A study of 15 preschool children with autism found that the majority were able to identify preferred peers and that participation in a social skills program, in addition to an early intervention program, led to increases in skills that could be observed in the generalization setting. (Author/CR)

This study identified behaviors used by 12 kindergartners with hearing impairments and their typical peers (n=30) to enter social pretend play in the home corner area of an integrated kindergarten. Results showed that the children with hearing impairments used primarily nonverbal entry behaviors and tended to be less persistent. (Author/CR)

A study of 43 children (ages 2-6) who were deaf or hard of hearing examined the effects of a social skills and comparison intervention on peer social behaviors. Children receiving social skills intervention decreased frequency of solitary and parallel play and maintained these changes a year after the intervention. (Author/CR)

An individualized, classroom-based social skills training program was evaluated using 45 children (ages 9-12) with learning disabilities in special education classes. Thirteen children received a 6-week intervention, 7 received a 12-week intervention, and 25 received no training. Children in the six-week program showed gains in social skills and…

Examines the influence of parent-child collaboration on children's social competence with peers and the role of parents' and child's gender. Provides evidence that when parents collaborate with children, children's social competence with peers increases and that children's social competence is influenced more by the parent of the same sex than by…

Social skills training was given to 15 children aged 9-11 who were victims of bullying. Measures of psychosocial adjustment at three points during the year were compared with those of 13 waiting-list controls. The treatment group increased global self-worth, but there were no significant improvements in social skills problems or victim status.…

This article describes a comprehensive cognitive-linguistic intervention program for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients that provided communication skills practice in the context of health-enhancing and esteem-building community-based activities, physical fitness training and supervised volunteer work. Effects for four participants…

Examined the concurrent and cross-time relations of parents' warmth and positive expressivity to elementary school children's situational facial and self-reported empathic responding, social competence, and externalizing problems. Found that parents' positive expressivity mediated the relation between parental warmth and children's empathy, and…

This article describes a framework for addressing the social and emotional development and challenging behaviors of young children. This pyramid framework includes four levels of practice to address the needs of all children, including children with persistent challenging behavior. An example is provided demonstrating how to implement this model…

This study examined the perceived essential behavioral leadership qualities necessary for effective leadership by principals and superintendents in schools for students with visual impairments. Findings of a survey of administrators at 25 schools in 25 states suggest that people-oriented leadership qualities are perceived to be better suited for…

A study investigated the ability of 8 adolescents with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism to pick funny endings for cartoons and jokes. The adolescents with autism had significantly poorer comprehension of cartoons and jokes than age-matched controls. Both subjects and controls had more difficulty with the joke task. (Contains…

A previous study demonstrated a 12-week universal intervention in three Head Start classrooms significantly improved outcomes on 5 of 10 measures of mental health. In this replication, regular Head Start teachers conducted the universal intervention. Outcomes for 98 children were significant on only two of eight outcome measures. (Contains…

A "priming" strategy was used to increase spontaneous social initiations of two preschool autistic boys toward typically developing peers in a regular preschool classroom. Peers were also trained to independently respond to initiations. Following training, the boys demonstrated a variety of increased, spontaneous, and salient initiation…

A study assessed the effectiveness of a business administration simulation exercise designed to train students in problem solving, decision making, and interpersonal skills. Results of the simulation in a Slovenian institution with graduate students in international business are discussed, along with implications for incorporating the exercise…

A study of four children with disabilities and six children without disabilities in an integrated preschool investigated the effects of pairing children with disabilities with trained peers for school activities and teaching interaction skills to all the children. Results found interactions between the children significantly increased after…