Examined infants' tendency, from a few days to nine months of age, to prefer infant-directed over adult-directed speech. Results suggest that exaggerated pitch contours that characterize infant-directed speech may become salient communicative signals for infants through language-rich, interactive experiences with caretakers and increased…

This paper reviews 17 cases of affective disorders in people with autism. The review analyzes demographics and family history, reason for referral, age at onset and recurrence, diagnosis and polarity, symptoms, and response to treatment. The paper discusses whether and how mood disorder can be diagnosed and treated in persons who have limited…

Social-affective characteristics were studied among middle school students with (n=38) and without (n=38) learning disabilities (LD). Groups differed significantly on loneliness, integration, victimization, participation, and teacher-rated social competence, but not on self-concept. (Author/PB)

A multicausal model of adolescent homelessness was tested in 54 homeless adolescents and 58 controls. The homeless adolescents were found to be significantly more deprived emotionally, socially, and culturally than the controls. Subjects reported a lack of parental warmth, care, and support; unstimulating family environments; high levels of family…

The author worked with 10 students at an inner-city elementary school. This case study illuminates the interplay between theory, practice, and values by describing effective techniques of intervention in a situation that reflects social pathology. Traditional African values are incorporated in counseling interventions with disruptive male…

Examined effects of emotional communication on preschoolers' emotional competence. Found that the regularities in emotional communication between mothers and their preschool children are associated with variations in the children's emotional competence. In particular, children who witnessed higher level maternal sadness or anger, or responded…

Investigated North American children's and adults' familiarity with, and liking for, fairy tales. Results support the hypotheses that children's liking for fairy tales relates significantly to their involvement in imagining activities and that more general imagining involvements are likely to be associated with, or to mediate differences in, the…

Examination of the treatment program for learning-disabled adolescents at McGill-Montreal Childrens Hospital Learning Centre (Quebec) suggests intervention can mitigate effects of even severe learning disabilities if it addresses consequences of prolonged stress and failure and affective and social competence as well as cognitive and academic…

This article defines bibliotherapy, offers guidelines for selecting appropriate materials to use to assist gifted students to grow emotionally and socially, notes the crucial nature of teacher-led discussion in helping students interact with the literature, and provides discussion questions and suggested activities for each of six books.…

Examined the effects of thematic fantasy play (TFP) on the perspective-taking of 27 kindergarten children by having their teacher guide them in the reenactment of fairy tales. Results demonstrated that the children exposed to TFP performed significantly higher on measures of perceptual, cognitive, and affective perspective-taking than a control…

Reviews research into the effects of various child care environments on the emotional and intellectual well-being of children. Examines factors of early education group settings that could facilitate a positive learning and emotional climate without detriment to infant-mother attachment. Suggests measures at the home, day-care, and public policy…

This paper reviews common emotional and social needs of gifted children. Two personality self-report instruments, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Murphy-Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children, are suggested for helping students gain self-awareness and self-acceptance, which will enhance their emotional growth toward awareness of others and…

This study examined 236 8-year olds from a state with minimal child care standards in an effort to discover possible differences associated with child care histories. Children with more extensive child care experiences were associated with negative ratings by parents, teachers, and peers. (SH)

Compared adjustment scores among adolescents who differ in both emotional autonomy and perceptions of parental support. Found that, although adolescents who scored high in both emotional autonomy and relationship support reported more internal distress and behavior problems than less autonomous adolescents, they had higher levels of psychological…

Examined infant facial expressions at two, four, and six months of age during face-to-face play and a still-face interaction with their mothers. Contrary to differential emotions theory, at no age did proportions or durations of discrete and blended negative expressions differ; they also showed different patterns of developmental change. (MM)