Purpose: Follow-up studies of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in early childhood that focus on friendship formation during adolescence are scarce. The present study focused on exploring characteristics possibly related to the ability to establish friendships during adolescence among children diagnosed with ASD in…

Positive youth development has been extensively documented in contexts such as the family, school, and afterschool. Emerging theory and research indicate that digital contexts such as social media may also be venues through which young people develop skills and attributes associated with the 5 Cs model of positive youth development and thriving.…

Notions of 'personal and social development' within experiential learning literature remain philosophically underdeveloped, often identified as something like practical wisdom or practical reasoning. Experiential learning practitioners and theorists make frequent claims regarding the 'life-changing' significance for participants; particularly in…

Quiet, shy and/or anxious children are found in every classroom and in every school and by their nature, tend to go 'under the radar'. These children present a variety of behaviours, such as being inhibited, lacking confidence, or appearing socially anxious. For some children, their shyness can be severe and may affect their access to learning,…

Before his freshmen year, the author thought he knew everything--about himself, about college and about the world. He anticipated brilliant and disheveled professors, who, heads in the clouds, wander to class between picturesque gothic towers fortifying quads of freshly cut grass. He pictured Frisbees and roommates, intramural sports and…

During adolescence, friendship affiliations and groups provide companionship and social and emotional support, and they afford opportunities for intimate self-disclosure and reflection. Friendships often promote positive psychosocial development, but some youth learn and adopt antisocial attitudes and deviant behaviors through their friendships.…

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 112 young adolescents showed that frequency of conflict was significantly related to ratings of the friend's importance and satisfaction with the friendship, but was not related to sibling relationship ratings. Developmental implications of relationship differences in interpersonal conflict are discussed,…

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…

The "social maps" of 89 youngsters as they made the transition from sixth to eighth grades (elementary to junior high school) were explored. Data were gathered through interviews with the youngsters in sixth and again in eighth grade. Subjects' mothers were also interviewed at both times. Interviews focused on the child's social network as…

This study longitudinally examined attributes of children's social networks as they changed from the preschool period to middle childhood. The social networks of 75 middle class white children at 3, 6, and 9 years of age were assessed for daily contact and number of contacts with kin, nonkin, adults, peers, and same and opposite sex friends. Data…

Designed for students in grades K-3, the program focuses on nurturing individual student growth through sequential class activities that stimulate a positive social climate within the classroom. Based on group process and child development research, the teacher's handbook focuses on skills in the areas of friendship, communication, and…

Explores mentoring as a means of promoting spiritual growth for women in a congregational setting. Surveys the roles and activities of mentors with special attention to utilization in business and educational environments. Proposes four likely components of a mentoring relationship. (MJP)

Cross-sectional and longitudinal study of one- to six-year-olds in full-time child care assessed sequences and individual differences in development of social competence with peers. Study collects most extensive and varied data to date. Findings concern stability of individual differences, social classifications, influences of variations in…

This manual is intended for use by persons with psychiatric disabilities who are employed in the community but need to improve their social skills to maintain their employment. It is designed to be taught to mental health consumers by mental health consumers. Each session outline includes objectives; a list of materials needed; and exercises that…

Written for students of early childhood education and child development as well as for practicing teachers, this book focuses on two basic questions concerning personal/social goals for early childhood education. These questions are (1) What skills do we want to nurture in children? and (2) How do we accomplish these objectives? The text begins…