A religion professor reflects on her approach and experiences in teaching an upper-level course on religion and sexual diversity, looking at conditions in the classroom that create the tolerance needed for discussion, the nature of subsequent classroom discussions of the relationship between body and spirit and about celibacy, and student…

Describes how a team of college instructors framed a humanities methods course within the concept of classroom community-building to address issues relevant to preservice teachers in such areas as moral commitment, professionalism, caring, and concern, providing examples of how the community was built, discussing strengths and limitations of that…

Examined the effectiveness of a cooperative-learning group structure and direct instruction in promoting social communication of 14 delinquent female adolescents. Participants were assigned to one of three cooperative-learning groups to receive 12 30-minute social-communication training sessions. Systematic increases in communication skills were…

A study used job-trainer logs and two rating scales to investigate social problems encountered by 43 supported employees with mental retardation. Logs indicated 58% experienced one or more incidents of interpersonal difficulty during their employment tenure and 40% of the problems could be described as sexuality-related. (Author/CR)

A study investigated the grounding strategies used by four Hispanic families with children with disabilities who are experiencing successful friendships with peers without a disability. Results found families, particularly mothers, actively facilitated friendships most frequently by finding opportunities and providing some level of interpretation…

This study developed an intervention that used social stories in a computer-based format with three elementary-aged boys with autism. Results indicated the multimedia intervention was effective in reducing behavioral and social problems in the boys. (Author/DB)

Reviews Katz and McClellan's book on the teacher's role in promoting children's social competence, emotional development, and understanding. Discusses the contents of each of the book's five chapters, noting suggestions for curriculum and practice, and for helping children overcome social difficulties, as well as the components of social…

Examines the relationships among the sociability of children, their dyadic problem-solving behavior, and their subsequent level of individual performance. Finds that sociable children more often initiate collaboration; less sociable children exhibit more individualistic behavior; and collaboration effects on individual performance vary by the…

A three-stage research project in Iceland traced the development of interpersonal competence of 8- to 11-year-old students in solving communication conflicts, developed an intervention and prevention program, and studied the professional development of 14 teachers in relation to students' sociomoral and interpersonal competence development. (SLD)

Considers theoretical approaches to the origins, diagnosis, and etiology of autism and focuses on the research and development of the psychological theories concerned with the theory of mind in both normally developing and autistic children. (Author/KB)

Forty-eight incarcerated sex offenders were compared with 16 property offenders and 16 nonoffenders on self-report measures of childhood maternal and paternal attachment and adult attachment. Results suggest that insecure childhood attachments may be related to offending behavior generally and that certain combinations of childhood attachment…

A series of focus groups involving 126 campers attending 11 camps in New England explored campers' feelings about mentors, safety, nurturing, skills, and service. The campers admired and valued their mentors and thought that safety and health encompass physical and emotional components, camps teach "people skills," and community service…

Describes follow-up assessments conducted with 84 children who had completed Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), a behavioral family therapy for preschool children with disruptive behavior problems. When compared with control groups, subjects improved to within the normal range of conduct problems and social competence, but by the 18-month…

Presents a review of available research concerning adolescent behavior disorder. Discusses classification and progress of the disorder as well as associated behaviors and gender differences. Examines risk and protective factors involved in the development of behavior disorders. Offers recommendations for research and treatment for adolescent…

The ability of 10 adults with mental retardation to exhibit linguistic control within peer and staff dyads was evaluated. Participants produced significantly more utterances with staff than with peers; however, they did not exhibit significant amounts of directives or questions, the two types of verbal control bids studied. (Author/CR)