Use of a token economy to encourage self-management and spontaneous sharing behaviors by three preschool boys with autism was effective in increasing the frequency of sharing behaviors. However, the accuracy of the self-management component was not high, suggesting that the contingent relationship between token and response may not have been the…

Examined the development of friendships and peer acceptance and their relation to children's emotional regulation and socioemotional behavior with others. Found that having friends was related to popularity, that friendship was related to emotion regulation, and that popularity was related to socioemotional behavioral regulation in the peer group.…

Discusses what social and emotional learning is; why it is necessary; what its key concepts and goals are; and why it is necessary to focus on social and emotional learning in the middle grades. Discusses how social and emotional learning is related to the social studies. Describes ways middle-school social-studies teachers can foster such…

Describes the anthropology field school or structured cultural-immersion experience held in the summer at a castle in German-speaking Italy. Students from the United States experience culture shock but usually learn new social and survival skills. (SLD)

Camp, with its community living focus, presents a constant source of potential conflicts and offers an ideal environment to help campers develop their problem-solving skills. Steps in social problem solving are listed, and an example of problem-solving skills in action is offered. Counselors can discuss conflicts with campers and ask for group…

Successful programs for classroom management and discipline treat students as active participants in building positive affective environments. This paper discusses the basic steps of conflict resolution and presents an example of how one elementary school handled a situation in which a group of students who played soccer each day during recess had…

Six adolescents with traumatic brain injury and six adolescents hospitalized for an illness not affecting the brain were administered two narrative tasks. Both groups produced significantly more coherent and cohesive narratives in a personal-event task than in a current-event task, and there was no significant difference between groups. (Author/CR)

This article suggests the need to embed social skills intervention within the more general context of long-term early intervention efforts that promote all dimensions of developmental performance. Results from former clients of the LEAP program are discussed and demonstrate evidence of sustained growth and development over nearly two decades.…

Examines the assumption that a high level of autonomy within a context of attachment provides the best constellation for psychosocial adjustments with adolescents (N=400). Results show that attitudinal, emotional, and functional autonomy were connected with attachment to father, mother, and peers to predict indices of psychosocial adjustment:…

Researched PhD graduates who completed doctoral study during a period of change in the United Kingdom and confusion around the role and purpose of the doctorate. Based on qualitative interviews, the paper raises issues about the value and outcomes of doctoral study, student self-perception, and the capacity of the modern doctorate to yield both…

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,…