Like all teens, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) go through puberty. During this transitional time, their bodies will go through changes that can be disorienting. Given that adolescents with ASD may have a need for sameness and routine, the changes associated with puberty can be difficult. Teachers and parents can support students by…

During early childhood, practitioners and family members are often tasked with determining optimal approaches to support social skill development in young children with developmental disabilities in inclusive and self-contained settings. Eight different evidence based approaches are highlighted (social narratives, scripting, pivotal response…

Few alcohol prevention programs focus on elementary school-aged youth, yet children develop expectancies and norms about alcohol use during the elementary school years, and many elementary school children are allowed to have sips or tastes of alcohol at home. Research on consequences of early alcohol use indicates that it can put children at…

Because academic success alone does not ensure success in society, schools need to teach fundamental social skills, such as following instructions, accepting criticism or a consequence, accepting "no" for an answer, disagreeing appropriately, greeting someone, making a request, and getting the teacher's attention. Proper social behavior is not…

A course on white collar crime suitable for use in a small or moderately sized undergraduate sociology program is outlined. The development, format, and evaluation of the course are discussed in separate sections. The program is seen as developing out of a need to identify and foster awareness of a wide range of illegal and deviant activities…

In this article the phenomenon of bullying is discussed, using a model for detecting and monitoring cases of bullying used by Japanese teachers. Bullying is viewed as symptomatic of a deeper problem, lack of respect for the dignity and integrity of others. Such respect is a central value in a culture of peace. Bullying is a major threat to…

The instructional program, "Learning About Social Behavior," was designed to teach social and behavioral skills to elementary students in regular and learning disability classrooms. Students are taught with strategies used in reading, math, and assertiveness training. (Author/AM)

An investigation of the process of language teaching as communication in a cross-cultural context shows that there is potential for misunderstanding. Examples of types of errors that are pragmatic rather than grammatical are discussed. A model is presented to help understand the pragmatic error. (DF)

Presents an inner city early intervention program based on a social competence conceptualization. Key elements of the school-based program and an evaluation are described. The program focuses on children's competencies and problems in assessment, intervention, and evaluation. Ratings by teachers indicated interventions improved competencies, but…

Describes a social science curriculum, "Amazing Discoveries," which meets the needs of middle school students with learning disabilities for social skills intervention, is appropriate for all students and fits in with the mandated social science curriculum. The curriculum includes 28 experiments and demonstrations that teach principles of social…

A device used to prevent drivers from falling asleep dramatically reduced stereotypic rocking in a 21-year-old blind student in a residential school. His rocking had been a chief obstacle to employment and acceptance into mainstream society. Follow-up data indicated maintenance of the low level of rocking and positive social changes. (Author/VW)

Social skills training programs offer an effective means of controlling behavior problems in the classroom. Modeling, role-playing, reinforcement, and transfer of training are suggested methods for inducing behavioral change. Several programs to help students control negative behavior are discussed. (DF)

A recommended class activity is a simple gift exchange. Vocabulary, including a wide range of options, holiday terms, and idioms, is introduced at the beginning of class. Partners are assigned, exchange takes place, and thank-you notes may be written. Student enthusiasm and attention are often by-products. (MSE)

Discusses variables which determine the strategies animals use to organize their lives. Describes advances in understanding animal behaviors. Shows how game theory has helped to explain the existence of alternative behavioral strategies and the constraints under which organizers exist. (Author/CW)

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)