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Social Skill Need Assessment
Behavior Problem Assessment
Diagnostic Evaluations
Social Skill Need Assessment
Each student is evaluated through observation, interviews and rating scales
to develop an individualized social skill plan. The evaluation yields
three critical pieces of information to design an effective intervention:
- What social skills to teach and in what order. Some students will
need certain prerequisite skills before they can learn other skills.
For example, attending to others verbal or non-verbal communications
is a critical first step before one can teach other social skills. A
list of common skills we target are listed on the social skill menu
which also appears in the Social Skills Training Manual.
- Strategies to teach skills. We will determine the best approach for
each student based on his or her language ability and learning style.
Some students will learn better from visual strategies that utilize
pictures and direct modeling more than verbal explanation (e.g., see
Social Skill Picture Book). Other students will benefit from skill lessons
that include verbal or written explanations (e.g., see Social Skills
Training Manual).
- Individual or group training. Some students will initially benefit
from individual training to build group-readiness skills, such as attending
to others, and coordinating their actions with others. Many students
will enter groups of two or more students who are matched by cognitive
and language ability, motivation to socialize, and age.

Behavior Problem Assessment
We can provide an assessment of problem behaviors to help understand why
the behavior occurs. This is also known as a "Functional Assessment."
The assessment may involve observation, interview, review of behavior
diaries, and filling out questionnaires. Based on the information we will
help put together a behavior plan which may involve: Modifications to
the demands placed on the student, skills training to provide alternatives
to inappropriate behaviors, and incentive systems.

Diagnostic Evaluations
We can provide an assessment geared towards making a diagnosis of a particular
psychiatric condition. This may involve interviews, questionnaires, and
direct observation. If needed, we can provide a written summary of our
diagnostic impression. |
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