The authors advocate a performance-based approach to assessing social competence in which multiple staff and parents evaluate the adequacy of the child's behavior in social interactions with peer and adults. An example illustrates the approach in an early childhood special education setting. (CL)

Resolution of serious behavior problems requires individual functional assessment of the events that predict and maintain the challenging behavior and identification of contextual factors that are relevant to effective behavioral support. Functional assessment can involve review of school records, interviews, rating scales, direct observation, and…

The article describes the pilot testing of a direct observation procedure for observing social interactions of mentally retarded and non-retarded workers in supported work settings. The instrument was found to be capable of assessing such interactions and was readily utilized by practitioners. (DB)

Techniques for categorizing the social and cognitive aspects of children's play on an observational instrument are outlined in this article. Correlates between social cognitive aspects of play and other measures of educational attainment are mentioned. Implications for teacher educators are discussed. (Author/DF)

This paper reviews what is known about social coordination in young children with disabilities, describes how social coordination develops in children with and without disabilities, discusses the role of social coordination in developing social competence, examines how available assessments of social skills address the concept of social…

Parents of 20 children with autism and 14 children with mental retardation, with comparable cognitive developmental levels, completed the Preschool Social Behavior Checklist. Results revealed that autistic children exhibited deficits in imaginative play, peer play, and imitation skills compared to the other group, and that parents are capable of…

In this study an observation schedule was developed and used to compare activities and behavior of 77 New Zealand children with disabilities who had been mainstreamed into special groups within preschools and play centers and 77 non-disabled peers. The development of the schedule is described, results are given, and advice is offered to…

The paper describes a behavioral-ecological assessment system called AIMS (Assessment for Integration into Mainstream Settings) and presents the results of a comparative study of the responses of four Australian (N=179) and two U.S. (N=72) elementary teacher groups on two of the AIMS assessment instruments, the Social Behavior Standards Inventory…

Arranged in two sections, this guide provides materials for adapting the "Learning About Social Behavior" program for learning disabled elementary school students. Section 1 contains the following specialized test instruments: the School Observation Scale, Cognition of Behavioral Relations, Cognition of Behavioral Systems, Cognition of…

Designed for teaching students in regular and special education classes, the guide provides an instructional approach (as opposed to a counseling approach) to teaching social and behavioral skills. This approach, based on the premise that behavioral skills can be developed through instruction, drills, and applied practice, employs concepts from…

This book shows how the process of consultation can be applied to persistent academic and social behavior problems. It emphasizes a behavior-analytic, best-practice approach to solving student, classroom, and school challenges, demonstrating the learned nature and lawfulness of behavior and the importance of the immediate environment. Part I…