The Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) provides a multi-rater assessment of child social behaviors that influence the development of social competence and adaptive functioning. This study examined whether the items on the teacher version of the SSRS provide reasonable indicators of the three first-order social skills dimensions proposed by the…

The present study examined the impact of the Child's Game parenting intervention (Forehand & McMahon, 1981; McMahon & Forehand, 2003) on child compliance, noncompliance, and aversive behavior in 3 groups of 20 nonreferred preschool children identified as high on dimensions of anxiety/withdrawal, anger/aggression, or social competence. The impact…

Neonatal assessments should provide valid estimates of behavior and neurological status, reflect recovery from acute effects, predict subsequent outcome, and point to specific intervention strategies for any problems noted. The authors report relations among measures designed to evaluate early behavioral capabilities and dysfunctions in areas…

As the strength-based perspective gains recognition, it is important to describe what constitutes strengths and to develop a specific vocabulary to name them. This article draws on resilience research to help identify specific competencies and areas of strengths in youth. (Contains 1 table.)

Research findings show that there is marked variability in children's response to parental separation, but few studies identify the sources of this variation. This prospective longitudinal study examines the factors modifying children's adjustment to parental separation in a community sample of 5,635 families in England. Children's…

We examined children's behavioral coping in response to an "in vivo" peer rejection manipulation. Participants (N = 186) ranging between 10 and 13 years of age, played a computer game based on the television show "Survivor" and were randomized to either peer rejection (i.e., being voted out of the game) or non-rejection control. During a five-min.…

Parents of babies have many tasks to master. Beyond basic physical skills needed to care for children, such as diapering or preparing formula, parents need emotional wisdom to relate to their child. Parents with limited resources should know that as long as they provide the emotional nourishment that babies need, their baby will flourish. The…

This issue of the ACEA resource series focuses on the role of sociodramatic play in early childhood development, giving recommendations and examples for developing children's social understanding through play. Sections include the following: (1) "Developing Understanding through Play," which introduces the concepts; (2) "Complex…

Research in Bahrain has demonstrated that children in educationally-oriented day care centers made significantly greater gains in cognitive, social, and emotional measures than children in care-oriented centers or at home. This study provided further data and addressed the question of whether there are differences in the daily learning experiences…

Noting that like all parents, low-income parents need support more than unsolicited "how-to" advice, this guide explores issues of being a good parent under less than ideal circumstances. The guide provides a framework for parenting discussion group leaders to use the "Best for My Baby" video. The guide provides a synopsis of…

Parenting is one the most difficult tasks that adults face, and parenting strong-willed children can be even more difficult and frustrating. Parents of strong-willed children are often frustrated by their children's behavior as well as the lack of support and resources to help them deal with their children. This book describes a self-guided…

These 12 monthly newsletters from 1995 explore the myriad problems encountered by children and adolescents as they grow up. Regular departments in the newsletter issues include "Keep Your Eye On...," which briefly presents results of research into childhood and adolescent problems; "New Research," summarizing research from recent publications and…

This federally-funded study examined the effect of two early intervention settings on the social behaviors and development of 46 toddler-aged children with disabilities in Connecticut. The toddlers received early intervention services in natural group environments in the community or segregated center-based programs servicing only children with…

The impact of significant family life events on child educational outcomes was examined for a sample of 204 families in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, whose children began kindergarten in 1992, 1993, or 1994. These children and families were part of the Head Start Transition Demonstration Project, a longitudinal study to assess benefits of services…

For educators, the importance of understanding adolescents' concepts of caring is critical. This paper explores early adolescents' perceptions of barriers to caring and is part of a large ethnographic study on caring in middle schools. This study was conducted in two midwestern middle schools in a large urban area. A total of 101 students,…