Social skills may be challenging for individuals with intellectual and developmental disability as a result of the social deficits and difficulties with social interaction that are central to the diagnostic definition of the disorder. These deficits may require continual treatment across the lifespan using interventions that target the social skills appropriate at each phase of development. This chapter describes social skills interventions for individuals in early childhood, elementary school, adolescence, and adulthood and offers recommendations for practice at each developmental stage. Successful interventions at all phases of development are individualized based upon the individuals skill level and specific needs and utilize individual interests to promote engagement. The use of preferred activities or choice is seen across all stages as an important component of social skills programming. In addition, the use of behavioral strategies, environmental arrangement, and visual feedback in order to assist with the direct teaching of the skill are components of many effective treatments. Finally, many of the interventions described directly program for maintenance of skills across time and generalization of skills across people and settings, which can lead to improved long-term outcomes.
