Two types of behaviours shown in children--those reflecting social impairment and nonsocial obsessive repetitive behaviours--are central to defining and diagnosing autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Parent and teacher data on social and nonsocial behaviours were obtained from a community sample of greater than 3000 7-year-old twin pairs. Social and…

Affective and behavioural indicators of the effects of schooling, and of other interventions, might be more important than cognitive indicators, particularly in the long run and considering the urgent need for civil societies. Examples are provided of the statistical properties of affective and behavioural indicators, and of their current use in…

Given the relative absence of treatment outcome studies, information about the specificity and utility of interventions for children who set fires has not been reported. In a treatment outcome study with young boys referred for firesetting that compared brief home visitation from a firefighter, fire safety education (FSE), and cognitive-behavioral…

A current empirical review of the treatment efficacy of Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for adolescent conduct problems (CP) was conducted. Conclusions based on this review suggest that MST can be a very powerful alternative to the usual legal and social service approaches (e.g. justice system, day treatment programs) used in the treatment of…

In New York State, the antisocial behavior of some youths causes them to be removed from their homes and placed with the state's Division for Youth. At Division facilities, youths are required to receive counseling/treatment services until they can be released into the community. An audit was conducted to determine whether the Division was…

The effects of Project HOLD on the behavior, truancy, suspension rate, and academic achievement of problem junior high students are discussed. The program is reported to have a positive effect on referral, suspension, and absence rates. Increased positive self awareness and goal setting are also reported. (RLV)

School personnel often misclassify a conduct-disordered student as severely emotionally disturbed, following a serious offense. Educators must remember, however, that mislabeling a child to obtain services, prevent expulsion, or remove the child to a special classroom is both inappropriate and unethical. Legal language should be clarified, and…

Provides an overview of what is known about the problem of sexual abuse of children and society's response to it. A list of recommendations is provided by the Center for the Future of Children, and an analysis is presented in the following areas: scope and nature of child sexual abuse; reporting, investigation, and adjudication; and treatment and…

Analyzes existing evidence and identifies remaining gaps in knowledge concerning the exclusion of British children from school for disruptive behavior. The authors argue that an adequate understanding of exclusion from school can be achieved only by viewing it within the wider debate on social control and civic exclusion. (SLD)

Violent and potentially violent incidents in schools in the United States continue to make the headlines, with school-related violent deaths in the United States in the first half of the 2003-04 school year exceeding the deaths for the entire 2002-03 academic year (Vail 2004). In this article, the authors look at the ultimate form of classroom…

This study examined the personality characteristics of 180 boys and girls of ages 8, 9, and 10 with learning disabilities (LD) in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade in urban and rural primary schools of Andhrapradesh, India. The subjects were identified based on their scholastic achievement on a spelling dictation test, an oral reading test, a reading…

With a sample of 1,630 sixth-grade students from 77 classrooms, the authors used hierarchical linear modeling to examine how ethnicity within context and classroom social disorder influenced the association between peer victimization and social-psychological adjustment (loneliness and social anxiety). Victimized students in classrooms where many…

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of an observational rating system for assessing preschoolers' peer entry and play skills: Observed Peer Play in Unfamiliar Settings (OPPUS). Participants were 84 preschoolers at risk for psychopathology. Reliability and concurrent validity are reported. The 30-min paradigm yielded reliable indexes…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997) requires identification of emotional disturbance by special education criteria. It also requires that emotional disturbance be distinguished from social maladjustment. In some cases, a thorough evaluation of the child's character pathology can aid in this determination. While methods such as…

Numerous arguments have addressed the controversies surrounding the category of emotional disturbance (ED) and the exclusion, or proposed inclusion, of students with social maladjustment (SM). In this article we address the consensually agreed upon characteristics of ED that are in common with SM, in addition to examining characteristics that…