Social Skills Training for Highly Aggressive Children

Four highly aggressive children who were inpatients in a psychiatric hospital were treated with social skills training. Treatment was applied to each child in multiple baseline fashion across behaviors. Results indicated that the treatment was highly effective for each child. However, generalization and maintenance patterns varied substantially across subjects. The results were discussed in regard to the idiosyncratic deficits and treatment needs typically found in clinical populations. The need for individualized treatment planning was highlighted, along with the role of the therapeutic relationship.