Teaching leisure social skills to adults with moderate mental retardation:An analysis of acquisition, generalization, and maintenance

We examined the use of a social skills problem-solving intervention to teac h social leisure skills to four adults with moderate levels of mental retar dation. Participants attended a local bar each week but were not independen t in terms of ordering their own drinks nor did they interact with other ba r patrons. The intervention produced immediate positive changes in these ta rgeted social skills with all participants. They also generalized the ase o f these social skills to other bar settings. Finally, all participants main tained the skills for up to three years following the removal of the interv ention. The results of this research are discussed in terms of the need to provide instructional and other forms of adaptive support in order to promo te inclusion in regular life leisure activities for persons with mental ret ardation.