This study investigated the feasibility and cultural validity of KONTAKT©, a manualised social skills group training, in improving the social functioning of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). KONTAKT© was delivered to 17 adolescents (m[subscript age] = 14.09, SD[subscript age] = 1.43; 70% male) with ASD over sixteen 90 min sessions.…

Adverse parenting practices, including child maltreatment, interfere with children's adjustment and life outcomes. In this article, Ronald Prinz describes the Triple P--Positive Parenting Program, designed to improve parenting population-wide. Prinz offers four main reasons to take a population approach. First, official records grossly…

Consequences of theory of mind (ToM) development for daily social lives of children are uncertain. Five to 13-year-olds (N = 195) with typical development, autism, or deafness (both native and late signers) took ToM tests and their teachers reported on their social skills for peer interaction (e.g., leadership, group entry). Groups differed in…

As the result of an increasingly technologically "connected" world, citizens are finding it difficult to effectively exercise civic responsibilities in relation to global issues such as climate change, poverty, and warfare (Tully, 2009). New understandings of the concept of "citizenship" are being extended beyond traditional…

The introduction of "Belonging, Being and Becoming: the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia" (EYLF) offers the potential for a change in collective thinking about the social and emotional capabilities of infants and toddlers. Classical theories of young children's development have held that infants and toddlers are egocentric in…

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) impact all areas of a person's life resulting in deficits in language, social behavior, and intellectual abilities as well as the development of repetitive behaviors that can greatly restrict access to the community and quality of life. Intensive behavioral intervention (IBI) has repeatedly been shown to be…

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between abilities to initiate and respond to joint attention and symptoms of autism that have, and have not, been theoretically linked to joint attention. Participants were 51 boys and five girls with autistic disorder, aged between 2 years and 6 years 5 months. Measures of joint attention…

We examined a brief program aimed at preventing anxiety and other problems in early childhood. Participants (N = 734, age 3-6 years) were drawn from 25 preschools across Brisbane, Australia. Assessments occurred four times over 14 months, with a diagnostic interview at follow-up. Parent and teacher reports included information on child…

Evaluated the ethological approach in studying children's interactions and play in an Australian preschool. Factor analysis yielded a gender-linked factor loading on looking and playing house, a physical activity factor, and a sociability factor. Findings suggest that though time consuming and labor-intensive, this approach can provide unique…

Reports on the results of 2 studies that use a non-Kohlbergian approach to categorizing justifications for moral judgments by Australian subjects from 7 to 15 and from 7 to 21 years. These studies support the view that moral reasoning up to late adolescence is largely a product of socialization. (KO)

Examined the effect of child care attendance on young children's social development, in particular the real or perceived difference in behavior of young children coming from long-day care to attend sessions in kindergartens compared with children coming directly from home. Found no significant differences between the two groups. Offers…

This paper describes a process of assisting parents of young children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to identify and prioritise their goals for their children's early intervention. A modified version of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (M-COPM) was used to facilitate this process. Twenty-two child-parent dyads involved in a…