Teaching Social Skills to Youth, 4th Edition: An Easy-to-Follow Guide to Teaching 196 Basic to Complex Life Skills 4 Revised edition

This definitive guide to social skills instruction features 196 skills and their behavioral steps, fresh insights into providing culturally responsive treatment that respects individual identity, inclusive language, and the latest research on social-emotional learning and executive function.

The social and life skills showcased in this fourth edition will empower young people to have greater success in school, at home, on the job, and in their relationships. Several of the new skills promote the values and principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Those skills include:

Sticking Up for YourselfSticking Up for OthersAgreeing to DisagreeRecognizing Your Own Personal Biases or Opinions

Other new skills focus on personal autonomy (Gaining Consent, Giving Consent, and Responding to Persons of Authority). Plus, there are new skills that teach young people how to interact with law enforcement (Responding to Police Interactions and Dealing with Fear of the Police).

The manual reflects and focuses on the importance of teaching social skills to youth of all ages, the elements of social behavior (task and behavior analysis), individual and group teaching techniques, generalization of skills, the role of skill-based interventions for difficult youth problems, and the Boys Town Social Skills Curriculum itself.

For ease and convenience, there are four appendices that group skills by behavior problem areas, common situations or circumstances, social and emotional learning competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making), and skill type (social, emotional management, academic, moral/ethical, and independent living). Every skill is available for download and print.

Teaching Social Skills to Youth, Fourth Edition is ideal for classrooms, individual and group therapy, and job training programs. Educators and caregivers can use this guide to strengthen their cultural competence, increase the skill competency of children, help improve student behavior in school, and develop individualized service plans for troubled or at-risk youth. It is an excellent companion to Building Resiliency in Youth and Mental Health: From Diagnosis to Delivery, both available from Boys Town Press.

The authors have decades of experience working with children and families, and they are experts on issues related to youth aggression, antisocial behavior, abuse, delinquency, and mental health.
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