Low socially accepted learning-disabled intermediate-grade students (N=86) were paired with 86 high socially accepted, nonhandicapped classmates for 8 weeks in 4 groups: mutual interest group, cooperative academic task group, Hawthorne effect/control group, and classroom control group. Evaluated were changes in classmates' ratings of…

Ten children and adolescents with severe mental retardation were assigned in matched pairs to either a lexigram augmentative communication condition (graphic symbols) or a control condition (social stimulation). The three subjects who successfully acquired lexigrams also exhibited changes in attention, intentional communication, and sociability.…

Three papers comment on a paper by Abrahamsen et al (EC 212 728) on concomitants of success in acquiring an augmentative communication system (AAC) by persons with severe mental retardation. Comments focus on design and methodological requirements, principles of AAC, and sequence and process in indirect aspects of communicative gains. (DB)

Academic, intellectual, and behavioral correlates of sociometric status among elementary-age children with learning disabilities (LD) were investigated. Peer rejection was unrelated to IQ or achievement scores but was related to LD children's social status, acting out, and withdrawn behaviors. Teachers rated rejected LD children as more…

Describes cultural considerations associated with American Indian adolescents coping within a transactional, cognitive-phenomenological framework. Discusses select cultural values and beliefs of American Indians associated with death in terms of person variables and situational demand characteristics that interplay in coping process. Suggests…

The cross-cultural comparison of 90 families with mildly retarded children in Japan and 93 similar American families found the relation between cognitive opportunities at home and the child's social competency similar but the relation between affective aspects of the home environment and the child's psychosocial adjustment to differ between the…

Psychological predictors of self-concept, behavior problems, and social competence of 55 siblings of developmentally disabled children were compared with those in 55 siblings of nondisabled children. Distinct psychological predictors for children with developmentally disabled siblings included parental stress and resources, perceived family social…

Tests the inferential approach to the study of competence evaluation and a series of complicating factors relevant to it by having participants with known implicit theories judge an observed communicator on a set of competence-relevant characteristics and on overall competence. Finds inferential models predicted these judgments well. (MS)

The article describes a social skills training group for 10 British autistic children (ages 9-16 years) which aimed to integrate them into the regular classroom. The weekly sessions were held over 4 years and followed guidelines of G. Mesibov and S. Spence. (Author/DB)

The study investigated the contribution of disability parameters and chronic disability-related strain to the adaptation of 50 children (6 to 11 years old) with congenital physical disabilities and their mothers. Adaptation (except for the children's social functioning) was not significantly related to either the child's disability status nor the…

The article considers three issues in early social reciprocity interventions for infants with severe retardation: (1) effective interventions, (2) child characteristics that challenge early intervention programs, and (3) service delivery considerations. Recommended are flexible service delivery options and curriculum that respects infant-caregiver…

An instrument assessing perception of nonverbal facial affect was developed and administered to 101 adults with and without mental retardation. Rasch analysis uncovered an intergroup difference in the structure of the latent trait of understanding facial affect. This qualitative difference may account for the limited generalization and maintenance…

Although Grusec and Goodnow provide a compelling framework for organizing disciplinary encounters found to affect moral internalization, their hypothesis remains untested. Researchers need to devise conceptually sound measures of message acceptance and show that message acceptance does indeed mediate internalization before committing themselves to…

Examined mother and teacher correlates of social competence with familiar and unfamiliar peers in 84 children who had entered child care in 4 different waves. Found relationships with initial teachers and those at age four were related to social competence with peers. Maternal attachment relationships at 12 months and at 4 years did not predict…

Examined role of social anxiety, social withdrawal, and locus of control in the developmental level of interpersonal negotiation strategies (INS) when resolving hypothetical conflicts. Found that sociable children were more likely than socially withdrawn children to exhibit greater competence in INS. Children with internal locus of control were…