Program Description

Skillstreaming is a social-emotional learning program designed to help children and youth learn positive ways to have their needs met. Skillstreaming the Elementary School Child employs a four-part training approach—modeling, role-playing, performance feedback, and generalization—to teach essential prosocial skills to elementary school students. This book provides a complete description of the Skillstreaming program, with instructions for teaching 60 prosocial skills.

Cost

$52.07 for program book. Additional materials sold separately.

Intended Population

• Core
• Intervention

Grade

• Elementary School

Intended Group Size

• Small group
• Classroom

ELL/DLL

• Unspecified

Multisensory Applications

• Yes

Computer-Based Delivery

• None

Scripted

• Instructor Scripted

Comprehensive or Skill Specific

• Skill Specific

Placement Tests

• No

Accelerated Learning

• No

Assessment to Monitor Skills Mastery

• No

Error Correction Built In

• Unspecified

Fidelity Measures Provided by Publisher

• No

Research Summary

A literature review revealed that in general, students who received the Skillstreaming curriculum experienced improvements in social skills. Once study found that a group of children with high functioning autism demonstrated significant improvements in social skills growth after treatment and significant decreases in problem behaviors. Similarly, another study found that students receiving the Skillstreaming curriculum in a summer treatment program experienced significant improvements in social skills and problem behaviors, but no improvements in face emotion recognition. Lastly, one study using pre-post comparisons in a group of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders found that that the children significantly improved their knowledge of target social skills, ability to identify emotions in facial and vocal expressions taught in the program, and broader emotion recognition skills in child faces. Parents in this study also reported a significant reduction in autism spectrum disorder-related features. Due to the sample sizes and the methodology in the peer-reviewed articles, there is insufficient evidence for this program at this time.

Study Citations

Dowling, L.S., (2010) The Efficacy of Skillstreaming Social Skills Program with Elementary School Children with High Functioning Autism. [Unpublished Masters Thesis]. California State University, Chico. Available at http://csuchico-dspace.calstate.edu/handle/10211.3/10211.4_194

Lopata, C., Thomeer, M.L., Volker, M.A. et al. Effectiveness of a Manualized Summer Social Treatment Program for High-Functioning Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders . J Autism Dev Disord 38, 890–904 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0460-7

Lopata, C., Thomeer, M. L., Volker, M. A., et al. (2012). Feasibility and Initial Efficacy of a Comprehensive School-Based Intervention for High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders. Psychology in the Schools, 49(10), 963–974. doi:10.1002/pits.21649 

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

• Insufficient evidence