SOCIAL SKILLS IN ADDRESSING DIVERSITY. PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A TRAINING PROGRAMME

This paper presents the preliminary results of a socio-educational intervention programme aimed at addressing diversity by employing a range of available technologies, both digital and analog, the endpoint being to work on the strengths of participants —individuals who have either Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD).

Within this framework of reference —and on the basis of a positive view of work with students with specific diversity-related needs—, we identify in participants several areas of interest (e.g., highly restrictive, fixated patterns of behaviour regarding computers and computer-based activities) which we treat as potential resources in order to stimulate additional skills that may be impaired (in this particular case, assertive skills).

Against the backdrop of this paradigm, therefore, we regard such “special interests” (i.e. repetitive, restrictive or strongly perseverative) not as a hindrance or disability, but rather as an important asset in work involving attention to diversity: the subject is seen as possessing “different” —not “impaired” characteristics.

The main goal of our study consists of improving a whole set of social skills in a group of individuals with ASD and SSD through the implementation of a Socio-Educational Intervention Programme that combines both digital and analogic technologies. More specifically, the focus lies on improving assertive skills as well as on agressiveness and inhibition.

Our paper presents the results obtained with regard to the participants’ assertive skills after carrying out an intervention programme that relies on the above-mentioned approach.