Compared cognitive style and pleasant activities of 77 suicide-attempting female minority adolescents with those of 39 psychiatrically disturbed and 23 nondisturbed female adolescents. Suicide attempters reported significantly fewer alternatives for solving interpersonal problems, were significantly more focused on problems, and were more likely…

Youths (N=54) with mental retardation who had remained employed for at least six months were matched with youths who had not. Among the most important elements contributing to employment success were placement agency follow-up support; home support; and the individual's job skills, social ability, and match to job demands. (Author/JDD)

This article describes an innovative program aimed at reducing the risk of pregnancy, explains the theoretical rationale that guides the content and instructional approach of the program, and offers evidence that the program can be implemented. The program is a pregnancy prevention skills approach, piloted in California. (IAH)

Investigates the relationship between social-behavioral competence and behavior disorders among preschoolers in a Head Start program. Results indicate that children identified as externalizers and internalizers are clearly different from those in the control group on a range of adjustment measures. (Author/BB)

An observational checklist of age appropriate social behaviors was developed and applied to three functionally blind kindergartners in a mainstream kindergarten. The checklist pinpointed areas of deficiency for remediation. (Author/DB)

Using data from the Jyvaskyla (Finland) Longitudinal Study of Social Development, teachers' abilities to estimate 326 students' (155 females and 171 males) career resources were assessed. Peer estimation of social skills and teacher assessment of academic achievement were found to be correlated with teachers' predictions of career success. (TJH)

Sixteen young adults with autism participated in a social skills group for several years and were asked to complete a sociogram and a questionnaire. Results are analyzed in terms of relationship between leaders' and group members' ratings, relationship between popularity and personal attributes, and sex and group differences. (Author/JDD)

Fifty-three women categorized as incongruent (extreme difference between personality and occupation as categorized by Holland) completed instruments measuring job satisfaction, vocational aspiration, interpersonal competence, self-acceptance, and locus of control. Contrary to expectations, most expressed good-to-high levels of job satisfaction,…

Cooperative learning approaches can create a cooperative family environment, involving positive interdependence and appropriate social and communication skills. This is especially important in families with a special needs child. Activities which can minimize competition among family members include participative rule-making, planning special…

Clarity and completeness of communication are keys to effective rehabilitation counseling. Crucial individual and cross-cultural linguistic misunderstandings often need to be overcome. Of prime concern in the education of rehabilitation counselors is the cultivation of precise thinking and the ability to elicit accurate, helpful, and complete…

Kindergarten and first-grade children (N=74) were assigned to four experimental conditions designed to evaluate methods of teaching self-protection. A videotape training program accompanied by behavior rehearsal proved highly effective in teaching safe responses to potential abductors. Three-fourths of those who received no training immediately…

Media training teaches executives how to handle themselves in press and television interviews. It can help a president or chancellor produce straight talk under the pressure of public interviews. Projecting this kind of confidence and control can have a large effect on public perceptions of an institution or situation. (MSE)

Obtained peer and teacher ratings of social competence for 94 first and second graders. Also measured interpersonal problem-solving skills, intelligence, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status. Correlations between three problem-solving scores and social competence ratings ranged from .04 to .20. Intelligence, achievement and socioeconomic…

The benefits of recess are examined. Observation of recess and playground behavior provides insight into children's social adjustment and competencies. (SI)

Coincidental teaching involves training parents to provide social skills instruction to their exceptional children in home and community environments. Teachers explain to parents the techniques of prompting and praising, help parents schedule times during their daily routine to carry out coincidental teaching, and provide lesson plans. (JDD)