Statistics on K-12 students with mental health challenges almost guarantee that teachers will encounter these students in their classrooms. Educators will be more prepared and successful if they have feasible strategies to promote student well-being and avoid exacerbating existing problems. This article presents research-based classroom practices…

The current pilot study investigated the effectiveness of the Superheroes Social Skills program in decreasing disruptive and aggressive behavior of elementary-age students with high-incidence disabilities. Six students in a self-contained classroom, identified as displaying high rates of disruptive and aggressive behavior toward peers, were…

A growing number of children are entering kindergarten without the skills that enable them to be successful in an academic setting. However, it is not children's cognitive skills that concern educators; it is their social and emotional skill deficits that are most troublesome. This article discusses how family and community risk factors can…

A traditional view of social skills instruction, which is antithetical to promoting children's social development, is presented. Three explanations of social development are then outlined within the context of social integration of students with disabilities. Recommendations for general educators to promote children's social skills are offered,…

This article addresses three issues concerning the development of social skills in young children with special needs, especially children with severe social limitations. First, the importance of children's social skills is stressed; next, specific peer-related social skills that should receive priority in early intervention are identified; and…

This article describes a social skills instructional framework, with examples of its use in inclusive and diverse classrooms. The framework has three phases: (1) defining the social skill to be taught; (2) implementing instruction; and (3) moving to self-control. Also provided are guidelines for performance-based assessment of social skills. (DB)