A 3-year follow-along study of 422 students with disabilities in their last year of high school and 1 year later found that students with serious emotional disturbances and demonstrated low personal/social achievement skills were more likely to be victimized than those with other disabilities. Prior victimization, gender, and arrest record also…

Examines the characteristics and perceptions of African American college administrators regarding the importance of personal characteristics and career activities leading to career achievement, and produces a composite profile that describes a typical member of this group. Responses from 175 administrators reveal 19 characteristics of which…

Examined the psychometric relationship between two new rating scales, the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS), for a sample (n=53) of minority kindergarten children using both parent and teacher ratings. In general, results provide preliminary convergent validity evidence for the BASC and SSRS.…

In two studies, 18 middle school boys with serious emotional disturbances (SED) were taught to use a social skills curriculum to teach more positive peer interactions to peers with SED. Results indicate the desired effects of the peer-based social skills instruction, with some evidence of behavior maintenance and transfer. (Contains references.)…

This study analyzed tape-recorded workplace small talk collected in New Zealand workplaces, including workplaces employing workers with intellectual disabilities. The topics, the distributional patterns, and the functions of small talk are described, and aspects of the management of small talk which may present problems to workers with…

Addresses the social organization of the teachers' workplace in urban magnet schools, investigating the effects of several domains relevant to teacher performance in traditional versus magnet urban elementary schools. Teacher surveys indicate that there are many more commonalities among teachers in the two settings than are usually reported in the…

A study examined the effects of wraparound services on the adjustment of four adolescents with severe emotional disturbances at imminent risk of long-term residential placements. Results indicate significant positive effects in the areas of compliance, appropriate peer interactions, extreme verbal abuse, alcohol/drug use, and physical aggression.…

Examined the relation between language competence and self-competence among 3-4 year olds, using the Preschool Language Assessment Inventory. Found that children's perception of self-competence is influenced by their language competence. The finding that linguistically complex items may not be completely understood by children with low-average…

Examines relationships between temperament, social skills, and academic competence with reading and math in first grade students. Parents and teachers rated students (N=104) with social skills battery at the beginning of the year and psychoeducational battery at the end of the year. Teacher ratings of persistence and approach/withdrawal and parent…

Analysis of data from a panel study of homeless youth in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, found that various elements of human and social capital previously associated with conventional business success also played important roles in criminal success. Predictors included desire for wealth, propensity for risk taking, willingness to cooperate, and…

This study investigated the perception of emotions and the social skills of 60 eighth-graders, half with and half without learning disabilities (LD). Results indicated that the performance of LD adolescents was significantly poorer than peers in the perception of emotion via either auditory, visual, or combined auditory-visual modes. Although both…

A study found that 13 low-functioning children (ages 3-7) with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) showed fewer social initiatives than 19 high-functioning children with PDD, 19 children with language disorders, and 19 controls. Higher-functioning children with PDD differed from non-PDD controls in levels of visual checking and of returning…

Examined the effectiveness of parental reports of their preschool children's social adaptation outside the home as an indicator of children's behavior. Parent responses on the Child Adaptive Behavior Inventory, which assesses both competencies and difficulties with adaptation, were compared to evaluations by trained observers. Parents were found…

Reports on the social relations of rural African American early adolescents and the initial impact of a multilevel intervention program aimed at enhancing the productive school engagement of at-risk youth. Students' school social relations and risk status were used in assessment. Four subgroups were identified: Model, Aggressive, Troubled, and…

Presents the design, national standardization, and validation of the Preschool Learning Behaviors Scale. A normative sample (N = 100) of preschoolers yielded distinct and reliable dimensions of Competence Motivation, Attention/Persistence, and Attitude Toward Learning. Correlations demonstrated validity convergence with indices of social skills,…