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‘Play skills’ for shy children: development of a Social Skills Facilitated Play early intervention program for extremely inhibited preschoolers
Author(s) -
Coplan Robert J.,
Schneider Barry H.,
Matheson Adrienne,
Graham Allison
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
infant and child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.87
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1522-7219
pISSN - 1522-7227
DOI - 10.1002/icd.668
Subject(s) - intervention (counseling) , psychology , social skills , developmental psychology , typically developing , clinical psychology , psychiatry , autism
The aim of the present study was to develop and provide a preliminary evaluation of a social‐skills‐based early intervention program specifically designed to assist extremely inhibited preschoolers. Participants were a sample of n =22 extremely inhibited preschool‐aged children, who were randomly assigned to either the Social Skills Facilitated Play (SST) or Waitlist Control (WLC) condition. As compared to wait‐list controls, extremely inhibited children who participated in the SST‐facilitated play program sessions demonstrated a significantly greater post‐intervention decrease in observed socially wary behaviours and a significantly greater increase in social and socially competent behaviours at preschool. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of developing and refining early intervention programs for extremely inhibited young children. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.