Research and experience show that children and adolescents who struggle with emotional, behavioral and social problems do improve when they learn prosocial skills. Social skill instruction, therefore, can be a vital component in the treatment planning for a child diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Teaching Social Skills to Youth with Mental Health Disorders is a guide for therapists, counselors, psychologists, educators, and other practitioners trying to help these youth get better.
This definitive guide to social skills instruction features thirteen new skills and their behavioral steps, fresh insights into providing culturally responsive treatment that respects individual identity, more inclusive language, and updated research on social-emotional learning and executive function. The 196 social and life skills showcased in this fourth edition will empower young people to have greater success in school, at home, on the job, and in their relationships. Several of the new skills promote the values and principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Those skills include: · Sticking Up for Yourself · Sticking Up for Others · Agreeing to Disagree · Recognizing Your Own Personal Biases or Opinions Other new skills focus on personal autonomy (Gaining Consent, Giving Consent, and Responding to Persons of Authority). Plus, there are new skills that teach young people how to interact with law enforcement (Being Prepared for an Interaction with Law Enforcement and Responding to Law Enforcement/Police Interactions). The manual reflects and focuses on the importance of teaching social skills to youth of all ages, the elements of social behavior (task and behavior analysis), individual and group teaching techniques, generalization of skills, the role of skill-based interventions for difficult youth problems, and the Boys Town Social Skills Curriculum itself. For ease and convenience, there are four appendices that group skills by behavior problem areas, common situations or circumstances, social and emotional learning competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making), and skill type (social, emotional management, academic, moral/ethical, and independent living). Every skill is available for download and print through BoysTownPress.org. Skills are easily adaptable to reflect an individual’s specific abilities and cultural norms. Teaching Social Skills to Youth, Fourth Edition is ideal for classrooms, individual and group therapy, and job training programs. Educators and caregivers can use this guide to strengthen their cultural competence, increase the skill competency of children, help improve student behavior in school, and develop individualized service plans for troubled or at-risk youth. It is an excellent companion to the highly acclaimed Mental Health from Diagnosis to Delivery and Building Resiliency in Youth, both available from Boys Town Press. The authors have decades of experience working with children and families, and they are experts on issues related to youth aggression, antisocial behavior, abuse, delinquency, and mental health.
This popular manual presents an empirically tested format and ready-made curricula for skills training groups in a range of settings. Part I takes therapists and counselors step by step through assessing clients' existing skills, teaching new skills, and managing common treatment challenges. Part II comprises over 60 ready-to-photocopy skill sheets. Each sheet--essentially a complete lesson plan--explains the rationale for the skill at hand, breaks it down into smaller steps, suggests role-play scenarios, and highlights special considerations. Of special value for practitioners, the 8 1/2" x 11" format makes it easy to reproduce and use the practical materials in the book.
Finally a social skills program that covers all the bases! Whether it's learning how long one can look at somebody without being accused of staring; how to shift topics, despite one's desire to stick with that all-consuming special interest; how to say no to peer pressure; or dealing with a sensitive topic - it's all here... and more. In this comprehensive and user friendly book, the author translates years of experience working with students wiht Asperger Syndrome and social-communication difficulties. After brief introductory chapters on skills to target, instructional strategies, behavior management, promoting generalization, etc., as well as a special chapter by Brenda Smith Myles on relevant characteristics of autism spectrum disorders, the reader is presented with the essence of this must-have resource: 70 of the skills that most commonly cause difficulty for individuals with autism spectrum disorders and social-communications problems. The presentation of each skill consists of a reproducible skill handout, as well as activity sheets listing ways teachers and parents can demonstrate, practice, and reinforce the skill in the classroom and at home. A concluding chapter on promoting peer acceptance offers sensitivity training programs for both students of various age groups and school staff, making this a complete social skills training package for students of all ages.
This book targets 28 social skills including following instructions, staying on task, working with others, accepting criticism, listening, ignoring distractions, making a good choice, sharing, and showing respect. It includes lesson plans, reproducible skill pages, techniques and examples for 'blending' the teaching of social skills into academic lessons, ideas for using bulletin board displays to motivate and monitor behaviour, and strategies for increasing parental support.
This book is designed to help teachers and other caregivers teach youth the social skills needed to succeed in school, at home, and on the job. The text examines the elements of social behavior, presents individual and group teaching techniques, and discusses planning of skill-based treatment interventions for difficult youth problems.
Angry, aggressive, or violent youth threaten the well-being of themselves, other children, and caregivers in any setting. They may need medicztion and therapy to treat their problems, but they also must learn how to control negative thoughts and emotions without turning to aggressive behaviour. Professionals will learn how to build good relationships with youth and teach them pro-social behaviour. Also offered are sample treatment plans to address both proactive and reactive aggression in youth and guidelines on how to promote a safe environment for the children in your care. Included is a social skills chart that can be used as an easy reference guide by caregivers as they teach new skills to replace old aggressive behaviours. The chart shows which skills work best with specific types of behaviours.
Recognize trauma and learn how to support children and teens who have been impacted by it. This guide will help you not only recognize the signs of trauma but will show you how to best support individuals dealing with it. You’ll also learn how to: - Encourage and cultivate resilience - Practice intentional reflection - Identify compassion fatigue and methods to alleviate the effects Included is information for leaders on how to provide trauma-informed professional development and training to their staff or community. The more you know about the overall impact of trauma on a developing child or teen, the more effective you will be in promoting long-term overall well-being. There are many resiliency and trauma-focused resources that focus on defining and identifying key aspects of trauma and resilience, yet, few provide specifics as to how to support youths in overcoming trauma. For this reason, this guide has been structured to primarily focus on concrete and user-friendly strategies for supporting children and teens in building resilience and the skills to counteract trauma, as well as meaningful follow up to ensure enduring effectiveness.
Healthy mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) development is a critical foundation for a productive adulthood. Much is known about strategies to support families and communities in strengthening the MEB development of children and youth, by promoting healthy development and also by preventing and mitigating disorder, so that young people reach adulthood ready to thrive and contribute to society. Over the last decade, a growing body of research has significantly strengthened understanding of healthy MEB development and the factors that influence it, as well as how it can be fostered. Yet, the United States has not taken full advantage of this growing knowledge base. Ten years later, the nation still is not effectively mitigating risks for poor MEB health outcomes; these risks remain prevalent, and available data show no significant reductions in their prevalence. Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development in Children and Youth: A National Agenda examines the gap between current research and achievable national goals for the next ten years. This report identifies the complexities of childhood influences and highlights the need for a tailored approach when implementing new policies and practices. This report provides a framework for a cohesive, multidisciplinary national approach to improving MEB health.
