Data

Why is Social Skills Training Needed?

54% of restraints or transports have been due to a peer conflict or conflict with an adult. Restraints are used when a student is not safe for himself or is a threat to others, a staff member will put him in a CPI hold and restrain the student.
100% of my students require additional social skills instruction as compared to typically developing peers as described in their IEPs..
83% - 65% of interactions with other peers are negative for these 8 students.
Students are less likely to engage if a student physically or verbally aggressive.
My students are not applying coping skills and positive interactions after I have taught them.

Rationale

I am a teacher in the Behavior Supports Program. This is a district wide specialized program for students who have the inability to regulate emotions and behaviors. The student’s behaviors and lack of coping skills significantly interferes with their involvement and progress in the general education setting. When the student refuses to work, they miss opportunities to practice skills or implement skills they have mastered. They also miss instruction and work activities when they are removed from the classroom due to behavior or elopement from the classroom. Students will receive instruction in a small structured group with low staff to student ratio and specially designed instruction that focuses on social skills and appropriate behaviors to be successful.

My classroom is made up of 7 young male students in grades 3-5 whose behavior impedes greatly on their learning. Due to the severe deficit in behavior management skills, these students are enrolled in a district specialized program in a self-contained classroom. All of my students struggle with utilizing coping skills, having positive peer interactions in all settings, and using appropriate language. Students would benefit from the social skills training and social stories focusing on peer interactions, because all 7 of my students have gotten into a physical altercation with another student or become aggressive with a staff member. When students do not have a safe body, this includes: climbing on furniture in the classroom, hitting and kicking furniture and others, and throwing objects, they will be asked to leave the room and go to a safe place. If the student is refusing to leave the classroom and is being unsafe to students and staff around them, a transport is provided. A transport involves two staff members, one on either side of the student, help to escort the student to the next location.

In our social skills training, we have a district behavior specialist come in once a week to do a whole group social skills lesson. We focus on everything from identifying feelings, to teamwork in the classroom. Students in my class are very discrepant when it comes to social interaction and how they react to everyday situations as compared to their typically developing peers. Typically developing peers are able to engage positively with other students 95% of the time. Students in the general education setting are also able to continue having a safe body when they are frustrated. These are skills that are used everyday throughout their life. It is important to teach students how to interact with others.

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Literature Review

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