Social Skills Group Development and Logistics | BCBA CEU | Learning | 1 Hour

In this presentation, Dr. Christine Milne introduces social skills groups and explains that the talk will focus primarily on developing social skills groups and the logistics needed both during setup and while running groups over time. The speaker summarizes a review of social skills interventions for individuals with ASD ages 6–21 that targeted social competence, social communication, and quality of life, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials comparing treatment groups to control groups. The review is described as showing modest gains (e.g., social competence and friendships, reduced loneliness), while also noting variability in curricula and outcome measurement, and ongoing concerns about generalization and long-term effects.

The presentation then highlights practical implementation issues and “missteps,” including forming mismatched groups (e.g., differences in age or skill level) and the mistake of “just throw[ing] them together” when participants are not complementary. The speaker also notes problems with ineffective or unfair group contingency systems. For logistics, the speaker recommends clearly identifying staff roles (lead, shadow, auxiliary) and using lesson plans/schedules that maintain structure while allowing flexibility, beginning with objectives and then selecting activities aligned with those objectives.