Asserts children who grow up with adults who encourage initiative, model healthy cooperation, and value individual differences and cooperative efforts will develop a healthy sense of belonging. Defines belonging and discusses four human ecological systems. Suggests strategies to encourage connectedness including welcoming children and families,…

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…

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…

Compared the personal/social development of preschoolers in two intergenerational and two non-intergenerational settings. Found that children in intergenerational programs scored higher on the personal/social development scale of the Learning Accomplishment Profile than did children in non-intergenerational settings. (KB)

This article overviews the characteristics of children and youth with Tourette syndrome and provides suggestions that can be used in the school setting for addressing academic concerns, social-emotional concerns, and physical concerns. Teachers are urged to break down assignments, allow computer use to complete work, and give preferential seating.…

Three experiments examined 6- to 11-year-olds' judgments about appropriate self-descriptions in front of different audiences. Findings indicated that only older children differentiated between an unfamiliar peer and unfamiliar adult audience in selecting one of two self-descriptive statements. Even the youngest children differentiated between…

Videotaped 1- to 6-year-olds' day care routines and adults' work after extensive consultation on the Storycrafting method to study children's thoughts and collaborative behavior. Found that children's viewpoints are elicited when they play an active role and when educational work is directed by telling stories, playing, and doing research. Noted…

A review of the literature on mixed-age settings reveals benefits in the areas of social and cognitive development. Research on the psychosocial advantages of mixed-age groupings is less consistent. Factors such as group size, age range, time together, and context-specific curriculum activities may have a relationship to the level of success and…

Used heart rate and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) assessed at 33 to 35 weeks gestational age to predict developmental outcome at 3 years for very low birth weight infants. Found that RSA measures predicted developmental outcome beyond effects of birth weight, medical risk, and socioeconomic status. For infants < 1,000 grams, RSA maturation…

Alternative educational goals that have been at the root of educational conflict in the United States are explored: (1) democratic equality; (2) social efficiency; and (3) social mobility. Conflict over these goals, especially the domination of the social mobility goal, has resulted in a contradictory structure that impairs educational efficiency.…

A study evaluated a therapeutic intervention program for young adults with severe autism at the Oasi Institute in Troina, Sicily. The program, which integrates gentle teaching, humanistic applied behavior analysis, and functional communication training, provides opportunities to acquire functional skills through errorless learning activities.…

Two studies of gifted 3rd through 7th graders (n=311) enrolled in a summer academic program explored the possibility that social coping strategies could be measured. Six social coping strategies were identified: denying giftedness; minimizing focus on popularity; social interaction; humor; conformity; and denying the impact of giftedness on peer…

A study investigated psychosocial functioning in 16 Swedish adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism. The majority lived independently; all but one were unemployed; and none was married or had children. Most persons needed a high level of public and/or private support. Overall adjustment was rated good in 12%. (Contains…

A study examined the response of two adults who attended a music activity therapy program in which music activities encouraged peer interaction. Music activity therapy was compared with a control condition (i.e., ball and target games). Both conditions increased the level of positive interaction, however, music therapy was least effective.…

Performance by 23 deaf children (ages 7-14) on a role-taking task correlated positively with camp staff members' ratings of emotional adjustment, self-image, communicative effectiveness, and role-taking skill. Role-taking performance, however, was not reliably related to measures of aspects of social behavior such as altruism and helping.…