SOCIAL COMPETENCE AND SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR PERSONS WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION - AN EXPANSION OF A BEHAVIORAL PARADIGM

The imperative for a reformulation of social skills training theory fo r adults with mental retardation is discussed. Current practices in so cial skills training for persons with mental retardation are summarize d along with potential reasons for their concomitant lack of maintenan ce and generalization of treatment gains. In order to better understan d the process of social skills acquisition, the concept of social comp etence must be redefined. A cognitive-behavioral definition and model of social competence and social skills is described which attempts to unify traditional social learning concepts with more recent advances i n research and practice with persons with cognitive deficits, along wi th a focus on its utility in the training of social skills among perso ns with mental retardation.