The effects of a friendship awareness activity on frequency and type of social interactions between elementary students with mental retardation and their nonhandicapped peers were evaluated. Results indicated that the one-time friendship awareness activity was inadequate to produce changes in social interactions. (Author/DB)

Assesses the effects of positive peer reporting (PPR) on the cooperative behaviors and peer acceptance of three socially rejected, delinquent youth in residential care. Results indicate that PPR increased the use of cooperative statements made to peers and led to increased peer status. Findings support the use of peers as sources of reinforcement…

Napoleon Dynamite, the quirky hit film from 2004, is a fascinating portrayal of a teenager with social difficulties. The character Napoleon provokes intriguing diagnostic questions in distinguishing between mental illness and the spectrum of normal behavior. He demonstrates several symptoms of Asperger's disorder, yet he also challenges the notion…

Approximately half of children and adolescents who are socially unpopular are not aggressive. Some voluntarily isolate themselves from the peer group, whereas others are intentionally excluded and often victimized. Although school social workers regularly provide services to this population, there is little reported research on effective…

A demonstration program featured a mainstreamed setting for six hearing impaired children (five hard of hearing and one deaf) in 2nd and 3rd grades. A full time special education teacher used sign language and cotaught with the regular classroom teacher. Many of the problems encountered in the first year of the program were dealt with successfully…

Third and fourth-grade learning disabled boys were compared to low-achieving third and fourth graders (N=24) matched on sex, race, grade, classroom, and reading achievement. No significant differences were found between these two groups in terms of levels of classroom acceptance, social knowledge, and social behavior as rated by their regular…

Integrations and segregation of handicapped students are discussed in conjunction with shortcomings of Public Law 94-142. Problems in measurement of social acceptance are presented, and sociometric status of various handicapped populations in regular classrooms is reviewed. Because exceptional children are typically unpopular among regular class…

Revised Class Play (RCP) was presented as a measure of peer reputation designed to improve the assessment of social competence as well as the psychometric properties of class play method. Administered to third through sixth graders three test dimensions were revealed: sociability-leadership, aggressive-disruptive, and sensitive-isolated. Data…

Research is reviewed on the communicative ability of learning disabled (LD) adolescents and its effects on acceptance by peers. Difficulties are noted in social perception, oral language, and social experience. Suggestions for enhancing communication and social skills include using group-contingent reinforcements and exposing LD students to normal…

Playground observations of 34 learning disabed and non-LD elementary children revealed few substantive differences between the LD and non-LD groups. Sociometric questionnaires indicated that LD Ss had lower status than the non-LD children, and that the non-LD children play with about half of the LD children for whom they expressed liking.…

Discusses the child who has newly immigrated, the importance of peer acceptance, the skills of friendship, the promotion of prosocial behavior, the developmental sequence of friendship, the impact of moving on friendship, the encouragement of peer interaction, and the role of the teacher as mediator. (RH)

Results indicated that socially unskilled, learning disabled children (8 to 10 years old) can be taught to respond appropriately to role-play situations. However, improved performance did not generalize to the natural school setting and treatment did not affect ratings of peer acceptance. (Author)

Sociometric nominations were used to select groups of popular, average, rejected, and neglected among 101 third- and 219 fifth-grade children. In contrast to popular children, rejected children displayed fewer task appropriate behaviors and more task inappropriate and aggressive behaviors. (Author/SW)

An alternative approach to mainstreaming is suggested whereby handicapped children would be taught the requisite social skills for effective social interaction and peer acceptance. Social skills curricula for use by both special and regular classroom education teachers are suggested. (Author)