This interview with James T. Webb, clinical psychologist and coauthor of "Guiding the Gifted Child" (1982), focuses on ambivalent messages communicated to gifted/talented children, balancing parental attention among gifted and less gifted siblings, teaching social skills, underachievement, benefits of special programing for emotional development,…

Higher education does not address the central challenges of daily interpersonal life--being a parent, spouse, friend, and offspring; dealing with change, loss, sickness, death. But education can instill "tacit knowing"--knowing in the bones, prior to conceptualization or verbalization. This knowing can be imparted by great literature. (MLW)

Presented are examples of academic, social, daily living, and motor skills that might be targeted for observational instruction for students with handicaps. At each of three phases of development (acquisition level, fluency level, and generalization level), suggestions are offered on choosing what to teach and deciding how to teach. (JDD)

Describes symptoms of learning disabled (LD) children and describes often-associated affects of learning disabilities on child's social skills. Recommends residential camp setting for LD children, suggesting the "learn-by-doing" environment helps them overcome challenges and to improve self esteem. Offers tips for designing LD camp programs. (TES)

This study examines the contribution of assessments of interpersonal behavior to the prediction of initial teacher success. Findings indicate that the widely used predictor of cognitive ability has limited predictive power. Evaluations of interpersonal skills, including oral intelligence, significantly contribute to the prediction of success in…

Two studies examined the influences of concordant and nonconcordant attachment relationships to mothers and to child caregivers on children's behavior in child care. In both studies, the child's level of competence in play with the caregiver and engagement with peers was a function of attachment security with both mother and caregiver. (NH)

Two experiments compared effects of play initiation training on subsequent social interactions between preschool/kindergarten students with severe disabilities and their nonhandicapped peers within play contexts. Training the disabled child in social initiation and play skills was more effective than providing awareness activities and rewards to…

The article describes a series of 10 games designed to improve the communication skills of pupils with severe learning difficulties. The games encourage attention development, initiating comments, and giving and receiving instructions. (DB)

Draws attention to the potentially harmful effects of evaluating children's friendships on what are often negative outcomes, rather than on the efforts that children make to effectively negotiate their friendships. Describes a study of children's friendships in a fifth-grade, culturally diverse class in a large urban elementary school, revealing…

Studies indicate dissuasion does make a difference with heavy drinkers who have not developed severe alcohol dependence. There are practical and methodological problems encountered in comparison of different interventions. Concluded changes sometimes attributed to specific behavioral and psychological interventions may be due to a combination of…

The program involved each adolescent receiving 10 weeks' consecutive training. The results suggested that individualized training was superior to standardized training. Skills important for making friendships were included in the program, and provision was made for meeting the needs of both impulsive and unassertive adolescents within group…

By acknowledging rather than minimizing the turmoil of adolescence, teachers and counselors can help girls clarify and sort out contradictions: how to become adult while being feminine, being true to themselves while giving to others, and pursuing independence while staying emotionally connected. Teachers should provide constructive feedback, not…

This study investigated effects of social interactive strategies (such as, contingent imitation, natural reinforcement contingency, and time delay) in promoting early social-communicative skills of a preschool child with developmental disabilities during daily classroom activities. Results indicated that the child's eye contact, joint attention,…

Discusses characteristics of pretend play and how it can be used to help children with disabilities interact with their typically developing peers. Includes specific play activities and suggestions for teachers. Notes that available play space, number of toys available, and amount of time allowed also influence participation in pretend play. (HTH)

This study evaluated possible relationships between academic aptitude and psychosocial adjustment in students (total n=475) in 3 gifted programs (grade 2, grades 5 to 11, and early college entrance). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses provided little evidence for a relation between aptitude scores and adjustment within these groups.…