A work of art documents the artist's perceptions. The conundrum of how to communicate one's perceptions effectively is the foundation of art. Making art in the classroom involves dialogs between artists and themselves, and artists and their audience. An entire class collaborating on a work augments the learning experience. Instructions are given…

Concludes the findings from a survey that investigated how deaf and hearing-impaired Russian students in the upper grades deal with their hearing impairment in both their school and out-of-school worlds. Examines the value orientations and the emotional assessment of life plans through the prism of the students' attitudes toward their disability.…

Among 11 ideas for guiding gifted students are to: recognize and respect the relationship between social/emotional needs and academic needs; teach pro-social skill development; teach ways to manage stress; model the behavior desired in students; embrace diversity; expose students to knowledgeable counseling; and provide opportunities for down…

Findings from a prospective longitudinal study of 46 boys with fragile X syndrome (ages 24-72 months) found that, although children varied widely, overall development was significantly delayed to approximately half of the rate of typical children. At every age tested, motor and adaptive development was higher than communication and cognitive…

Describes a school program, developed in partnership with a treatment facility for troubled youth, that is committed to surrounding difficult students with the support and controls they need to succeed. Focuses on the Behavior Intervention Support Team in which teachers, counselors, and administrators respond with grace and not punishment. (RJM)

Describes the Summer Treatment Program (STP), a comprehensive sports training and treatment program for students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. STP incorporates social-skills training, academic instruction, parent training, and medication evaluation. STP has been shown to be highly successful and its principles can be transferred…

Using a socio-ecological perspective, examines the influences of adolescents' social networks, personal resources, and environmental risks on adolescents' behavior problems across three samples of youth (N=155). Findings show that social support can operate as a protective agent or as a risk factor, depending on other characteristics of subsystems…

This article describes characteristics of individuals with Asperger Syndrome, a developmental disability defined by impairments in social relationships and verbal and nonverbal communication and by restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. Diagnostic criteria, essential features of the disability, and other notable…

Describes and reviews the work of researchers who have operationalized the construct of friendship and the theoretical basis for the association between friendship experiences and children's level of psychological adjustment. Details study of how various levels of friendship constructs relate to one another and to children's loneliness and…

Discusses the benefits of students participating in art classes, focusing on the development of students. Explains that art education: (1) fosters a joy of learning; (2) supports intellectual, emotional, and social growth; (3) prepares leaders of the future; and (4) inspires students. (SM)

A community-based social-learning program that combined behavior modification with cognitive intervention was used to help an adult male with a history of aggressive, antisocial behavior develop self-management skills. Results showed a significant decline in physical and nonphysical aggression, allowing the man to maintain competitive employment…

Examined the mental health and psychosocial development of 58 Guatemalan Mayan children living in 2 refugee camps in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Found only minimal evidence of psychological trauma among the children and a positive relationship between children's mental health and the health status (physical and mental) of their mothers. (MDM)

Reviews research on friendships of delinquents and nondelinquents. Contrasting theories and research have pointed to both the distinctiveness of delinquent friendships and the commonality with normal friendships. Greater conflict, poorer attachment quality, lesser ability to repair relationships, cognitive distortions, and poorer social-cognitive…

Children's ideas strongly shape classroom life in Japanese elementary schools. Japanese children identify goals for self-improvement, work hard to achieve them, and then choose new goals. Events like the Yotsubashi Festival are not diversions from the curriculum, but designed to help children develop socially, emotionally, ethically, and…

The Social Awareness Inventory (SAI), which assesses individual differences in eight social-perceptual styles, is introduced and applied in three studies. The model is derived by crossing the three binary dimensions of target (self or other), perspective (own or other's), and content (overt appearance or covert experience). The SAI appears to…