Teaching Social Skills to Children and Adolescents With Visual Impairments: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Social skills are acquired primarily through imitation using the visual system. As a result, people with visual impairments may experience difficulties in this area at any age, which can have a major effect on their social participation and on their quality of life. The objective of this study was to systematically review the effects of targeted interventions on social skills in children and adolescents with visual impairments. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed using databases Web of Science, OvidSP, EBSCOhost, Sage Journals. The scientific quality of the studies was assessed using two scales dedicated to single case studies and group studies, respectively. Results: Out of 1866 hits, 32 studies were included in the review. A total of 397 children and adolescents with visual impairments (aged 3–20 years) received different types of social skills interventions. “Peer relation” interventions were most often studied (n = 21) and effects were mainly analyzed using observational tools. The scientific quality rating scales indicated moderate (for group studies) to high general quality (for single case studies). Overall, most studies reported improvements in targeted social skills. Discussion: Given the heterogeneity of the studies considered, both in content and in the measures used to document effects, these results should be interpreted with caution. Consequently, it is not clear which interventions should be recommended for use in practice such as in special education. Implications for Practitioners: Given the high rate of social skills difficulties reported in this population and the effect of these difficulties on all stages of development, it seems particularly relevant for practitioners to integrate social skills assessment and explicit teaching into intervention programs. In the future, researchers, stakeholders, and practitioners should work together to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents with visual impairments.