Purpose: Social skills difficulties among children on the autism spectrum can impede social, emotional, and academic development, especially with increasing age and social demands. This pilot study examined the efficacy of a 5-week skill-building program for children on the autism spectrum. Although effective social skills programs are available…

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of Superheroes Social Skills, a multimedia social skills package, in improving social responsiveness and social initiation behaviors of four elementary school children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The program was implemented in a public school setting in the southwestern United States for…

This community effectiveness trial examined the feasibility and efficacy of a comprehensive psychosocial treatment for 28 children, aged 7 to 10 years with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs). Treatment included instruction and therapeutic activities targeting social skills, face-emotion recognition skills, interest expansion, and…

Taking risks is fairly common in adolescence. Risky behaviors can be associated with serious, long-term, and--in some cases--life-threatening consequences. This is especially the case when adolescents engage in more than one harmful behavior. The tendency for risky behaviors to co-occur has been well-studied. Yet prevention efforts traditionally…

This article draws on theoretical contributions from Michel Foucault, Nikolas Rose and from within the new sociology of childhood to open up for critical analysis and debate contemporary policy and practice initiatives involving the introduction of formal psychotherapeutic education programmes in schools. While the primary focus is the UK, the…

Through contributions from top leaders in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), "Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder" examines the ASD research literature, discusses procedural implications, and makes recommendations for future practice and inquiry. It combines the most recent developments in established practices with newer and…

A number of recent publications have highlighted the need for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to be offered "timely" and "appropriate" support in relation to the development of their social skills. One such reported method is the utilisation of social skills groups, although only a small evidence base currently exists demonstrating…

There is a paucity of literature on social skills therapy for students on the autism spectrum, revealing an urgent need for additional research. Past research has focused on the use of small groups or single-case study designs. The present study examines the effectiveness of a social skills therapy program for school-age children ages 11 through…

When researchers evaluate social skills programs, they essentially are measuring progress towards a goal. How they measure this progress hinges on the precision of the goal statements, the identification of valid and realistic process and outcome indicators, and the selection of appropriate data and methods for collection. This paper outlines the…

This paper presents some background information and a brief report on the progress of the first two and one-half months of the Synanon study of the social behavior of communally-reared children in which an attempt is being made to apply ethological methods of observation and analysis to human infant behavior. The children range in age from 6 to 40…

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent childhood psychological disorders. In addition to causing acute distress to the child, parent and school staff, anxiety disorders may also have a significant impact on a child's educational and social development and persist chronically into adulthood. Recent work has begun to identify the school as…

A summary of the research activities of 13 Head Start regional evaluation centers is presented in three sections: research on children, research on parents and families, and research on classrooms, teachers, and social organizations of Head Start centers. Studies are grouped under appropriate subheadings, such as "language" or…

Evaluated was the Summer Pre-Placement Program for Severely Multihandicapped Blind Children, designed to provide individualized programs for improving the performance of 16 children (4-11 years old) in the following areas--communication skills, vision training, psychomotor and perceptual training, social development, ambulation, self-dependence,…

Describes and evaluates a social competence program for high risk children. Undergraduates used interpersonal problem-solving techniques to work with 32 maladapting first through third graders who were seen on a small group basis. Results indicated that children in the program made significantly greater gains in classroom adjustment. (Author)

This final report describes the outcomes of four demonstration projects, funded in 1990 in Oregon, on early identification and prevention of mental and emotional disorders in children. The intention of the projects was to find ways to identify children who are at risk of suffering emotional disorders and intervene early enough to prevent these…