIPANT 1
PARTICIPANT 2
PARTICIPANT 1 & 2
 Both participants averaged 0.66 responses per minute in
the prompting condition (see figures graphs).
 After all of the sessions were completed collectively,
Participant 1 had increased his rate of responding to 2.96
responses per minute (an increase of 77.7%.
 Participant 2 had increased his rate of responding to 2.3
responses per minute (an increase of 71.3%).
 An overall, average increase of 74.5% in terms of target
responses for both participants was noted collectively.