SOCIAL-SKILLS ACTIVITIES TO USE WITH HEARING-IMPAIRED CHILDREN

Social skills training programmes have effectively developed the socia l competence and self-esteem of hearing students. Minimal research ava ilable indicates that they may also be of benefit to deaf children. A pilot study was established to identify which activities and strategie s are effective for use with deaf children in such a programme. Twenty -one activities were tried and rated by the students, from these ratin gs it was possible to find correlates with six variables-group activit y, high visual component, turn-taking, low level of teacher input, low level of personal divulgence, low level of writing. Overall the activ ities that the students preferred were those which involved group work , structured turn-taking and a visual mode of presentation. They liked less activities that required writing and a high level of teacher int ervention.