Research and observation indicate that some learning disabled students have a degree of social competence that is equal to or superior to their peers. However, social skill deficits create major obstacles for a significantly large subgroup of learning disabled students and adults. There appears to be four characteristics that are shared by many individuals with learning disabilities who also have pronounced social skill deficits. Social skill deficits are more common among individuals with certain language processing deficits or measurable cognitive limitations. Social skill deficiencies are more prevalent among individuals with severe or complex learning disorders.
Females are more likely to experience social adjustment problems than are males.
Individuals with ineffective impulse control tend to have more pronounced social skill problems. Before a skill can be effectively remediated, it must first be assessed and evaluated. Currently, there is no widely-accepted assessment tool that can provide the parent or professional with this critical information. These instruments are designed to evaluate an individual's relative popularity within a peer group. They generally consist of a survey wherein all members of a group are required to place the names of their colleagues in rank order based upon traits such as popularity and cooperation.