A study of 14 children with autism, 14 with mental retardation, and 14 typical children found the children with autism performed equally well as the others at interpreting social situations when only one social cue was present, but performed significantly worse than the others when multiple cues were present. (Author/CR)

Four preschool children with disabilities and four peers and were taught to take turns tutoring each other on academic skills. All subjects' academic responses increased after peer tutoring. Four of the children increased their social interaction, while the remaining students increased social interaction after a supplemental intervention was…

Considers traditional classroom discipline systems as patriarchal moral systems focused on hyperindividuality and dependent upon rules, consequences, and principles focused through authoritarian structures. Critiques the Assertive Discipline, Control Theory, and Discipline with Dignity discipline systems, and proposes an alternative model for…

Notes that holistic approaches to learning through play may not be universally effective with all children. Reviews studies in this journal issue, noting the absence of socioeconomic status as a variable, and questions raised by their results in the context of applying them to increasingly diverse populations. (HTH)

This article reviews the components of social validation and how they apply to social skills assessment for people with disabilities. Components include the social importance of the intervention outcomes, the social significance of the goals, the appropriateness of the procedures, and determination of the optimal levels for target behaviors.…

A study involving 18 high-functioning children (ages 8-17) with autism and 17 controls found that those with autism revealed a good understanding of social interaction and loneliness and demonstrated a high level of social initiation. They spent only half the time in social interactions with peers, however, compared to controls. (Contains…

The second of a four-part series on the development of infants and toddlers, this article reviews current research on social and emotional development during the first two years and provides a selected list of activities designed to promote infants' optimal development. Attachment behavior and affective behavior are two major topics explored. (EV)

Studied developmental changes in the experience of solitude between late childhood and early adolescence. Fifth through ninth graders (N=483) provided experience-sampling reports on their companionship and subjective states at random times over a week. Found that in early adolescence solitude comes to have a more constructive role in daily life as…

A study of 270 abstracts of articles published from 1952 to 1996 investigated the literature on social and emotional needs of gifted students and found most articles were not research based. Half of the articles were overviews of programs, models, or guides and did not include adequate information on their outcomes. (CR)

Presents the results of an investigation of five-year-old children and their families within two contrasting groups. In one group the children were raised to play unhindered by street traffic and without adults present. In group two the children could not leave their residence unaccompanied by adults. Results indicate that an unsuitable…

Examined cross-cultural research literature for support of relationship between children's social functioning and peer acceptance and psychosocial well-being. Used PsychLIT search to identify 18 cross-cultural observational studies focusing on interaction of children up to 12 years. Encountered theoretical orientations. Found that the studies did…

Provides introductory comments and definitions regarding the area of social-emotional interventions in schools. Suggests that although there have been significant advances in school-based social-emotional intervention programming, future efforts are needed to help practitioners customize and implement programs effectively across school systems,…

Twenty ideas for helping students with attention deficit disorder develop social and friendship skills include: (1) assessing students' mastery of social skills; (2) using children's literature to teach social skills; (3) creating a classroom environment that promotes social interaction among students; (4) remembering that social skills are…

Students' social and emotional development is vital in today's education, especially in light of changing family structures. This paper examines implications of recent cultural changes which have resulted in positive and negative changes in students' social and emotional needs, then describes and presents approaches to social and emotional…

Illustrates how significant numbers of college students are "lost": they are unsituated in academic space. Suggests a rigorous exploration of the changing academic space outside of school offices and off campuses. Presents 4 assignments that provide a conceptual place (a topic) while also prompting students to make meaning out of the people-places…