Reviews the work of the Collaborative to Advance Social and Emotional Learning, examining its guidelines for promoting mental health in children and youth based on social and emotional learning (SEL) and key principles. Five examples of exemplary approaches to SEL, each representing a different focus, are presented. Issues in real-world…

Data are presented from two studies that investigated short- and long-term outcomes of early identification and intervention for young children from birth to age 3. Results from the studies support the immediate and longer-term benefits of early entry into intervention for language, academic, and social-emotional development. (Contains extensive…

Students who do not respond to well-managed schoolwide discipline programs are less likely to learn than attentive, academically engaged students; they also deprive classmates of learning opportunities. This article describes evolution of the ABC Event Frame, an approach that addresses the academic and social needs of chronically disruptive…

The issues facing sexual minority youth are reviewed. A group-counseling model tested at a public high school is presented. Counseling issues include homophobia, loneliness, isolation, identity issues, alienation from family, suicide, and drug and alcohol abuse. The structure and process for support-group operation is presented; sensitive issues…

Reviews development, evaluation, and utility of the Life-Skills Development Inventory-College Form. Results taken from 553 college students establish the reliability and validity of the revised instrument for assessing life-skill achievement in college students. Implications for developmental interventions in response to identified student needs…

Reports on a primary preventive intervention that prevents future chemical dependency in children (N=57). Results indicate substantial increases in internal locus of control, frustration tolerance, and assertive social skills, along with decreases in acting-out behavior. Findings suggest that school social workers can provide effective…

Demonstrates how a school-based mental health program helps create a caring alternative high school, based on data gathered by shadowing students; interviewing students, teachers, staff, and counselors; reviewing documents; and observing group-counseling sessions. Findings indicate that counseling allows students to experience caring, when…

Parental activities such as attending cultural events, doing volunteer work, and socializing with friends are investigated in relation to the educational attainments of children. Differences are found between fathers' and mothers' activities and their effects on the attainments of boys and girls. Alternative explanations are considered. (EMK)

Longitudinally assessed Icelandic children at ages 7, 9, 12, and 15, and cross-sectionally assessed Chinese children at corresponding ages, concerning reasoning about choices, motives, and moral justifications of a protagonist in a sociomoral dilemma. Icelanders referred more often to self-interest and contractual concerns; Chinese focused on…

Studies of friendships in children with developmental disabilities have evolved primarily from the research on children with typical development. Children with developmental disabilities, however, present unique issues that warrant consideration such as measurement issues, developmental level, the etiology or type of disability, the experience and…

Examines caregiver attitudes toward toddler conflict and considers ways to facilitate conflict resolution to promote toddler growth, learning, and social development. Suggests that the ways caregivers intervene often do not promote resolution between children. Presents prevention and intervention strategies and discusses implications for practice…

A study compared the effectiveness of video modeling with in vivo modeling for teaching developmental skills to five children (ages 7-11) with autism. Targeted skills included social skills and daily living skills. Video modeling led to faster acquisition of tasks than in vivo modeling and was effective in promoting generalization. (Author/CR)

This article discusses the social interaction deficits of persons with Asperger Syndrome and describes a social behavioral learning strategy, SODA (Stop, Observe, Deliberate, and Act), that will enhance the social interaction skills of persons with Asperger Syndrome. It explains the components of SODA and provides a set of teaching guidelines.…

This article presents a conceptual model of the cognitive social bases of language derived from the philosophical view of constructionism and theoretical perspectives of speech act theory and relevance theory. The centrality of intent, modality and core issues of language, lack of construct validity in assessment, and heterogeneity are discussed.…

Discuses fear of failure (FF) in sports and physical education, reviewing literature on FF, recommending a multidimensional model of FF appraisals, examining research on the development of FF, and emphasizing three interpersonal paths of influence: family structure and climate, parental demands for independence and mastery, and parent-child…