Is it important to promote social skills and prosocial development in children?

A child’s social competence is a critical developmental achievement for later social success (Sroufe & Rutter, 1984). Social competence has also been strongly associated with successful school performance, transition into school and work settings, better job opportunities and corresponding adult support, and improved overall interactions with others (Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, Cox, 2000). Without intervention, children who demonstrate poor social skills may continue to experience problems into middle childhood and beyond.

Developmental delays, however, affect the ways children demonstrate and develop social skills.

Consider the features of Mental Retardation:

• Below Average Intelligence and Significant Impairment in Adaptive Skills

  • Impairment in at least two adaptive skill areas such as communication, self-care, home living, social skills, community use, self-direction, health and safety, functional academics, leisure, and work. 

Consider features of Pervasive Developmental Disorders:

• Qualitative Impairment in Social Interactions

  • Impairment in use of nonverbal behaviors ~ eye gaze, posture, facial expression, gestures

  • Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

  • Lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests/achievements

  • Lack social/emotional reciprocity

• Restricted, repetitive, & stereotyped behaviors, interests, and activities

  • Preoccupation with 1+ restricted, stereotyped interest, abnormal in intensity or focus

  • Inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals

  • Stereotyped/repetitive motor mannerisms

  • Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

• Qualitative Impairment in Communication

  • Delay in or total lack of the development of spoken language

  • If adequate speech, then impaired ability to initiate or sustain conversation

  • Stereotyped and repetitive use of language/idiosyncratic language

  • Lack of varied, spontaneous pretend play or social imitative play

    Typical Communication Deficits

  • Poor communication abilities in nearly all individuals

  • Some never acquire functional speech

  • Content of speech is often related to immediate environmental events

  • Repetitive and stereotypic utterances are most common

  • Most characteristic: inability to use speech in socially communicative way

  • Often, delayed or immediate echolalia

  • Unusual volume of (yelling, whispering, wide fluctuations in voice volume)

  • Impaired nonverbal communication

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