This article turns from a discussion of why it may be helpful to teach ‘special’ children social skills, and how this can best be done, to consider the findings of research psychologists. The small number of studies carried out have usually shown worthwhile improvements and it seems logical to offer social skills training to children who respond less well to other treatments. However, an important problem for both researchers and practitioners remains, that of defining competence in a way that reflects the child's needs rather than just the trainer's values.
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