According to the DfES Standards website, the Key Stage 3 National Strategy is part of the Government's agenda for transforming secondary education. It is a whole school improvement strategy which aims to provide "a platform for professional development across the school through its emphasis on teaching and learning"; and to foster…

This review describes the prenatal and postnatal development of the human cortex. Neurogenesis, neuronal migration, dendrite maturation, synaptogenesis, and white matter development are discussed. In addition, the concept of "critical" or "sensitive" periods is discussed as well as genetic and environmental influences (Nature-Nurture). The effects…

Children's social networks often include close family members, extended family members, and friends, but little is known about interindividual differences in the patterning of support from these sources. In this study, we used person-oriented analyses to differentiate patterns of support for children undergoing the transition to adolescence.…

A case study of a young boy (age 2) with autism illustrates the use of the developmental, individual-difference, relationship based model. During spontaneous "floor time" play sessions, adults follow the child's lead, utilizing affectively toned interactions through gestures and words to move the child up the symbolic ladder. (Contains…

This article provides an overview of the integrated play groups (IPGs) model designed to support children with autism in play with typical children. A pilot investigation involving 2 Taiwanese children (ages 6-7) found each child made notable gains in reciprocal social interactions and symbolic/pretend play with participating in IPGs. (Contains…

Background: Social and emotional adjustment of siblings of children with autism was examined, to explore their risk or resilience to effects of genetic liability and environmental factors involved in having a sibling with autism. Method: Social-emotional adjustment, behavior problems, socialization skills, and siblings' relationships were compared…

Asperger's Disorder (AD) is a pervasive developmental disorder affecting social functioning and behavioral interest and activities. The purpose of this article is to inform school counselors of the characteristic features of AD, common interventions being implemented, and the techniques associated with the practice of psychodrama that appear to…

Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (E/BD) often display one or more of the following characteristics: (1) an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; (2) an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers or teachers; (3) inappropriate types of behavior or…

This article chronicles the authors' effort to construct a pedagogical exercise to help students connect food consumption to social class membership through the analysis of restaurant menus. Similar to Albers and Bach's (2003) use of music as an element of popular culture, the authors use food to convey sociological concepts related to social…

During the past 20 years, depression has been recognized widely in children and adolescents. However, even with what is known today about depression, many children and adolescents remain undiagnosed. Early recognition is imperative to prevent further episodes that may continue into adulthood. Depression in children and adolescents affects social…

The authors' goal in conducting this study was to explore the association between temperament and future-oriented decision making. Forty-three preschoolers (mean age = 51 months) were given a child variant of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and asked to choose between a deck with higher immediate rewards and a deck with higher future rewards.…

In this paper, a case study of women's incipient literacy in Junigau, Nepal, I argue that literacy can be both a catalyst for social change and a result of numerous other types of social transformation. The increase in female literacy rates in Junigau in the 1990s made possible the emergence of new courtship practices involving love letters and…

Co-occurring internalizing and externalizing disorders are moderately prevalent in children, adolescents, and adults (Anderson, Williams, McGee, & Silva, 1987; McConaughy & Skiba, 1994), but much remains to be understood regarding why some children show "pure" versus co-occurring internalizing and externalizing symptoms. One possible influence…

The purpose of this research is to explore the role of a director of a preschool program who mentors and trains high school students to teach and work directly with preschool children in the context of individual lessons, small group activities, and large group instruction. This participant-observer research study also examines how the director…

The development of feelings of identity, the sense of belonging to a team, and the growth of social skills are experiences that sport, if properly conducted, is well placed to offer (Siedentop, 1994). Evidence suggests that some characteristics of traditional, multiactivity forms of physical education work against realizing these goals (Locke,…