B. Leelavathi, J. Vijayalakshmi, D. Stalin A. Regan and Anandha Krishnan R.
Effect of Circle Games on Development of Social Skills…
THE
INDIAN JOURNAL
OF
SOCIAL WORK
Tata Institute
of
Social Sciences
Volume 72, Issue 2
April 2011
ARTICLES
Effect of Circle Games on Development of
Social Skills among Children with
Deafblindness
B. LEELAVATHI, J. VIJAYALAKSHMI, D. STALIN A. REGAN AND R. ANANDHA
KRISHNAN
The pedagogy used for teaching children with special needs is unique to their
circumstances. The teacher is instrumental in adopting various innovative
approaches. Social skills form the basis for living, working and functioning within
the community. With this perspective in mind, the researchers have attempted to
study the development of social skills among eight children with deafblindness
studying in the Thermai Special School of the National Institute for Empowerment
of persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai. This experimental research was
conducted to document the effect of circle games on development of social skills
and to compare its effectiveness with existing classroom instructions. Both the
groups—experimental and classroom—received 30 sessions of training with the
help of special educators. Analysis of data showed a significant improvement in
social skills among children in the experimental group. It was found that circle
games were effective in the development of social skills in children across the age
range of 9-15 years.
B. Leelavathi and J. Vijayalakshimi are Lecturers, while D. Stalin A. Regan and R.
Anandha Krishnan are Special Teachers at the National Institute for Empowerment of
the Persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
INTRODUCTION
Social development is an integral part of a comprehensive education
programme. It forms the basis for living, working and functioning within
the community. Social skills are one of the first steps towards independent
IJSW, 72(2), 169–180, April 2011
170 B. Leelavathi, J. Vijayalakshmi, D. Stalin A. Regan and Anandha Krishnan R.
living for enhancement of communication skills, motor skills, and personal
skills. Good work skills are not enough to ensure success without necessary accomplishment of appropriate social skills. The traditional way of
teaching social skills is through instruction, modelling, role play, performance feedback, generalisation of the learnt skills and social reinforcement (Learning Through Doing, 2002).
Social skills that are acquired by normal children in a habitual manner
need to be specially taught in an extraordinary style for persons with multiple handicaps and other sensory impairments. These individuals need intervention at all levels of social development—from the stage of self
awareness to active participation in the community (Perkins Activity and
Resource Guide, 1992).
Children with deafblindness are very small in number and with a wide
range of needs. Developmental impediments in the case of deafblindness is
not simply limited to hearing impairment or visual impairment. It is a
unique disability causing tremendous developmental disadvantage as access to information from the environment is limited. In addition, majority
of the children with deafblindness have other problems such as physical
disabilities or associated medical conditions (Heather, 2005).
Deafblindness affects all areas of development of the child. These include
the formation of relationships, emotional security, communication, cognition,
motor development, perceptual development, self awareness and independency. These symptoms are manifested from birth and jeopardise both the
child’s personal growth and relationships within the family (Narayan, 2003).
Children with deafblindness are unable to see or hear their mother’s approach. The sudden touch of the mother leads to confusion, rather than
comfort and security. The mother’s responses to the child’s signals are disrupted from birth because of significant impact in the auditory and visual
communication process (Murdoch, 1994).
Within a specified environment a child uses his mobility and sense organs
to explore his surroundings. However, the scenario is far different for a child
with special needs. A child with blindness uses his/her hands to explore the
physical environment and a child with hearing loss uses signs for interaction.
However, when both the vision and hearing are impaired, the child uses
his/her hands as an instrument for interaction (Punani and Rawal 1993).
Social competency is absolutely essential for smooth interaction within
the community. Appropriate social skills need to be modelled for children
IJSW, 72(2), 169–180, April 2011
Effect of Circle Games on Development of Social Skills… 171
at every level with ample chance to participate in a variety of settings. Social skills are imparted to children through the use of games, toys, recreational and leisure activities. Tatsis and Kafoussi (2008) proved that games
enable children to express their opinions and provide opportunities for the
practice and development of various skills.
Games provide an enjoyable way to develop fine and complex motor
skills and are also used as a means to improve functional cognitive and social skills. It is an integral part of a child’s life and also a basic need of
every child with special needs (Karnad, 2009). Sehoen and Bullard (2002)
reported that social skills in children with autism are enhanced through
play. Better learning opportunities for the deafblind can be created through
the development of a suitable range of teaching-learning models. This
study is a modest attempt to explore the effect of games in developing social skills among persons with deafblindness. Therefore, the objectives of
the study are:
• To study the effect of circle games in development of social skills
among children with deafblindness.
• To compare the performance level in development of social skills
among children with deafblindness.
METHODOLOGY
The study was conducted among children with deafblindness undergoing
special education training in the deafblind unit of the Thermai Special
School at National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple
Disabilities, Chennai.
