Implementing evidenced-based interventions for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the educational setting is of utmost importance for their long-term success. Unfortunately, interventions often are not implemented with efficacy due to the overwhelming demands on educators attempting to meet the individualized needs of each student.…

The study outlined here was an attempt to examine the use of "Circle of Friends" as a single intervention approach in addressing the issue of inappropriate social interactions in a child with Asperger Syndrome. The child selected was in a mainstream setting, as the main feature of a circle of friends is peers supporting peers. The child…

People use various terms to refer to traits and tendencies connected to social-emotional behavior and ways of thinking or approaching problems--from 21st century skills to mindsets to habits of mind. Such traits are also often called soft skills or non-cognitive skills. The authors contend that these latter terms imply that these traits and…

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and other therapies for autism have been developing and changing in recent years, and have moved away from clinical settings to options that can be used in the classroom and at home. Common current therapies focus on improving social skills and increasing communication. The therapies and treatments that are…

We review the state of evidence supporting a link between violent media exposure in preschoolaged children and subsequent well-being outcomes. We searched through four decades (1971-2011) of literature for enlightening details on the relationship between early exposure to media violence and health outcomes in later childhood and adolescence.…

Social-emotional development is important to personal adjustment and well-being. Little has been written about social-emotional development in children and youth who are deafblind. The authors discuss factors in typical social-emotional development--attachment, empathy, and friendships--and how they may be challenged in children who are deafblind.…

This dissertation is a contemplative narration of my lived experience of bringing mindfulness into my teaching. The dissertation first portrays the process of entering into the dialogic space of mindfulness as a Buddhist concept intersecting with the scientific, educational, and public domains. I then describe the contemplative reflection process…

In this ethnographic research, discovery of how preschool-aged children use play to wield their individual power in the outdoors is documented in a single classroom. Embedded as a participant-researcher and working from constructivist and critical theory orientations, the researcher seeks to understand how children use their play to construct the…

Given the importance of social and emotional competence and confidence in early childhood, there has been growing attention on providing young children deliberate experiences to practice and acquire essential foundational skills for health and well-being. This article shares examples to illustrate how children can easily apply simple tools within…

Young children who enter school without sufficient social and emotional learning (SEL) skills may have a hard time learning. Yet early childhood educators say they do not get enough training to effectively help children develop such skills. In this article, Megan McClelland, Shauna Tominey, Sara Schmitt, and Robert Duncan examine the theory and…

Many interventions targeting cognitive skills or socioemotional skills and behaviors demonstrate initially promising but then quickly disappearing impacts. Our article seeks to identify the key features of interventions, as well as the characteristics and environments of the children and adolescents who participate in them, that can be expected to…

The present study investigated children's internal state language during play with their sibling and friend across early and middle childhood. Specifically, the category type of internal state language (e.g., cognitions and goals), referent (e.g., own and other), and associations with children's birth order were examined. A total of 65 (T1: Time…

Dialogue journals are a form of writing in which a student and a teacher carry on a conversation over time. This paper addresses the benefits of using dialogue journals for promoting a positive social-emotional learning (SEL) environment for children in school settings. Educators and researchers have increasingly acknowledged the importance of SEL…

There is a critical need for evidence-based, broadband behavioral, and ASD screening measures for use in pediatric and early educational settings to ensure that young children at risk for developing social-emotional disorders and/or ASD are provided with early intervention services to optimize long-term outcomes. The BITSEA is a 42-item screener…

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' attitudes regarding the development of socio-emotional skills of students in primary general schools and the implementation of programs concerning the development of these skills within the school context. Socio-emotional skills are of particular importance in children's lives, as they help to…