This article is intended to synthesize the broader literature investigating the effectiveness and salient features of interventions designed to enhance the social competence of youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder. Outcomes for adults with autism spectrum disorder remain poor with only minimal improvement shown for decades. Among 796…

Evidence is accumulating that early intervention can be effective in improving the skills of young children with autism spectrum disorder. However, the science is hampered by the lack of agreed "gold standard" tools for the measurement of progress and outcome. What is required is a reliable, valid, and sensitive measure of change in the…

This study examined associations between parent-child interactions and the development of social skills in 42 children (21 typically developing and 21 with autism spectrum disorders) between the ages of 3 years, 0 months and 6 years, 11 months. We expected that positive parent-child interaction qualities would be related to children's social…

This qualitative study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence competencies and the personal attributes of library disaster response assistance team (DRAT) members. Using appreciative inquiry protocol to conduct interviews at two academic libraries, the study presents findings from emergent thematic coding of interview…

Can young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities be known for their strengths? This mixed-method study explored the strengths of 427 youth and young adults with intellectual disability and/or autism (ages 13-21) from the vantage point of their parents. Using the Assessment Scale for Positive Character Traits-Developmental…

This evaluation research revealed that students' intercultural sensitivity (IS) scores did not change regardless of the type of class in which the student was enrolled. IS scores were not significantly different based on gender, age, ethnicity, undergraduate classification, college enrollment, and number of "I" courses taken. There were…

Research Findings: In this examination of associations between sibling interaction patterns and later social outcomes in single- and 2-parent families, 113 kindergarteners took part in naturalistic observations at home with siblings, classmates participated in sociometric interviews, and teachers completed behavior ratings. Sibling interactions…

Research Findings: This study examined the extent to which maternal sensitivity in infancy and toddlerhood is associated with children's social and relational competence and problems in the early years of schooling as well as the extent to which this association is mediated by children's effortful control abilities. Data from 1,364 children (705…

A research-based program was designed for the improvement of decoding and encoding nonverbal cues as they are important aspects of successful communication and teaching. To extend the scientific base of the program, six correlational studies (N=784) investigated relationships between nonverbal skill and personality dimensions. Low non-significant…

This manual describes the procedures for administering and coding the enactive social knowledge interview for preschool children. This interview is comprised of two segments, an enactive procedure and a reflective procedure using line drawings. The purpose of this interview is to assess preschooler's responses to hypothetical social situations.…