A review of research on the adaptive behavior of persons with both mental retardation and autism/pervasive developmental disorder finds the performances of these dually disabled individuals to be particularly poor in the domain of social skills/socialization and somewhat less poor in the communication domain. In addition, autistic mentally…

Examined relation between friendship and social competence in Head Start preschoolers. Suggested that number of reciprocated friendships was associated with social competence. Found having nonreciprocated friendships was not a liability; there was a trend toward participating in reciprocated friendships from age 3 to 4; and number of reciprocated…

Outlines four steps to improve social skills interventions that take advantage of the unique environments of schools and increase the likelihood that social skills interventions can achieve individualization and generalization. The four steps are: identifying key skills; teaching the skill in isolation; practicing in controlled settings; and…

A study investigated how rewarding youth in residential care for publicly reporting positive social behavior influenced the social interactions and acceptance of four adolescent males with antisocial behavior. The intervention resulted in substantial improvement in social interactions by the previously isolated peers. Peer acceptance ratings…

While visiting school-to-work sites, the author observed numerous programs that teach students the "new basics" or "basics-plus" skills needed for success in today's economy. These skills include an ability to use technology, communicate ideas and information orally and in writing, work in groups, solve knotty problems,…

The Sibling Interaction Scale (SIS), an observational tool, was employed to investigate the interactions between 52 siblings (ages 1-20) with and without disabilities. Differences between nondisabled/disabled sibling pairs were found in the complexity of their sentences, the interpretation of the behaviors, and the roles they engaged in.…

Reflects on research that investigated whether Mexican-American students with learning disabilities would be more cooperative with their Mexican-American peers than Anglo-American students with learning disabilities in cooperative learning situations (EC 618 919). The benefits of using cooperative learning situations are reviewed. (CR)

Examined relationship between mothers' motivation, capacities, and opportunities, and how much supervision their children received. Compared 95 mothers providing adequate supervision with 37 providing inadequate supervision. Found that second group was less motivated, had fewer problem-solving and social skills, and was more likely to have…

Nine components critical to school-based violence prevention include using comprehensive, multifaceted approaches; beginning in primary grades and reinforcing across grade levels; being developmentally appropriate; promoting personal and social competencies; using interactive techniques; being culturally sensitive; using staff development;…

Reviews observational data concerning the social interactions of preadolescents and examines the role that peers play in children's social development. Findings indicate that peer responses to a child's early efforts to interact with others determines whether the child will be accepted and included in social activities or subjected to rejection.…

This study examined the impact of childhood physical abuse on self-concept and social competency among 660 college students. Findings indicated that a history of physical abuse was predictive of current self-concept but did not predict social competence. Analysis suggested that physical abuse has a negative impact on self-concept through its…

Although "Jordanesque" checklists cannot describe the full dimension of effective school leadership, the literature has generated some commonly accepted principles categorized according to personal attributes, leader behaviors, and organizational outcomes. Sensitive to others' needs, effective principals are generally warm, caring…

Elementary school children (N=203) in multiple settings across five years were interviewed and/or surveyed regarding their participation as members of social skills groups and peer network activities with children with autism (N-38). Most children enjoyed the programs, felt they benefited academically and/or socially, and had positive attitudes…

Adolescents (N=18) referred for peer interaction difficulties participated in a program designed to improve social competence in peer interactions. Comparison with 18 socially competent adolescents found substantial differences between groups at pretest and significant improvements on different measures across different adolescents, although…

A study that investigated the coping strategies of 20 females with children (ages birth-4) with speech and language impairments found that most utilized effective coping strategies. Adaptive behaviors included liking the company of other people, feeling liked by others, awareness of the feelings of others, and a sense of happiness. (Author/CR)