Using a problem-solving approach to teach social skills to workers with brain injuries in supported employment settings

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mark F. O'Reilly, | Giulio E. Lancioni, | Niamh O'Kane,

Affiliations: National University of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland | University of Leiden, The Netherlands | Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL, USA

Note: [] Department of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. Tel.: +353 4548 3615; E-mail: Mark.OReilly@ucd.ie

Abstract: We examined the effectiveness of a problem-solving intervention to teach social skills to two workers with traumatic brain injuries. Both individuals demonstrated deficits in social skills which jeopardized their current job placements. Two of the most problematic social skills were selected for intervention with each participant. The intervention was evaluated using a multiple baseline design across social skills for each of the participants. All targeted social skills increased in the training setting when the intervention was implemented. The social skills also generalized to the work sites. Additionally, participants continued to perform the targeted social skills in the training setting for up to six weeks following the removal of the intervention.

Keywords: social skills, traumatic brain injury, supported employment

Journal: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 187-194, 2000