Doctoral Dissertations
Date of Award
12-2021
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Education
Major Professor
Mari Beth Coleman, Cate C. Smith
Committee Members
Moore, Tara Camille, Chris Skinner
Abstract
“Social skills” is the term used to define a variety of interpersonal skills that enhance the effectiveness of an individual in social situations (Lamont & Van Horn, 2013). Social skills are needed for children to function and communicate in society. People with intellectual disability (ID) and autism (ASD) are more likely to exhibit social deficits such as difficulties with social problem solving, social pragmatics, and social interaction initiation, as well as problem behaviors such as aggression, impulsivity, and inappropriate reactions (Barry et al., 2003; Beidel & Murray, 2008). There are various reasons for these skill deficits people with ASD who live at home have less reciprocal peer relationships and participate in fewer social and recreational activities than peers without disabilities who live independently (Orsmond et al. 2004). Better social skills and functional independence, on the other hand, indicated higher levels of social involvement (Gantman et al., 2012). Research shows teachers should use evidence-based instructional strategies to teach social skills. However, teachers' lack of knowledge about these practices may be a barrier to their use. This study investigated special education teachers' knowledge and use of social skills training strategies in Saudi Arabia. This study evaluated the use of Visual Supports, Social Story, Power Cards, Video Modeling, Role Play, and Self-Video Modeling which are strategies supported by research for students with ID and ASD. An online self-reported survey measured knowledge and use of evidence-based social skills training strategies. The result indicated Saudi special education teachers used traditional (via paper) methods to deliver these strategies more than with technology. Female participants were more knowledgeable than male participants. Whereas educational level and years of teaching experience were not significantly related to their knowledge of social skills training strategies. The results, future research, practical implications, and the limitations of the study are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Alshehri, Amani Ali, "The Use of Technology in Social Skills Training for Students with Intellectual Disability and/or Autism. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2021.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/11585
