Stresses the importance of developing camp programs that serve the needs of economically disadvantaged, inner-city youth. Suggests strategies for recruiting and working with inner-city youth and parents. Suggestions based on programing at Camp Rosenthal (Dowagiac, Michigan), a residential camp that hosts more than 800 inner-city Chicago youth each…

This article synthesizes the research defining social problems of some children with learning disabilities, especially the role of communication skills deficits. Traditional emphases on family dysfunction, school failure, or personality disturbances are seen to be negated by research which suggests that neural aberrations trigger deficient…

Illustrates the use of thematic fantasy play, or play that involves the enactment of stories from literature, in a kindergarten classroom. Maintains that thematic fantasy play facilitates children's development of social competence and story comprehension. (BB)

Teacher ratings of the social skills of 98 preschool children with learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, or normal achievement on the Adaptive Social Behavior Inventory indicated significant group differences on the express, comply, and prosocial factors, but not on the disrupt factor. (Author/JDD)

Lonely children experience feelings of sadness, malaise, boredom, and alienation. Loneliness has immediate and long-term consequences and may be attributed to many different causes. Teachers can learn to recognize signs of loneliness and use a variety of approaches in the classroom to help the child feel better and work through the experience.…

A model for developing systemwide interventions for behavioral and social skill deficits in preschool children with handicaps is discussed. The model incorporates a comprehensive, curriculum-based approach to assessment and program planning and a competency-based, didactic approach to teaching behavioral and social skills. (Author/DB)

Summaries of seven ERIC documents and four journal articles are given. These documents and articles concern issues related to children's social development. (BC)

Describes intervention, developed at midwestern community college, that was designed to provide social skills training for students with learning disabilities. Concludes that such a social skills training support group offers learning-disabled students a safe environment to practice new behaviors and compensatory strategies that may foster their…

This evaluation of 16 children (ages 7-12) with achondroplasia from Transkei, Hungary, and Nigeria found that, compared to controls, subjects had more behavior problems and less self-esteem. Subjects were socially withdrawn, internalized emotional problems, had lower academic performance, found less adaptive solutions to frustration, and faced…

Examined sex-typed traits (instrumentality and expressiveness), the work environment (demands and interpersonal resources), and importance of stressor episodes as predictors of measures of coping (avoidance, problem reappraisal, and active problem solving) with 132 managers. Found women more likely to use avoidance and problem-reappraisal coping,…

Thirteen subjects with autism and 13 with Down's syndrome (ages 5-27) were compared on their ability to respond appropriately to conversational "social scripts" concerning another person's distress. Compared to autistic subjects, subjects with Down's syndrome gave a greater percentage of relevant suggestions and sympathetic comments, and…

This study compared the adaptive behaviors of 20 autistic, 20 Down's syndrome, and 20 normal children matched on age equivalent adaptive behavior, gender, race, birth order, family size, and socioeconomic status. The autistic children displayed significant and pervasive deficits in the acquisition of adaptive social skills and greater variability…

Describes a study of seventh graders in Australia that was conducted to investigate the extent to which interactive video-based teacher ratings of social skill represented a valid measure of the actual classroom behavior of students. Correlations between the teachers' ratings and observed behavior are discussed and further research is suggested.…

Surveyed 75 student affairs professionals in different positions in 8 traditional areas to examine competencies needed by entry-level professionals. Results indicated that most valued competencies were those general ones applicable to work in most settings involving service to people, such as communication skills, ability to demonstrate caring,…

Conducted telephone survey of 21 organizations which had hired Central Michigan University business graduates. Findings were contrary to trend in literature of renewed interest in recruiting liberal arts undergraduates. Found that recruiters had intensified recruiting of business graduates. Recruiters were interested in number of student…