The purpose of the study was to characterize the relationships between behavior problems, academic achievement, and loneliness of students in the upper and lower thirds of a social skills classification. Participants were 733 students (359 boys and 374 girls) ages 9 to 14 years, 642 without learning disabilities (LDs) and 91 with LDs. Their…

This study reports the effects of instruction of elementary students in a complex package of social and academic skills designed for use in cooperative groups while studying important information in inclusive general education classes. Twenty-five teachers and 519 fourth and fifth graders, including 45 students with learning disabilities (LD),…

Three studies investigated preferences of learning disabled (LD) and normal children, parents, and college students for ingratiation tactics. Results suggested that adults agree on the social desirability of some forms. LD Ss preferred tactics deemed less socially desirable by adults than those preferred by nonLD Ss. (Author)

The conversational strategies of the learning disabled and nondisabled children were analyzed for discourse and turn taking behaviors. Learning disabled children asked fewer questions and were less likely to produce open ended questions than nondisabled children. In turn, their conversational partners were less likely to provide elaborative…

Learning disabled and nondisabled children judged the social desirability of the items similarly. It was found that children and adults both judged tactics in the context of target or setting, and that they appeared to agree about the desirability of particular tactics directed toward particular targets. (Author)

Twenty-six pairs of elementary-aged learning disabled and nonhandicapped children were assessed on social perception (empathy) and social skills measures. Few differences were found between the groups on the empathy and social skills measures. A correlation between social skill and empathy was found only for the nonhandicapped group. (Author/DB)

Comparison of positive social behaviors and peer acceptance of 100 mainstreamed learning disabled and 100 nondisabled children revealed significant differences in peer acceptance and in task-related, interpersonal, environmentally and self-related behaviors. Deficits were evident in both school and home settings and were consistent across teacher,…

The semantic usage of five learning disabled (LD) and five nonlearning disabled sixth-grade boys in conversational interaction with an adult and with peers was analyzed. Results indicated that, overall, LD and non-LD boys were highly similar in meaning usage and showed internal consistency of meaning usage across interaction types. (Author/DB)

Questionnaires completed by 450 elementary pupils and by 14 fourth- and fifth-grade teachers revealed a discrepancy between the two groups' social skill focus. Students favored communication and play/sport skills as factors facilitating social interaction while teachers tended to view task-related behaviors as more critical to mainstreaming…

There have been many changes in social skill instruction over the past three decades. Many of them are good, some continue to challenge. The author is just as convinced today as she was at the beginning of her career that children can be taught to be more adaptive. She does not believe that educators cannot afford to fail, because this is germane…

The article examines advances and remaining psychometric problems in social skills assessment technology for students with learning disabilities. Assessment is related to a proposed definition of learning disabilities by the Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities which identifies social skills deficits as a primary learning disability. (DB)

Administration of the Test of Interpersonal Problem Solving to 46 boys (grades 3-4) with learning disabilities (LD) and 46 boys without LD found that LD students had lower scores on Problem Formulation, Consequential Thinking, and Total Problem Solving Ability. No group differences were noted on two measures of creativity. (Author/JDD)

Third and fourth-grade learning disabled boys were compared to low-achieving third and fourth graders (N=24) matched on sex, race, grade, classroom, and reading achievement. No significant differences were found between these two groups in terms of levels of classroom acceptance, social knowledge, and social behavior as rated by their regular…

A learning disabled adult reviews his early experiences with professionals and schools, notes the effects of social skills difficulties and occupational frustrations, and offers suggestions for teachers (such as not discounting students' abilities as well as for learning disabled students (including emphasizing one's strengths and understanding…

The paper tabularly presents information strategies (goals and instructional activities) for managing learning disabled children with oral communication disorders. The strategies are based on a comprehensive organizational framework of pragmatic abilities comprised of three major components: communicative intention, presupposition, and social…