Research Design
An experimental research design (Pre-test and Post-test group design) was
used for the present study. Purposive sampling method was used for the selection of the sample. The sample consisted of 8 children who constituted
the experimental group (N=4) and 4 children who constituted the control
group. All the 8 children (6 boys and 2 girls) within the age group of 9–15
years were selected from the same school and diagnosed with dual sensory
impairment of hearing and vision loss (deafblindness). They were considered as matched groups as far as important variables were concerned. All
the children belonged to nuclear families and most of the families consisted
of four members each.
IJSW, 72(2), 169–180, April 2011
172 B. Leelavathi, J. Vijayalakshmi, D. Stalin A. Regan and Anandha Krishnan R.
Assessment Tools
The Social Skill Scale Checklist (SSSC) was developed by the researchers
as an instrument to measure the acquisition of social skills. This scale
(Table 1) consists of 33 items in a development sequence pattern with relevance to children with deafblindness, existing assessment tools and observations. All the items were arranged in ascending order based on the
teaching principles from simple to complex. The social skills were measured
using the following record pattern— very poor – 1, poor – 2, average – 3,
good – 4, and very good – 5 (Vijayan, 2007). This scale was validated
through content validity and the same scale was used for pre-test and
post-test studies.
TABLE 1: Social Skill Scale Checklist
Item
No.
Items in Social Skill Scale Checklist
1.
Responds to interaction (Smiles)
2.
Responds to his/her name
3.
Learning to stay separate from his/her parents
4.
Turns head or stops when called
5.
Shows happiness when other person smiles
6.
Goes to familiar persons when asked to come near
7.
Differentiates familiar people from strangers
8.
Develops trust
9.
Actively listens
10.
Initiates gestures and actions
11.
Plays with other children co-operatively
12.
Participates in group games in which 4 to 5 children are involved
13.
Can stay on a task for 3-4 minutes
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Effect of Circle Games on Development of Social Skills… 173
Item
No.
Items in Social Skill Scale Checklist
14.
Passes on items to others
15.
Helps others in the class room
16.
Shares materials during group games
17.
Stays with the team
18.
Takes turn ( with others)
19.
Waits for his turn
20.
Chooses toys or activities when options are given
21.
Explores within the classroom
22.
Locates places and known items in the classroom
23.
Explores immediate environment
24.
Expresses enjoyment when taken out
25.
Can name the members in the group
26.
Shows awareness of personal belongingness and differentiates
27.
Associates day to day activities with time
28.
Follows simple verbal commands like ‘no’ or ‘yes’
29.
Follows simple verbal request with gestures
30.
Express likes and dislikes appropriately
31.
Follows simple instructions
32.
Celebrates success
33.
Develops self confidence
IJSW, 72(2), 169–180, April 2011
174 B. Leelavathi, J. Vijayalakshmi, D. Stalin A. Regan and Anandha Krishnan R.
Experimental Procedure
Social skill level of each child was measured using the Social Skill
Scale Checklist (SSSC). The assessment was done by the classroom instructor during their common classroom time in an environment familiar to the children. Both the groups were trained during the morning
sessions for a period of one hour across 30 sessions. The subjects in the
experimental group were trained in social skills through circle games
conducted in the classroom and playground. In circle games, children
are encouraged to play with various balls and objects. The participants
are made to pass on the balls and various different objects using ropes.
Play also involves dropping the balls and objects in tubs and drums. Appropriate materials were used in the games for active involvement of the
children. The details of the games and materials used for training are
given in Table 2.
TABLE 2: Games and Materials used for Teaching Social Skills
Sl.No
Game
Materials
1.
Ball Pass
Sound balls, Vibration balls, Textured objects
2.
Relay Pastime
Ropes, Sound sticks, Rings, Dance sticks
3.
Bucket the Ball
Reverberation ball, Vibration ball, Soft ball
4.
Tumbling Ball in Drum
Globe ball, Drum
5.
Position Change
Blind folds
6.
Snake Sport
Checkered square place
7.
Ring Wear
Ring, String, Tub
8.
Feet Sinking
Tub, Shoes
9.
Hand Concentration
Textured cloth, Hand gloves
10.
Circle Tag
Dance sticks, Gum, Ball
The subjects in the control group were taught social skills through
conventional methods. During the intervention period, social reinforcements were used to enhance the active and cooperative participation of
each subject. Appropriate statistical tools were used for analysis of the
data.
IJSW, 72(2), 169–180, April 2011
Effect of Circle Games on Development of Social Skills… 175
RESULTS
The first objective of the study was to determine the effect of circle games
on development of social skills among children with deafblindness. After
30 sessions of intervention programmes, data analysis was done to see the
development of social skills in both the experimental and control groups.
The final achievement of the students is shown in Table 3.
