The curriculum is designed to foster social skills in autistic youth 10 to 15 years old who already possess basic social readiness skills. A chapter on effective programming methods considers the learning characteristics of autistic children and describes the importance of success, routine and structure, consistency, motivation, and a planned…

Assessment and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders has been enhanced by the identification of several cognitive and behavioral dimensions on which offenders differ from non-offenders. To investigate the influence of social skills training on locus of control, self-esteem, and observed behavior, 27 adolescent male offenders, aged 12-17,…

Cooperative learning lessons in mathematics were instituted in 6 learning disability elementary classrooms serving a total of 47 students. Verbal rehearsal and collaboration were intended to reinforce the internalization and generalization of skills. Structured social interaction was intended to facilitate peer acceptance. Although two of the…

The four issues of "Perceptions" published by the New York State Educators of the Emotionally Disturbed (ANYSEED) contain the following major articles: "Changes Required to Implement Social Skills Instruction in Schools" (Richard S. Neel); "Critical Issues Related to Social Skills Training" (Ellen McGinnis); "Facilitating the Integration of…

Although research has demonstrated the potentially salutary effects of peer support among older persons, salutary peer support and significant interpersonal bonds are often lacking within the confines of a nursing home. A program was designed to train nursing home residents to serve as peer counselors for newly-admitted residents in an effort to…

This study examined the effects of the Child Development Project, an elementary school program designed to enhance prosocial development on children's peer relations and social adjustment. Research has focused on a longitudinal cohort of children that entered three program schools in kindergarten in the fall of 1982, and completed sixth grade in…

A conceptual framework derived from formal and behavioral theories was used to describe and evaluate a sample of the best developed programs for teaching decision making to adolescents. The internal validity of the programs was evaluated in terms of the adequacy of their coverage of the normatively prescribed steps to good decision making. The…

This study utilized qualitative methods to examine the social interactions that occur within supported employment settings between workers with disabilities and nondisabled co-workers. The study also examined the job supports at work settings, to understand the relationship between formal, job coach support services and natural job supports. Seven…

Phase I of this study sought to identify the specific social skills that 21 teachers of students with serious emotional disturbances (SED) and nine regular education teachers deemed as essential for successful classroom functioning. Subjects were asked to list such behaviors in four categories: environmental behaviors, interpersonal behaviors,…

A survey of college sophomores (N=671) at Georgetown University (District of Columbia) was conducted to measure the extent of their participation in intellectual pursuits and other complementary or competing activities. Principal components analysis was used to identify questions which measured underlying tendencies, and weighted indexes were…

In the 1960s suicide was the fifth leading cause of death among adolescents. In the 1980s suicide is second only to accidents as a cause of adolescent death. In their 1966 study of 50 adolescents who had attempted suicide, Teicher and Jacobs conceptualized suicide as the end product of progressive isolation from meaningful relationships. From…

The social and emotional development of learning disabled students needs to be addressed in education programming effort. Social skills, which are essential to academic as well as social success, can be taught through such methods as role playing, games, grouping, puppetry, behavior modification, and problem-solving exercises. In addition,…

Research on the development of social competence in children is reviewed in this ERIC digest. The focus is on the social development of infants and toddlers which takes place in the family, in peer groups, and in preschool. The importance of infant bonding with at least one particular adult, socialization of the developming child within the family…

Many people appear to suffer from social anxiety. To explore how socially anxious people function in a number of domains, Watson and Friend's (1969) Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD) was administered to 101 undergraduate students. Subjects also completed the California Personality Inventory (CPI) and the Psychosocial Support Inventory…

A total of 55 children attending 15 day care centers and nursery schools participated in an investigation of the relationship of day care quality to 4-year-old children's activities during free play and to their knowledge of social problem solving. The study also considered the extent to which social class mediated relationships between variables.…