A study of 743 disabled and nondisabled youth in inclusionary outdoor programs at 12 resident camps and 2 resident outdoor schools found that disabled youth significantly increased their social interactions with peers and their active participation in the program. Youth without disabilities improved their social interactions and developed greater…

In this comparative study of the boards of three community agencies, the forces that influence the quality of parent-community member relations are examined. Results indicate that an organization's ability to manage intergroup tension is influenced by organizational history of intergroup relations, group identification, and organizational…

An evaluation of a Georgia middle school's multi-age grouping program revealed significant progress regarding student self-esteem, achievement, community building, and teacher collaboration. The Crabapple experience illustrates how one model of student-centered, developmentally appropriate, and integrated learning can benefit middle-level…

Discusses the value of role-play in developing interpersonal skills and presents a 10-step model to help performance technologists design effective role-plays. Highlights include training objectives; designing assessment instruments; task analysis; generality and demonstration; designing social-communicative problems for the content; practice; and…

Compared parent and teacher expectations concerning development and learning in 3- to 5-year-olds in Finland and Ireland. Found that both Irish and Finnish teachers consider social skills with peers the most important for preschoolers; however, Irish teachers stressed language and preacademic skills, while Finnish teachers stressed…

To determine if the content in a sexual health fair was appropriate, a survey of 45 Ontario students in grades 9-10 assessed their knowledge of sexual health. Findings indicate that students had basic knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, anatomy, and pregnancy prevention, but not about behavior in relationships. The health fair provided…

A comparison between parent and teacher ratings of 109 school children on the French version of the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form, which measures social competence and problem behaviors of children with developmental disabilities, was conducted. Ratings differed significantly on three problem behavior subscales: conduct problem,…

This article proposes that gifted children with Asperger's syndrome may not be identified because their unusual behaviors may be wrongly attributed to either their giftedness or to a learning disability. Ways in which the syndrome might be missed and guidelines for differentiating characteristics of giftedness from Asperger's characteristics are…

This article discusses a partnership among professionals in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Hungary to construct a useful learning tool for adults with learning difficulties. It describes development of the training needs scale that includes units in three main educational areas: social work skills, new technologies, and European…

A camp serving the New York City area provides year-round support and educationally based experiences for economically disadvantaged children. Evaluations indicate that campers and parents were aware of the psychological, social, and physical benefits of camping; parents and the community benefitted from children's camping experience; and setting…

The differences between how suburban high school students (N=89) rated the quality of their parent and peer relationships were assessed. Adolescents with high parent and high peer relationship scores had more friends, greater family togetherness, lower levels of depression and drug use, and higher grade point averages. Results highlight the…

A study examined use of a problem-solving intervention to teach classroom skills to a student with moderate intellectual disabilities. The student was taught targeted skills in a resource room and was able to successfully generalize the skills to regular classrooms. Teachers indicated the student's behavior significantly improved during the…

Reports results of a four-year study involving 46 at-risk kindergartners that was designed to develop and evaluate a combined home and school intervention approach to preventing school antisocial behavior. Results indicated a measurable intervention effect for participants and persistence of gains into the primary grades. (Author/CR)

Educational programs that teach agricultural practices, health care, or technology in developing nations can be complemented by adventure education. Adventure education can foster the social skills that enable people to cooperate, take initiative, and solve problems, and thereby contribute to their country's development. Arguments against the…

A survey of over 30 "expert" Southwest principals revealed several characteristics of effective principals: possessing technical skills influenced by human relations and legal mandates, creating an inviting culture, building community, being ethical practitioners, and understanding relationships. Respondents also identified 28 components…