The relationship between adaptive functioning ("ability") and autism symptomatology ("disability") remains unclear, especially for higher functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study investigates "ability" and "disability" using the "Vineland" and "Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule" (ADOS), respectively, in two…

Emotional regulation is the ability to understand emotions and develop strategies to modulate them. Regulating emotions is important for children because it enables them to focus their attention, approach and learn in new situations, and form lasting and sincere friendships. Emotional regulation contributes to success in the classroom, with one's…

The Model of Competence Motivation (Harter, 1978) highlights how self-perceptions are influenced by individual and socialization factors. Using this model, the present study investigated, quantitatively with a pretest and posttest design (N = 34) and qualitatively via individual interviews (N = 8), how involvement in the Girls on Track program…

The aim of the study was to examine do health care students, who study at different programs, value similar expert qualities. To investigate this issue, a questionnaire was administered among health care students in a Finnish polytechnic (two cohorts, total n = 466), consisting of a scale for rating the importance of different expert qualities.…

This article provides a methodological illustration of how to conduct scientifically rigorous secondary interventions within the context of three-tiered models of support. Specifically, the authors demonstrate one approach for using schoolwide data to identify middle school students (N = 65) with both academic and behavioral concerns. Then, they…

Experiment 1 investigated the effects of observational training in a social listener reinforcement game on participants' conversational units in non-instructional settings. Experiment 2 tested the effects of multiple exemplar instruction on the development of "empathy." The participants who had reader/writer levels of verbal behavior were selected…

The aim of the current article is to review the peer-reviewed research literature on cues and concerns published between 1975 and 2006. To be included, articles had to report observational studies based on patient-physician consultations and report findings on patient expressions of cues and/or concerns. Quantitative and qualitative studies from…

The available research on first-year college outcomes remains highly segmented (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) and surprisingly incomplete (Upcraft et al., 2005), particularly as it relates to psychosocial outcomes like social and personal competence. This study, based on data from nearly 6,700 students and 5,000 faculty members on 30 campuses…

This study examined the extent to which characteristics of early childhood teachers and settings predicted observed teacher sensitivity. Participants included 41 head teachers at child care centers located in Northern California. Accreditation status, center size, and program quality were uniquely associated with teacher sensitivity. Accreditation…

Children's emotion dysregulation and maternal scaffolding at age 4 were examined as predictors of social skills at age 6, for 66 children with and 106 without early developmental delays. Observed scaffolding and regulation during frustrating laboratory tasks related to later mother, father, and teacher social-skill ratings for children with delays…

Although social competence deficits in children with high-functioning autistic spectrum disorders (HFASD) are well documented, there is little research investigating self-perceptions of social limitations. This study replicated research showing a negative association between self-perceived social competence and intellectual ability and…

This article details what happened when, after endless hours of teaching and explaining how literature circles work, the authors were dismayed at how their students still struggled to have positive social interactions during book discussions. Book discussions often deteriorated into tension filled discussions marred by class inequities, bullying,…

Studies have shown that improved parenting mediates treatment outcomes for aggressive children, but we lack fine-grained descriptions of how parent-child interactions change with treatment. The current study addresses this gap by applying new dynamic systems methods to study parent-child emotional behavior patterns. These methods tap…

With the increased public attention to a rapidly growing number of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it seems as if there is an equally rapid growth of new specialized programs catering to this group of children. The question to be considered is, if there are indeed promising models based on inclusive settings, why does…

Including children with autism alongside typically developing peers is commonly done in school settings to provide social opportunities and social experiences. However, there is limited research describing the naturally occurring interactions between children with autism and their peers as a result of such placements. We examined the naturally…