Effects of a Play-based Social Skill Training Program on Young Children with Language Delay

Language is an important tool for communication. Children with language difficulties might therefore encounter problems in interacting and developing good relationships with their peers. This study investigated the effects of... [ view full abstract ]

Language is an important tool for communication. Children with language difficulties might therefore encounter problems in interacting and developing good relationships with their peers. This study investigated the effects of a 16-session play-based social skill training program on the social communication skills of two Hong Kong preschoolers with language delay and relatively weak social skills from an inclusive classroom. The first eight sessions provided individual training on eye contact, emotion understanding and social problem solving through toy play and role play. The last eight sessions engaged the target children in small group play with their classmates under the guidance of the researcher. Before the implementation and after the completion of the training program, the target children’s social communication skills in three contexts (including daily classroom routine, free play time at school, and outside school) were assessed via either observations by the researcher or interviews with parents. Besides, in each training session, the target children’s social communication behaviors were recorded. Results showed that the target children showed more eye contact, social awareness, and peer interactions over the training sessions. After the training program, the target children demonstrated a higher level of social interest and became more competent in expressing themselves. For example, they participated less in exploratory play but more in social pretend play during free play time at school. They also used full sentences more frequently to communicate about their wants and feelings. These findings suggest that social play can motivate young children to communicate with others. Group play with peers, in particular, provides a natural and fun context for social skill training, because young children can learn from more competent peers how to express their ideas and practice a variety of social problem solving skills. (Keywords: language delay, social communication skills, play, training program)