Background: Most gene-environment interaction (GXE) research, though based on clear, vulnerability-oriented hypotheses, is carried out using exploratory rather than hypothesis-informed statistical tests, limiting power and making formal evaluation of competing GXE propositions difficult. Method: We present and illustrate a new regression technique…

A child's ability to develop relationships and connections with others, a sense of who he or she is in the world, and an ability to control impulses and emotions are at the core of social-emotional development. In early childhood, parent reports are one of the most common methods for assessing this type of development. However, parents from…

The Social Strategy Rating Scale, which measures social competence in young children with disabilities across multiple contexts, was completed with 47 toddlers in 3 social settings over a 16-month period. The scale exhibited relatively high interobserver agreement across items, high internal consistency, and sensitivity to skill changes over time.…

The overall issue of assessment during early childhood, and its relation to school readiness and other decisions, is currently widely debated. Expanding early childhood education and child care enrollments, better scientific knowledge about early childhood development, and decisions about public spending, necessitate careful consideration of which…

This paper examines the identification of children with learning disabilities who are at risk for problems in the social domain. Based on sociometric measures, teacher rating scales, and measures administered to the children, it is found that children with learning disabilities may have problems related to rejection or related to neglect, and that…

This paper reviews what is known about social coordination in young children with disabilities, describes how social coordination develops in children with and without disabilities, discusses the role of social coordination in developing social competence, examines how available assessments of social skills address the concept of social…

Parents of 20 children with autism and 14 children with mental retardation, with comparable cognitive developmental levels, completed the Preschool Social Behavior Checklist. Results revealed that autistic children exhibited deficits in imaginative play, peer play, and imitation skills compared to the other group, and that parents are capable of…

Arranged in two sections, this guide provides materials for adapting the "Learning About Social Behavior" program for learning disabled elementary school students. Section 1 contains the following specialized test instruments: the School Observation Scale, Cognition of Behavioral Relations, Cognition of Behavioral Systems, Cognition of…

Designed for teaching students in regular and special education classes, the guide provides an instructional approach (as opposed to a counseling approach) to teaching social and behavioral skills. This approach, based on the premise that behavioral skills can be developed through instruction, drills, and applied practice, employs concepts from…