Recent genetic discoveries offer a new lens through which to study cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social processes that are foundational to children's development. In this article, we review the latest advances in genomics--genome-wide association studies and the polygenic scores that have come out of them--and discuss how these techniques…

Conoley, Powers, and Gutkin (2020) called for an increased emphasis on models of psychological service delivery that are primarily indirect, adult-focused, and geared toward systems-level change in the schools. They asserted that research in school psychology should not focus on the problems of individual children and youth but address the…

To support children with autism in inclusive classrooms, schools are increasingly utilizing paraprofessionals. However, research suggests that paraprofessionals often lack sufficient training and may inadvertently hinder the social interactions between children with disabilities and their peers. This study used a multiple baseline across…

The purpose of the study was to examine the contributions of maternal encouragement of autonomy and maternal encouragement of connectedness to the prediction of children's social behaviors. A sample of children (N = 94), initially aged two years, and their mothers in China participated in the two-year longitudinal study. Child autonomy and…

The purpose of this study was to test direct, additive, and mediation models involving family, neighborhood, and peer factors in relation to emerging antisocial behavior and social skills. Neighborhood danger, maternal depressive symptoms, and supportive parenting were assessed in early childhood. Peer group acceptance was measured in middle…

Observed in group day care settings, responses to distress in peers were examined in 10 abused toddlers and 10 matched controls from families experiencing stress. Early development of "abusive" behavior patterns in toddlers who have been subjected to physical abuse and later behavior of abused individuals as parents are discussed in relation to…

A method for direct observation study of early peer-social and object directed behavior in humans was designed to articulate with techniques widely used in studies of social behavior of infra-human primates. Occurrence of behavior fitting the definitions of each of six categories of object behavior and nine categories of social behavior is noted…

Study of same-sex play networks found that between ages four and six, the size of girls' play networks decreases along with the number of girls excluded. Although results did not confirm the hypothesis that the size of boys' play networks increases, there was a trend for boys in the older classes to exclude fewer playmates from their networks. (AA)

The ethological approach may become an important methodology in the developmental studies of children. The ethological approach takes into consideration the total world of the child, social and cognitive, when the child's development in that world is analyzed. Information can be obtained both from studies of other primates (for example, the study…

This study analyzed the effect of (1) teacher priming and (2) the presence of novel gross motor play equipment on peer interaction. The subject was a 2 1/2-year-old boy who seldom interacted with his classmates in a toddler class. In the teacher priming condition, teachers verbally and nonverbally prompted the subject to interact with peers, while…

Socialization difficulties encountered by a particular learning disabled adolescent may be related to the type of underlying learning disability. Two subtypes of learning disability are discussed (language disorders and disturbed visual spatial functions) along with implications for problems in development of social skills and for effective…

Social development of students with disabilities is examined from a developmental synthesis perspective. Issues in the social skills deficit framework are also discussed, along with formation of classroom social networks and their role in behavior development. Social interventions should focus on both the classroom social network and the…

Emotional control has traditionally been emphasized in Chinese culture. The primary purpose of the study was to examine the relevance of early affect to social functioning in Chinese children. A sample of children, initially at two years of age, and their mothers in the People's Republic of China participated in this two-year longitudinal study.…

Written for the skeptical teen who groans at the mere concept of manners, this guide provides answers to simple and complex etiquette problems, showing that being polite is a learned skill that can produce effective results. Chapters over a broad range of behavior issues including gift-giving, conversation, personal hygiene, appropriate attire,…

Children with oral language disorders have difficulty in the areas of social behavior and family relationships as well as with academics and vocational achievement. Remediation should focus on specific language deficits, appropriate social interaction skills, and helping the individual to understand and take responsibility for effective…