Developing positive school climates and improving school discipline policies and practices are critical steps to raising academic achievement and supporting student success. However, there is no single formula for doing so. Rather, the growing body of research and best practices in the field should inform locally developed approaches to improving…

Generally recognized as the standard work in its field, "Behavioral, Social, and Emotional Assessment of Children and Adolescents" provides a comprehensive foundation and guide for conducting conceptually sound, culturally responsive, and ecologically oriented assessments of student social and emotional behavior. It is aimed at graduate…

This user-friendly book presents research-based best practices for serving families of children with special needs from birth to age 6. Expert contributors demonstrate how early intervention and early childhood special education can effectively address a wide range of family concerns, which in turn optimizes children's development and learning.…

Social skills assessment techniques for determining individual-specific deficits are presented within a framework for integrating information and identifying reciprocal relationships. Employing socially valid measures is recommended to determine target behaviors that predict relevant outcomes and to assess training efficacy. (Author/JDD)

The work group's discussion centers on seven factors affecting disabled adolescents' social development. Each of the following factors is addressed in terms of potentially important research, service, and policy initiatives: self esteem, peer groups, parenting, family, services, enforced dependency, and positive sexual socialization. (CL)

The use of social skills measures as a component of multifactored assessment in making mainstreamed placement decisions is recommended. It is suggested that social skills information may be more important in making a decision to mainstream than IQ or achievement. (Author)

The feelings of non-disabled children toward their disabled siblings are explored. Children describe how they sometimes react negatively to situations involving their disabled siblings even though they understand that their reaction is not the best response. The parents' role in serving the needs of all their children is examined. (JDD)

Thirteen programmatic factors are identified and considered for their role in fostering social integration in mainstreamed settings. (CL)

Group friendship activities can help young children with disabilities in preschool programs develop social skills. Suggestions for successful implementation address the size of the group, activity length, choice of activity, selecting expressions of friendship, and participation of individual children. (DB)

This edition of the newsletter of the National Information Center for Handicapped Children and Youth introduces methods used to change children's behavior and help them acquire the skills needed to work with others, have friendships, achieve independence, and enjoy normal social relationships. Brief articles have the following titles: "Social…

The monograph presents guidelines for early intervention services for handicapped infants and their families. Guidelines are the result of a 1980 conference on health issues in early identification programs. Three state of the art papers are included: "Infancy, What We Know and What We Need to Know as a Basis for Intervention" by A. Korner; "Child…

Research on environmental strategies to increase positive peer interactions has been conducted on a wide range of children, including 2- to 5-year-old typically developing children and children with a variety of developmental and social disabilities. Intervention efforts have been successful with both typically developing children and children…

Advantages and disadvantages of methods to evaluate sociometric outcomes of mainstreaming (sociometric assessment, nomination methods, rating scale method, paired comparison method, and variations on nomination and rating scale methods) are considered. (CL)

This article provides a framework for social skills homework in special education; an example of a social skills assignment; and a continuum for the involvement of parents, teachers, peers, and others in the homework process. Practicing social skills in natural settings is felt to assist in generalization and maintenance. (JDD)