This study assessed the behavior of 41 4-through 8-year-olds with Williams syndrome. As expected, socialization and communication were relative strengths, whereas daily living skills and motor skills were relative weaknesses. Within socialization, interpersonal skills were stronger than play/leisure or coping skills. Adaptive behavior was not…

A study investigated effects of self-monitoring instruction delivered by peer tutors on the occurrence of academic survival skills displayed by five middle school students with severe disabilities. Results indicate an increase in percentages of occurrence of survival skills across all students. Teachers noted positive changes for four of the…

A systems perspective on the development of disruptive behavioral disorders is presented and discussed with an emphasis on correlated constraints. The concept of correlated constraints suggests that behavior development involves the interconnected contributions of multiple factors working together as a system. Implications are considered in…

Surveys high school students (N=171) regarding their attitudes towards chronically disabled individuals who have special needs. Determined that previous personal knowledge of a child with a chronic disability influenced understanding of the particular ailment; and attitudes became more tolerant as students got older. Presents conclusions for…

Explains two middle school teachers' cooperation with integrating regular and gifted students with disabled students. Focuses on disabled students' collaboration with their peers and their social skill development rather than their academic development. (YDS)

This article describes characteristics of individuals with Asperger Syndrome, a developmental disability defined by impairments in social relationships and verbal and nonverbal communication and by restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. Diagnostic criteria, essential features of the disability, and other notable…

In this article, a parent of a child with a developmental disability discusses the complications of parent-professional partnerships and identifies the following five distinct features, or dimensions, which both entangle and enhances the partnership dance: choice, forced intimacy, identification of partners, role expectations, and differing…

Summarizes this special issue on how children develop emotional and social strengths, as well as difficulties. Highlights three areas of focus among the seven articles: (1) the relation of emotional competence to social competence; (2) the socialization of emotional competence; and (3) attachment as the foundation. (SD)

Describes and reviews the work of researchers who have operationalized the construct of friendship and the theoretical basis for the association between friendship experiences and children's level of psychological adjustment. Details study of how various levels of friendship constructs relate to one another and to children's loneliness and…

This study examined the social adjustment of deaf adolescents enrolled in segregated (n=39), partially integrated (n=15), and mainstreamed (n=17) settings. Partially integrated students reported better adjustment than mainstreamed students with deaf peers; mainstreamed students reported better adjustment than partially integrated students with…

Tested hypotheses that severity of arthritis is inversely associated with frequency of activity participation, and arthritis sufferers who maintain higher levels of participation, particularly in social activities, are less likely to experience a decline in well-being. Found well-being is influenced by social activity, whereas solitary and…

In a learning community, everyone must participate in decision making. Involving students in developing classroom rules, solving community problems, and reviewing school and district policies has lasting benefits. Service learning, mentoring, and mediation programs help students develop civic responsibility, interpersonal competence, and…

A program in which 12 seventh- and eighth-grade students with learning disabilities and/or culturally diverse backgrounds participated with nondisabled peers in service learning is described. The students improved their social skills and self-esteem through community service with younger students and senior citizens. The article offers a rationale…

Strategies for working with international camp staff include speaking plain English, making camp policies and customs clear, including food from other countries in the menu, encouraging international staff to play games and sing songs in their native language, and assigning buddies to international staff. Includes tips for hiring international…

Compared measures of peer relationships and emotional well-being of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) to those of same-classroom peers. Found that, compared to nondiseased subjects, SCD females were perceived as less sociable and less well accepted; SCD males were perceived as less aggressive. No other differences were identified for…