Group contingencies have been used successfully to modify a variety of behaviors for children with diverse characteristics across multiple settings. However, these interventions have not been applied to increase social interactions (SI) between typically developing children and those with multiple or severe disabilities (MSD). Furthermore, little…

We compared the effectiveness of two programs for developing social skills, 'Play Time/Social Time' (PT/ST) and 'I Can Problem Solve' (ICPS), in improving the social skills and theory of mind (ToM) of preschoolers with ASD. The experiment took place in a classroom setting. Fifty-two children attended and data were analyzed with latent growth curve…

This study investigated the effects of group play on communication skills in upper primary students. A quasi-experimental method for evaluation and comparison of communication development was adopted, and two classes of fifth-grade female students were randomly selected. They were divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group.…

The purpose of this study is to reflect the effectiveness of a drama education program, identify the pro-social behaviour level of children, and determine the effects of the drama education program on the pro-social behaviours of children. In this study, experimental method with the pre-test, post-test retention control group design is adopted.…

Robin Barrow has critiqued the use of the concept of "skill" for a wide range of human attributes that are not skills in the precise sense he articulated, namely: "a capacity that is discrete and can be perfected through practice and exercise." Skill talk has persisted, though today commonly under the guise of "competency…

This paper examined the effects of computer-assisted instructional strategy on schoolchildren's social skills. The study participants were 28 male and 36 female schoolchildren randomly assigned to experimental and control groups in four schools located in some rural ecologies of southern Nigeria. The research was conducted using the…

This study examines the factors influencing friendship quality during emergent adulthood. Data were collected on a sample of 393 college students (age range 18-22, M = 20.01). Nine multi-item measures were used as indicators in this study. Seven scales were drawn from the Battery of Adolescent Measures (Benson & Faas, 2014). The other two were…

A survey was conducted in order to evaluate the quality of education received by students with intellectual disability in Aljouf, Saudi Arabia from the perspectives of their teachers and parents. From a sample of 95 respondents, it was found that most teachers used "baby steps" strategy in delivering content for students with…

Home schooling has become increasingly widespread over recent decades in the western world. Since the choice to educate children at home in effect signifies abandonment of the educational system, one may assume that parents' childhood experiences within the educational system play a significant part in their decision to opt for home schooling. The…

This paper details a qualitative study which examined the influence of the nature of children's disabilities on stigmatisation experienced by their parents. To explore stigmatisation, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 parents of children with a range of disabilities. Findings highlighted that differential treatment was experienced…

Objectives: Based on 859 student diaries, the present study evaluated a positive youth development program entitled "Tin Ka Ping (TKP) Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social programs (P.A.T.H.S.)" project implemented in mainland China during the 2015-2016 academic year. Method: To understand the perceived effectiveness of…

Altered structural connectivity has been identified as a possible biomarker of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in the developing brain. Core features of ASD include impaired social communication and early language delay. Thus, examining white matter tracts associated with language may lend further insight into early signs of ASD risk and the…

Background: The objective was to determine whether infant neurobehavior measured at five post-gestational weeks could predict social and communicative behavior (SCB) through five and eight years. Methods: Infant neurobehavior was assessed using the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale, and SCB was measured using the Social…

Despite widespread clinical use of group-based social skills training (SST) for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there remains a lack of follow-up data, generalisation effects, common definition of social skills, and teacher report data. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an 8-week SST intervention with a play component…

Perspective taking is a fundamental skill that helps us to understand others' thoughts, feelings and perceptions. Past studies have shown that there were significant relations between young children's perspective taking abilities and age, gender, formal schooling and socioeconomic status. The present study was conducted to investigate the…