Available evidence indicates that a substantial majority of young children with intellectual delays exhibit special problems in forming peer relationships and developing friendships. This increased social isolation from peers poses a considerable threat to their mental health in both the short and long term. This problem is related to but extends…

Drawing on current research and best practices, this second part of the three-part resource, "Supporting Positive Behaviour in Alberta Schools," provides information and strategies for systematically teaching, supporting and reinforcing positive behaviour in the classroom. A proactive approach to classroom management is designed to…

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends 2013, taking place in Madrid, Spain, from 26 to 28 of April. Our efforts and active engagement can now be rewarded with these three days of exciting new developments about what we are passionate about: Psychology and its connections. We take pride…

This study evaluated the effects of Integrative Gestalt Therapy on the intellectual aspects of social competence in 13 children, ages 7 to 11, living in Zagreb, Croatia. These children had intellectual disabilities (IQ 54 to 84) as well as psychological and/or behavior problems. Integrative Gestalt Therapy emphasizes the wholeness of a person's…

This Boys' Town guide for parents focuses on proactive aggression, how to recognize it, and how to deal with it. The guide differentiates proactive and reactive aggression, describes potential causes, and presents suggestions for eliminating inappropriate behavior. One parent-child scenario is described in which unwitting parents with the best of…

This action research project implemented and evaluated an intervention designed to assist students in developing their social skills to enhance the classroom atmosphere. The targeted population consisted of fourth-, fifth- and sixth- grade students in lower- to middle-class suburbs of a Midwestern city. Off-task, verbal and physical inappropriate…

This practicum project addressed the need to improve antisocial behavior in disruptive elementary school children, using a skill deficit perspective. Six student participants were selected on the basis of a high number of school suspensions and their identification as disrespectful, confrontational, and self-absorbed, as well as behaviors that…

The Future Quest curriculum is a functional curriculum to teach drug abuse prevention skills to youth with mild disabilities. The curriculum is a one-semester instructional program of lesson plans that incorporate research-based effective teaching practices and are specifically designed to meet the needs of students with learning and behavior…

This study examined the effect of a social skills training intervention on the behavior of 18 noncompliant second graders who exhibited poor study skills and experienced academic failure. Teachers selected students for intervention and rated them on the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist before and after the intervention. Pre- and post-test…

The study looked at differences between groups of children identified as high visibility rejected (HVR) and low visibility rejected (LVR) on a sociometric measure with 952 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students. Questionnaires were analyzed to determine the number of positive and negative nominations from peers received by each child. HVR…

The paper reviews the interaction between a young child and the school environment in the development of emotional and behavior problems. Research on empathy development, the impact of the teacher-child relationship, and effects on self concept of social relationships with peers are considered. The origin and achievements of the Child and Family…

The community served by Towns Elementary School has changed from a black neighborhood of upper middle class homeowners to a neighborhood where the majority of the houses are now rented to lower socioeconomic status residents. Pupils now, possibly because of their environmental circumstances, exhibit behaviors which indicate needs for remediation…

Bullying is a topic rarely talked about in a sustained, non-judgmental, and age-appropriate manner. The subject is also an under-studied phenomenon in the United States, in contrast with Britain, Norway, and Sweden. In the past, studies on bullying have focused on the pathology of the bully instead of on the whole school culture, or bullying has…

This action research project sought to improve the social skills of targeted third-, fourth-, fifth-, and seventh-grade students in order to improve their classroom performance. The students' lack of social skills was documented by means of teacher observation checklists, teacher and student surveys, and past disciplinary records. Objectives of…

This paper discusses the outcomes of a study that examined social skills as a contextual factor of African American male students with and without behavior problems. Forty-four African American male students (grades 3-5) reported three placement designations: mainstreamed with learning disabilities, mainstreamed with emotional disturbances, or…