Rationale

       Historically, schools have been charged with a community responsibility for assisting students in the socialization process. At a more personal level, the rationale for inclusion of direct teaching of social skills in the classroom can be simply stated: Students who do not have or do not exhibit appropriate social skills tend to experience the classroom as an unhappy place for themselves and make it a less pleasant place for their peers and teachers. Gresham (1981) indicates that deficits in a student's social skills repertoire are correlated with a high incidence of school maladjustment, dropping out, and delinquency. Additionally, students with such deficits are socially unpopular due to their lack of cooperative behavior, inadequate ability to communicate needs, and impaired ability to respond positively to peers.
       A specific subpopulation of students in need of intervention in the social skills area is exceptional students labeled mentally handicapped, learning disabled, or emotionally handicapped. Those in the latter group, if assessed correctly, have social skills deficits by definition; however, difficulties in social interactions have also been found to be common characteristics among students classified as learning disabled or educably mentally handicapped (Bryan, 1974, 1977; Gresham, 1981; Zigmond & Brownlee, 1980). Bryan (1974, 1977) reported that mildly handicapped students emit more competitive statements and fewer consideration statements than their nonhandicapped peers; she also found that they are more verbally and physically aggressive, more likely to misread nonverbal cues, and less likely to assess accurately their personal status and acceptance in the classroom.
       The fact that many students labeled exceptional have social skill deficits does not absolve regular classroom teachers of the responsibility for direct social skill training. Not all students with problems are labeled exceptional. Additional, mainstreaming of exceptional students makes it critical for both special and regular teachers to be jointly involved in teaching appropriate social skills. In summary, the socialization goals of education in general and the specific needs of both exceptional and nonhandicapped learners provide adequate reason to include consciously the direct teaching of social skill behaviors in every classroom.

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