This study of 166 best friend dyads (M = 10.88 years) examined (a) whether children and their best friends were similar in social information processing (SIP) that pertained to two relationship contexts (unfamiliar peer, friend); (b) the associations between children's and their best friends' SIP and friendship quality and conflict ratings; and…

It is seldom useful to try to persuade staff to abandon coercive methods in the moment when they are angry or frustrated with students. Instead, these topics can be discussed during new employee orientation and in ongoing staff development. Ironically, many staff members share that in their own roles as parents they seldom rely on spanking or…

Recent literature on college men shows they are struggling to engage in activities that promote learning. The current study used data from the National Peer Educator Study to report the effects of participation as peer educators on learning outcomes for 258 college men. Male peer educators show significant growth from their peer educator…

Limited social interaction typically occurs between high school students with autism and their general education peers unless programming is introduced to promote interaction. However, few published social interaction interventions have been conducted among high school students with autism and their general education classmates. Such studies…

This article is concerned with the oral language demands (both talking and listening) associated with restorative justice conferencing--an inherently highly verbal and conversational process. Many vulnerable young people (e.g., those in the youth justice system) have significant, yet unidentified language impairments, and these could compromise…

The links among social information processing, social competence, and school readiness were examined in this short-term longitudinal study with a sample of 198 preschool children. Data on social information processing were obtained via child interview, data on child social competence were obtained via teacher report, and data on school readiness…

The incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased during the past decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 88 births in the United States will result in ASD. Since social skills deficits are among the most prominent deficits in children on the spectrum, it is crucial that intervention occur early in…

Social impairments may be the most striking deficit in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A common social impairment in individuals with ASD is difficulty interpreting and or predicting emotions of others. This difficulty can affect an individual's ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with others. Two boys and…

Yearly, approximately 100,000 former students who had an individual education program (IEP) when they left high school are contacted to participate in a post-school survey. Efforts are made to contact youth who represent a variety of disabilities, as well as, minority youth and those who left high school with a diploma or dropped out of high…

There is a notable lack of manualized comprehensive school-based interventions (CSBIs) for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs). This pilot study examined the feasibility and initial efficacy of a CSBI for 12 children with HFASDs, aged 6 to 9 years. Treatment included a 3-week summer preparation program followed by a…

This cohort-sequential study examined developmental trajectories of social anxiety in a nonclinical sample (N = 331, 161 girls) aged 9 to 17 years at initial and 12 to 21 years at final assessment. We tested whether variables assessing cognition, social competence, and temperament discriminated between the trajectories. Variables were collected…

Few evidence-based social interventions exist for young adults with high-functioning autism, many of whom encounter significant challenges during the transition into adulthood. The current study investigated the feasibility of an engaging Virtual Reality Social Cognition Training intervention focused on enhancing social skills, social cognition,…

Two studies investigated the effectiveness of the Reciprocal Peer Mentoring intervention in improving the prosocial behavior of socially neglected elementary school students as measured by a Direct Behavior Rating filled out by their teachers. Reciprocal Peer Mentoring uses the methodological framework of the Check-In/Check-Out intervention (e.g.…

Traditionally, research on awareness during online collaboration focused on topics such as the effects of spatial information about group members' activities on the collaborative process. When the concept of awareness was introduced to computer-supported collaborative learning, this focus shifted to cognitive group awareness (e.g., information…

This study compares facets of self-concept in gifted and non-identified Israeli adolescent students. The self-concept mean score profile of gifted vs. non-selected Israeli students was significantly different, with gifted students reporting higher mean levels of academic self-concept, but lower mean levels of social, personal, and physical…