Universal Social Skills Interventions: Bringing Research to the Real World

1. Universal Social Skills Interventions: Bringing Research to the Real World Michael J. Vance, M.A., Elizabeth Godbold, M.A., B.C.B.A., Keri Menesses, M.A., Jessica Rodriguez, Jeffrey Chenier, M.A., Lisa Libster, M.A., Katherine Hunter, Sarah Landry, Emily Patty Frank M. Gresham, Ph.D. Louisiana State University mvance1@lsu.edu

2. What are social skills? • Learned behaviors • Enable effective, positive interactions • Help avoid/escape unacceptable behaviors that would result in negative interactions • Not social tasks or competence mvance1@lsu.edu

3. Why are social skills important? • Academically • Behaviorally • Protective against • Poor problem solving • Lack of empathy • Bullying • Peer rejection • Students with poor social skills are at risk for internalizing and externalizing behavioral disorders mvance1@lsu.edu

4. RTI Intensive Selected Universal mvance1@lsu.edu

5. Classwide Intervention Program • Universal Intervention • 3 Developmental Levels • Student and Teacher Materials • 6-step instructional approach mvance1@lsu.edu

6. Primary Prevention • Goal of primary prevention to identify deficits that would likely be present in the future • If there are deficits after elementary school, do they just disappear? • Let’s identify them before they balloon into something worthwhile of a secondary intervention mvance1@lsu.edu

7. Primary Prevention • Using this model, we are able to use data from the program to identify skill deficits and to recommend children to more selective interventions mvance1@lsu.edu

8. SSIS as Primary Prevention • Intended to teach those with social skills deficits and to prevent problem behavior from occurring • Not intended to fix problematic behavior that already exists, but will likely help • Will also help identify those children who have deficits beyond the scope of the SSIS for intensified intervention mvance1@lsu.edu

9. Classwide Intervention Program • Listen to others • Follow the steps • Follow the rules • Pay attention to your work • Ask for help • Take turns when you talk • Get along with others • Stay calm with others • Do the right thing • Do nice things for others mvance1@lsu.edu

10. Participants • 2008-2009 school year • Four schools (2 District 1, 2 District 2) • $500 compensation • 3 classes each: Pk, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 • 22 teachers • Received 3 hour training • $200 compensation • Approx. 450 students mvance1@lsu.edu

11. Participants mvance1@lsu.edu

12. Participants • Teacher Characteristics • 100% Female (22) • 91% B.A. or B.S. (20) • 46% Elementary certification/1-5 (10) • Avg. 7 years experience • Avg. 1 year at current school • Avg. 1 other grade taught previously mvance1@lsu.edu

13. Participants • Student Characteristics • 50/50 MF • PK/K: 27% (123) • EE: 49% (222) • UE: 23% (104) • 7% attrition (33) • 11% additions (48) • 2% moved classrooms (7) • 0.01% expelled (2) mvance1@lsu.edu

14. Pre Measures • Performance Screening Guide • Teacher Rating of Targeted Student Concern • Teacher Perception of Intervention • Classwide Rating of Social Skills mvance1@lsu.edu

15. Other Measures • Collected 3 weeks BL, TX, 3 weeks post • Daily conduct grades • Absences • Office referrals, suspensions, expulsions • Collected during TX • Teacher ratings of each unit • Duration • Effectiveness • Behavioral changes mvance1@lsu.edu

16. Method • Teachers implemented program • October 6 - March 3 • Treatment integrity • Lesson specific integrity forms • 56% of lessons observed (357) • 26% IOA (164) • Weekly feedback meetings • Discuss and graph integrity • Assess teacher thoughts on unit mvance1@lsu.edu

17. Post Measures • Grade level feedback session* • Performance Screening Guide* • Teacher Rating of Targeted Student Concern • Teacher Perception of Intervention* • Classwide Rating of Social Skills mvance1@lsu.edu

18. Results • Grade level feedback • Strengths • Videos • Role plays • Weaknesses • Repetition • Lesson length • Age appropriateness mvance1@lsu.edu

19. Results • Grade level feedback • Cultural relevance • Varied by school mvance1@lsu.edu

20. Results • Grade level feedback • General Suggestions • Layout • Skill steps • Repetition • Videos • Suggestions for younger grades • Songs, storybooks, younger video models • Suggestions for older grades • Vary booklet activities and videos mvance1@lsu.edu

21. Results note: only fully observed lessons are included mvance1@lsu.edu

22. Results note: to qualify for Tier 2, students had to receive a 1 or 2 rating on the PSG a Significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to math and reading ratings at pre or post (pre, post) b Significantly higher (p<0.05) from pre to post mvance1@lsu.edu

23. Year Two Intensive Selected Universal 4/3/2014 mvance1@lsu.edu LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY 23

24. Tier 2: Selected Interventions mvance1@lsu.edu

25. Tier 2: Selected Interventions • Skill Acquisition • Coaching • Modeling • Role Playing • Social Problem Solving • Performance Feedback • Generalization Training • Skill Performance • Antecedent-based • Peer Mediated Strategies • Positive Peer Reporting • Cuing and prompting • Precorrection • Consequence-based • Reinforcement-based Strategies • Group-Oriented Contingency Systems • Good Behavior Game • Behavioral Contracts • School-Home Notes mvance1@lsu.edu

26. Tier 2: Selected Interventions • Acquisition Interventions • Goal to teach students more about social skills • Similar to Tier 1 interventions • 20 weeks • Two lessons a week mvance1@lsu.edu

27. Tier 2: Selected Interventions • Acquisition Interventions • Small group interventions • Currently running three across three schools • ~four-five students • Meet two times a week 30-45 minutes mvance1@lsu.edu

28. Tier 2: Selected Interventions • Performance Interventions • Goal to make appropriate social skills more reinforcing to students • Aims to increase pro-social behaviors in the classroom mvance1@lsu.edu

29. Tier 2: Selected Interventions • Performance Interventions • Teacher Consultation • Teacher/Graduate Student run interventions • Frequent feedback mvance1@lsu.edu

30. Tier 2: Selected Interventions • Performance Interventions • Check in check out • Positive peer reporting • Peer tutoring • Self Monitoring • Response Cost mvance1@lsu.edu

31. Limitations and Future Directions • Students moving in and out of a class • Having to wait for Tier 3 • Lack of some teacher buy in at second tier mvance1@lsu.edu

32. Questions? mvance1@lsu.edu