This study compared a group of nine children (ages 3 to 8) with congenital blindness and an autism-like syndrome with nine sighted children. Children with autism had more severe abnormalities in terms of their relationships with people and emotional expressions, and were more impaired in the area of pretend play. (CR)

Ten children (ages 5 to 16) with autism, 10 with Down syndrome, and 10 controls were tested on a task that required matching faces on the basis of emotion and on a task that required judging pleasantness of a face. Children with autism performed worse on both facial-expression-of-emotion subtasks. (Author/CR)

A study assessed the relationship between play and adaptive behavior among 13 preschool children with developmental disabilities. Children were assessed every six months over a three-year period. While adaptive behavior increased by almost one standard deviation, appropriate play showed little overall change over the three-year period. (Author/CR)

Synthesizes social construction theory and the Satir approach to family therapy as a process of cocreation of reality, the use of language and narrative, and the therapist's role as a participant-facilitator. Presents a theory-building process of the Satir approach to family therapy. (Author/MKA)

Used latent variables path analysis to examine models linking parents' and kindergartners' expressed affect during parent-child play and children's social functioning with peers in kindergarten and first grade. Found that relations between parental positive affect and children's social competence were mediated by children's expressed positive…

Among 20 ways suggested for promoting friendships between children with disabilities and typically achieving peers are to: be open and honest about disabilities; make disability a comfortable concept; create social opportunities; be a good model; teach social skills in the classroom; intervene proactively; and encourage collaboration. (DB)

A study examined conversational repair strategies of eight children (ages 4 to 7) with deafness and eight controls in response to communication breakdown. Children with deafness were more likely to revise utterances, while controls were as likely to repeat utterances as to revise and were more likely to provide cue repairs. (Author/CR)

A study involving 13 teachers of students with deafness and 16 students with deafness found that although Natural Sign Language was not considered an official communication mode, it was used after class, and that there was a positive relationship between teachers' sign-language skills and students' understanding of their message. (CR)

Outlines the context in which counseling operates in schools. Discusses issues that arise from the location of counseling skills and practice of counseling in the framework of pastoral care and education, both from historical perspective and current educational climate. Considers ways in which counseling and counseling skills might be more…

A review of the literature and research on the academic and social self-concepts of gifted adolescents reveals the importance of considering the unique talents of the individual rather than considering gifted students as a homogeneous group. Implications of the research for encouraging positive self-concepts in these students are drawn. (Author/DB)

This study sought to differentiate pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS) from similar nonautistic disorders on the basis of a cognitive deficit, theory of mind (ToM), which is the ability to infer mental states in others, a deficit highly prevalent in autism, a disorder similar to PDDNOS. Results suggest that children…

Students exposed to conflict-resolution and peer-mediation programs learn skills to communicate more effectively at school, at home, and in the community. This paper discusses student conflicts, student responses to conflict, implementing conflict resolution and peer mediation, integration of conflict resolution and peer mediation into the…

Describes an online interpersonal-skills course, including a guide to Web self-assessment instruments, assignments using online tools, interactive and reflective activities, and teaching and implementation issues. (SK)

Reviews, analyzes, and synthesizes two decades of factor-analytic research on child and adolescent social skills to derive an empirically based taxonomy. Five behavioral dimensions occur consistently: Peer Relations, Self-Management, Academic, Compliance, and Assertion. Clinicians and researchers may use taxonomy to provide nomenclature with which…

Although eliminating school violence is no easy task, understanding the biological basis of aggressive adolescent behavior and discussing it with colleagues is essential. Societal influences can trigger a predisposition for aggressive response in alienated, testosterone-elevated teens. Early-intervention programs that stress social and coping…