TABLE 3: Development of Social Skills
Group
Experimental Group
Control group
N
Mean
SD
t. value
4
[4 males]
120
44.0
2.920**
4
[2 males]
[2 females]
78
47.3
** Significant at 0.01 level
The above table shows the post-test mean scores for the experimental
group as 120 and the control group as 78. The standard deviation of the experimental and control group was 44.0 and 47.3 respectively. The ‘t-test’
was conducted to find out if there was any significant difference in the
post-mean scores of the experimental and control groups on development
of social skills. The results indicated a highly significant difference
(P<0.01 HS) in post-mean scores of the experimental and control groups
on development of social skills. In a similar study, Pierce-Jordan and Lifter
(2005) reported an inverse relationship between play and social interaction
of children with special needs.
Hence, the intervention treatment has an impact in development of social skills among students belonging to the experimental group. This shows
that development of social skills among children with deafblindness is
more effective through circle games than conventional methods.
It is evident from Figure 1, that there is a difference between the groups
at the baseline level. The bars also indicate an increase in the post-mean
scores of both the groups. However, the increase in the post-mean score of
the experimental group is higher than that of the control group. As compared to the lecture method, games have been found to be more effective in
teaching language to children (Cherian, 2007).
IJSW, 72(2), 169–180, April 2011
176 B. Leelavathi, J. Vijayalakshmi, D. Stalin A. Regan and Anandha Krishnan R.
FIGURE 1: Mean Achievement Scores of Subjects in Social Skills
Pre-test
Post-test
150
120
100
78
43
50
21
0
Experiment Group
Control Group
The second objective of the study was to study the performance among
the groups on development of social skills.
FIGURE 2: Performance of the Experimental Group
156
139
129
71
56
10
1
Pre-test
2
Post-test
Figures 2 and 3 represent the levels of both the groups. The graphs compare the performance levels of the children during pre-test and post-test.
Both the groups exhibit an improvement in learning social skills. However,
the acquisition of social skills for the children of the experimental group
was significantly higher.
IJSW, 72(2), 169–180, April 2011
Effect of Circle Games on Development of Social Skills… 177
FIGURE 3: Performance of the Control Group
Pre-test
Post-test
DISCUSSION
The primary objective of the study was to find out the effectiveness of circle games on development of social skills among children with
deafblindness. The base line performance of both the groups was heterogeneous. The experimental and control group subjects were taught social
skills. When compared to the control group, who had received conventional methods of instruction, higher levels of achievement in acquiring
social skills was seen among subjects of the experimental group who had
received training through circle games. There was a gradual increase in
the mean achievement scores of the experimental group when compared
to the control group. The t-test indicated a highly significant difference in
the overall performance of the experimental group subjects when compared to the control group subjects. Thus, if children with deafblindness
are provided adequate exposure to circle games and innovative methods
of teaching, they can hope to experience a better quality of living. Considering their dual disability, the teaching strategies used in the experimental group can be employed in a classroom situation to enhance the
learning process.
Games are recognised as one the efficient mediums for imparting social
skills and a critical component for development of children (Morrison,
Sainato, Benchoaha and Endo, 2002). The findings of this study corroborates the findings of the present study. Learning with the aid of circle
games enhances the social skills of children with deafblindness.
IJSW, 72(2), 169–180, April 2011
178 B. Leelavathi, J. Vijayalakshmi, D. Stalin A. Regan and Anandha Krishnan R.
Implications
The implications of the study are three fold.
1. Peer interaction motivates children with deafblindness for meaningful
learning during their course of growth.
2.
As a teaching strategy, group instruction is more effective than individual learning experiences for training children with deafblindness
and additional disabilities.
3. In groups, children with special needs can involve themselves productively and learn new skills for effective living.
CONCLUSION
Research shows that children with deafblindness lack in socialisation
skills because of dual sensory impairment. Only their hands function as
sense organs for the expression of most of their needs and their world extends till their finger tips (Sense International, 2009). Sudden interaction
with these groups of children creates puzzlement rather than comfort and
security. Information is processed very slowly by deafblind children as
interactions with their environment are limited. As a result of these complexities, deafblind children are unable to perceive things as they are in
the real environment. In the case of children with residual vision and
hearing the input from the environment goes in the form of altered information.
Therefore, for effective interaction, mobility and independency
within their environment, children with deafblindness should be encouraged to develop adequate social skills. Article 26 of the United
Nations Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
stipulates that:
States Parties shall take effective and appropriate measures, including through
peer support, to enable persons with disabilities to attain and maintain
maximum independence, full physical, mental, social and vocational ability,
and full inclusion and participation in all aspects of life.(United Nations
Organisation, 2008).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors extend their sincere thanks to the children who participated in the study and to
the Director, National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities
(NIEPMD) for unremitting guidance and support.
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Effect of Circle Games on Development of Social Skills… 179
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