This collection of articles and bibliographies provides a comprehensive guide to autism. Section 1 presents general information on autism such as characteristics, myths and facts about autism, factors associated with autism, and diagnostic criteria for autism and Asperger's disorder. Section 2, on the family, addresses such aspects as the…

This book brings a social science perspective to bear on family change and family policy; identifies the determinants of change; and analyzes the role that government has played and can play in affecting the course of family life. Trends are examined from the perspective of children, mothers, and fathers. The book is comprised of the following…

Concerns that parents might have about raising their children bilingually are addressed, and a case study of an Australian family pursuing this course over an 8-year period is presented. In addition, relevant research into bilingualism is cited. Bilingualism means having command of two languages, and bilinguals can range from the rare equilingual…

This briefing paper describes research findings on factors linked to children's school achievement and emotional adjustment. The findings are based on the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of children and families conducted at the University of Michigan and supported…

This KIDS COUNT Report details statewide trends in the well-being of Maine's children. The statistical portrait is based on a variety of indicators in the areas of: (1) physical and mental health; (2) social and economic opportunity; (3) education and learning; and (4) child health care access. The report contains a special section on Maine…

We examined whether childhood factors predict age of first arrest in adolescent girls referred for placement and treatment for serious delinquency problems (N = 62). Measures included child characteristics (i.e., age of menstrual onset, childhood ADHD, and IQ), family environmental factors (i.e., severe punishment, parental transitions, and sexual…

In response to disturbing trends in child poverty levels, leaders in business and philanthropy collaborated to address the problems faced by children and families, concluding that to improve the education of children, the larger family issues of poverty, health care, and social services must be addressed. As part of this effort, across the United…

This anthology examines the contemporary status of Latino families, especially their great racial and ethnic diversity. The book focuses on the strengths of Latino/Hispanic groups, structural processes that impede their progress, and cultural and familial processes that enhance their intergenerational adaptation and resiliency. Chapter 1,…

The objective of this paper is two-fold. First, to address continued criticism of a general lack of attention to diverse aspects of family development due to continued reliance on traditional ways of assessing and conceptualizing family interaction. Second, to address recent recommendations to educate professionals who are capable of promoting…

The papers in this book investigate the current state of knowledge about how families, various formal and informal community institutions, the workplace, and the marketplace have adapted to changing patterns of labor force participation and related changes in family structure and with what consequences for children. The book is divided into three…

This paper utilizes knowledge gained from work on future issues related to families, the work of futurists on social trends and technological development, and recent studies in home economics to draw conclusions regarding what people will need to know in the 1980s and beyond to be intelligent consumers and effective homemakers. The first of six…

This report includes information conerning demographic trends affecting children over the past few years, the status of children as determined by critical normative data pertaining to their health, education, welfare and the identification and targeting of programs and services to meet the needs of children. Section I covers demographic trends in…

The experience of long-term poverty affects many child outcomes, in part through a family stress process in which poverty is considered to be one of the major factors causing family dysfunction, depression among caregivers and inadequate parenting. Recent scholarship extends the classical Family Stress Model by researching the ways in which…

Conceived around the notion that there are multiple sources of influence on children's development, this volume describes when, where, and how parenting matters and the major antecedents and moderators of effective parenting. The chapters of the volume are as follows: (1) "Beyond the Nurture Assumption: Testing Hypotheses about the Child's…

Examines the effects of economic stress on children and their families through changes in family relationships and economic adaptations. Uses data from two longitudinal studies of child development begun during the Great Depression. Discusses findings in relation to an interactional model of the process by which families adapt to stressful times.…