The survey of 107 researchers, program developers, and state directors of special education attempted to identify research questions generally agreed upon as important. Questions concerning social skills and families were most highly rated. Questions submitted by respondents tended to be about transition model program research, program evaluation,…

Elective mutism in children is discussed including its incidence, possible explanations, treatments, and guidelines for intervention. Two case studies illustrating recommended principles and practices are also provided. (DB)

An interactive video-based social problem-solving curriculum was evaluated for its utility and effectiveness in 16 special classes serving 104 secondary-aged students with mild learning handicaps. Both the teachers' and students' evaluations of the curriculum were favorable, and student performance gains were, for the most part, both statistically…

A practical definition of "people skills," or interpersonal competence, that is grounded in linguistic and management theory is offered, and ways of incorporating development of such skills into the business curriculum are suggested. A view of people skills that complements the traditional emphasis on analytical skills in management education is…

Reviews research that provides connections between the constructs of emotional functioning and social competence in children, focusing on such areas as children's understanding and identification of emotions, emotion regulation, emotion display rules, sympathetic responding, and children's mood states. Finds some support for the idea that high…

In addition to empirical, technical, and theoretical aspects of counseling, there are distinctly human features of the therapeutic relationship that promote change in clients and students. A humanist and a behaviorist reach a consensus as to what most counselors and educators could agree are the human dimensions of helping. (Author)

Notes that quality child care is judged on a variety of levels, the most significant of which might be caregiver attributes. Discusses three such attributes: respect for and commitment to children, ability to relate to parents, and human relations skills. (JW)

Examined the effect of resource availability on dyadic interaction of African American three- to five-year olds in a painting activity conducted under two resource conditions. Limited resources promoted more resource and task conflict, while plentiful resources promoted more nonconflictive social and task interactions. Results underscored the role…

Describes a social skills training package for the treatment of depressed, visually impaired older adults. The treatment focuses on increasing the frequency and level of assertiveness with which visually impaired older adults interact with one another. Employs standardized assessment measures to evaluate therapeutic progress. (JPS)

Thirty students with learning disabilities (LDs) performed less competently on five information-processing steps than did average-achieving students. Compared to average and low achieving students, LD subjects exhibited a unique problem in the encoding of social information and in their tendency to select incompetent self-generated solutions to…

This study compared the self-esteem of 81 gifted and 77 nongifted adolescent female students. Nongifted students were found to be higher in both total and social self-esteem than gifted girls, and self-esteem appeared to be related to age. Gifted students attending special schools showed higher self-esteem, but at statistically insignificant…

Used psychological tests to examine the effects of early childhood experiences on interaction patterns that have resulted from East and West German children growing up in different social contexts. Subjects were 140 East and West German adolescents. Found that West German adolescents showed more prosocial tendencies and had stronger emotion-based…

A traditional view of social skills instruction, which is antithetical to promoting children's social development, is presented. Three explanations of social development are then outlined within the context of social integration of students with disabilities. Recommendations for general educators to promote children's social skills are offered,…

A process social skills training approach was implemented and evaluated with two high school students having mild intellectual disabilities and social skills deficits. The intervention package was successful in promoting generalization of targeted social skills from the training setting to the classroom for both students. Participants had…

Reports a study that examined how preschoolers interacted while learning fundamental motor skills. Researchers observed children over a six-month period during their daily motor skills program and found gender differences in the way children interacted in that context. Girls and boys learned from different types of interaction among themselves.…