A Communication Opportunity Group Scheme, which develops formal language and thinking, has been successful in enhancing the performance of a wide range of pupils with and without disabilities. Evidence is presented to illustrate its successful use with 24 children with inappropriate behavior and limited social interaction. (Contains references.)…

Seventeen college undergraduates, possessing either basic or consolidated formal operations, received eight weeks of interpersonal skills training and pre- and posttraining assessments of social perspective taking and moral reasoning. Gains in moral reasoning were related to subjects' possessing prerequisite cognitive and perspective-taking…

This project was designed to determine whether a training program created specifically for unemployed Native Americans could significantly increase job knowledge levels and improve the graduates' ability to find, get, and maintain a job. The program combined interpersonal and employment-related skills. Findings indicated improvement for pre- to…

Discusses characteristics of the camp leader that can help a camp participate effectively in the issues and challenges of the future: openness to change and continual learning, high level of emotional intelligence, appreciation for diversity, and awareness of the value of wholeness and balance. (SV)

StrengthsQuest is a student program that focuses on strengths rather than weaknesses. It is intended to lead students to discover their natural talents and gain unique and valuable insights into how to develop such talents into strengths--strengths that equip them to succeed and to make important decisions that enable them to balance the demands…

This study investigates the change in social self-concept among adolescents participating in a summer program for the gifted. Participants include 140 gifted students who had completed the 7th through 10th grade during the previous academic year. Social self-concept was measured at the beginning and end of the summer camp using the same-sex peer…

This study examines the effects of the Fast Track program, which is a multicomponent, intensive intervention for children with early-onset conduct problems and continues from 1st grade through high school. Prior research has shown that Fast Track produces small positive effect sizes on children's social and behavioral outcomes at the end of 1st…

This article describes the "Discovery Time" programme, a largely child-directed developmental programme, and discusses it in relation to the sociocultural approach to learning. It considers the effects of the programme on the development of children's oral language and cooperative social skills in a Year 1 classroom. Survey information…

The National Center for Early Development and Learning recently conducted a comprehensive study of kindergarten programs that is summarized in this article. The study addressed the ethnic, economic, and linguistic characteristics of the children and families served by these programs, their progress in helping children develop school-related…

This paper describes Skills for Academic and Social Success (SASS), a cognitive-behavioral, school-based intervention for adolescents with social anxiety disorder. Clinic-based treatment studies for socially anxious youth are reviewed, and a strong rationale for transporting empirically-based interventions into schools, such as SASS, is provided.…

The 2006 census found that around 30% of people residing in Australia were born overseas, a trend unlikely to be reversed in the short-term, given the Australian Government's recent decision to significantly boost the places in the permanent skilled migration program to help employers redress their skill shortages. In light of this, employers are…

Objective: This pilot study tests the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an after-school treatment program for middle schoolers with ADHD using a randomized clinical trial design. Method: A total of 23 students with ADHD (25% female, 48% African American) from a large public middle school were randomly assigned to a 10-week program or to…

We conducted three studies which examined the performance vs. skill acquisition model of social skills deficits. In Study 1, baseline social behaviors for a random sample of 12 boys with comorbid emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), learning disabilities (LD), language delays, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) revealed that…

Breaking the Cycle (BTC), founded in 1995, is an early identification, prevention, and treatment program for pregnant and parenting women who abuse substances. The authors explore the impact of substance abuse on early attachment relationships and on infant regulatory functioning. BTC focuses on building and enhancing the mother's relationships,…

Successful music education programs pay special attention to the national standard components and are generally able to service at-risk students with music classes that, when consistently attended, serve as venues for building self-esteem and social skills as well as improving behavior. However, not all at-risk students receive music instruction.…