Effective communication is sending a message so that it is received the way it was meant. Barriers to effective communication, or "noise," may include mental blocks, technical jargon, social norms, or values. Feedback, paraphrasing, impression checking, and behavior description are ways to improve communication and facilitate learning…

Briefly reviews current knowledge about the nature of limits of intersubjectivity (ability to acquire and manage representations of self and other through social experience) in autistic children. Describes an observational study of verbal autistic children indicating the presence of intersubjectivity, but with little of the verbal social…

Two studies examined preschoolers' conflict behavior in peer and sibling dyads. Found that conflicts were quickly resolved in nonaggressive ways, and they occurred within the context of ongoing, coordinated play. Most conflicts occurred between same-gender dyads. Age was also found to influence conflict behavior. (HTH)

This article describes leadership development activities with gifted preschool and kindergarten children enrolled in the University of Redlands (California) summer school program and a local private elementary school. Methods of teaching the skills of social sensitivity, problem solving, and conflict resolution are described, including role…

Three high school students with severe disabilities were taught turn-taking conversational skills utilizing a communication book (containing pictures pertaining to the student's interest areas). After training, which included minimal training of conversational partners, balanced conversational turn-taking increased significantly and skills…

Sighted (n=37), partially sighted (n=20), and blind (n=17) participants answered questions about their expression and interpretation of verbal and nonverbal cues during telephone conversations, face-to-face encounters, and dating. The groups used an equal number of cues. Results have implications for developing specific communication skills of…

Examined use of parental affinity-seeking strategies by high school students (n=246). Results were consistent with Bell and Daly's (1984) constraints dimension of affinity-seeking process, with adolescents employing narrower range of strategies with the parent as familiar target. Additionally, significant differences in use of strategies were…

This article examines research methodology, dependent measures, and programmatic variables used to analyze the effects of preschool integration of children with disabilities. Analysis provides support for the benefits of preschool integration with respect to social and other behavioral outcomes, though not for developmental outcomes over time.…

The social behavior and peer status of 87 physically abused and 87 nonmaltreated 8- to 12-year-old children were compared. Found that abused children had lower peer status, were rated by peers as more aggressive and by parents and teachers as more disturbed, and exhibited more insular social networks than nonmaltreated children. (MDM)

During employment interviews, the principal's two major roles are encouraging effective communication and measuring the data collected. Communication requires a relaxed atmosphere, focus on the interview purpose, and active listening by both parties. To measure response adequacy, the interviewer must decide whether the question was truly answered…

Two studies assessed the construct validity of Greenspan's models of adaptive and social intelligence with 75 adolescents with mental retardation. Factor analysis measures of conceptual intelligence, adaptive behavior, and social intelligence yielded a practice-interpersonal competence construct. The second study, however, failed to establish the…

This article examines questions about educational placements for children with hearing loss, including the equity of placement decisions and the impact of placement on academic achievement and social development. It is concluded that applying principles of placement in the least restrictive environment requires reexamination of existing…

Three preschool children, who were taught facilitative strategies for social interaction with three classmates with autism, increased their use of strategies only after a self-evaluation intervention was introduced. Improvements in social behavior of children with autism were associated with peers' increased strategy use. Untrained peers…

Investigated efficacy of social skills training program with seven mildly handicapped elementary school students across three school settings: regular classroom, special education resource room, and recess. Training generated improvement on pre- and postmeasures and behavior ratings. Improvements were maintained two weeks posttreatment. All…

Discusses the relationship between reflection and action and its importance in teaching when time for reflection before decision making is rarely available. Describes anticipatory reflection, active or interactive reflection, recollective reflection, and mindfulness or tact. Emphasizes the importance of tact to teaching as the teacher develops…