A two-year study of preschoolers attempted to identify emotions and prosocial behaviors that reliably predict teachers' ratings of young preschoolers' affective and behavioral social-emotional competence. Results showed that observed emotion, especially anger and sadness, often predicted teacher ratings of social-emotional competence in…

Discusses a previous study of the operational and sociomoral reasoning of 70 congenitally deaf children. Reports that, although the results indicated no differences between the hearing and nonhearing students on the development of sociomoral reasoning, the researchers still advocated intervention programs. (CFR)

Responds to criticism of research into the development of sociomoral reasoning of deaf children. Defends research methodology and asserts that the criticism does not accurately interpret their hypotheses. Concludes that their recommended intervention program also would be helpful with sensory unimpaired children. (CFR)

Rather than being nurtured into healthy beings, the children who experience rejection and blame can become discouraged and angry. They respond with escalating, acting-out behavior to the perceived hostile environment. Success with these children requires adults who can live with them in their world without becoming entangled in counteraggression.…

The Iowa Behavioral Initiative is a staff development venture designed to help educators with the increasingly complex student behaviors which seem to defy former standards of intervention. Participation in the Initiative activities provides general and special educators with practical, validated strategies for dealing with student behavior…

This article describes the use of social-story intervention programs to teach appropriate social behavior to 3 children with autism (ages 7 and 11). The intervention combined social-story methodology with a behavioral social skills training strategy. Suggestions for developing, implementing, and evaluating social-story programs are provided.…

Investigated families of children with internalized versus externalized symptoms according to linear and curvilinear conceptions of circumplex model. It was hypothesized that externalized symptoms would result in family being classified as chaotic and disengaged, whereas internalized symptoms would result in being classified as rigid and enmeshed.…

Eighteen papers consider the antisocial child. The genesis of his behavior is discussed in terms of psychopathic personality trends, acting out, and sexual disorders; emotional factors in the use of authority and the contribution of controls to corrective learning are described. Efforts at psychiatric treatment are reviewed with reference to…

This study followed a small group of children exposed to pre- and perinatal health threats to determine whether any psychological effects of the health threat could be identified and if so, whether there is potential in pediatric care to prevent such consequences. The 67 infants were all members of low income families. The tests used included the…

This brief discusses the challenge of learning English as a second language and the social interaction patterns these children exhibit, along with limited communication abilities, that are similar to those exhibited by children identified with specific language impairments or with speech impairments. It is not uncommon for many of these children…

Designed for use with individuals ages 3 months to 44 years, the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) measure adaptive behavior and problem behaviors in such areas as motor skills, social interaction, language, personal self-care, punctuality, destructiveness, and inattention. This paper describes the SIB's administration, scoring,…

There has recently been increased attention given to the widely perceived gap between research and practice in school psychology and education. The purpose of this article is to describe how Centennial School of Lehigh University, an alternative day school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, was able to successfully implement and…

The author discusses the 1990s trend in schools in Lipetsk Oblast to back away from previous policies of including social, cultural, civic and moral training for students. During the same period, says the writer, parents began to show less interest in the effectiveness of instruction and upbringing. These combined trends resulted in increased…

This theme newsletter issue presents seven articles describing toddler behavior and development, services for toddlers, and toddlers with special needs. The first article, "Toddlers: Themes and Variations" (Lois Barclay Murphy and Colleen Small) focuses on variations in toddler development, noting emerging skills, language, and the caregiver role.…

Much of our thinking about contemporary social problems reflects tacit presuppositions regarding the operation of heredity and environment in human behavior. These beliefs have important implications for practical decisions. Advances in genetics, psychology, anthropology, and other disciplines have contributed much to a clarification of the…