A preschool student frequently pushes other students off the playground equipment because he does not know how to ask politely if he can take a turn to play. This student exhibits what type of social skills deficit?

• A. Acquisition
• B. Fluency
• C. Generalization
• D. Maintenance

Answer: (A)

Acquisition of a social skill is being assessed. The child hasn’t learned how to ask politely to take a turn, so he engages in pushing to access the equipment. This shows an initial learning deficit—the skill of making a polite request has not yet been acquired.

If the child already knew how to ask but didn’t do so consistently or quickly, the issue would relate to fluency (speed/accuracy of performance). Generalization would involve using the skill correctly across different people or settings, and maintenance would concern keeping the skill after some time without practice. The scenario focuses on learning the behavior in the first place, not on using it across contexts, maintaining it, or performing it fluently. To address acquisition, teach and reinforce the appropriate request (e.g., “Can I take a turn, please?”) with modeling, prompts, and practice.