This discussion concludes that personal choice cannot be used to distinguish between students with serious emotional disturbances or social maladjustment, a distinction required by federal legislation. Literature supporting this conclusion is reviewed, focusing on conduct problems and disorders, choosing maladjusted behavior, choosing a serious…

This study found significant relationships between measures of adaptive/maladaptive behavior and community adjustment in 239 adults with mild to severe mental retardation. Results provide evidence for the criterion-related validity of measures of adaptive/maladaptive behavior, and suggest the importance of such skills in community adaptation and…

Surveyed state special education directors in 50 states and District of Columbia regarding social maladjustment exclusionary clause in federal definition of serious emotional disturbance (SED). Thirty-four states included social maladjustment clause or some form of exclusion in SED definition. Found no significant relationship between presence of…

Presents research into second and fifth graders' use of social information about focal peers. Examines the impact of social information on children's evaluations at two levels: attributions focused on the cause of a social event, and more generalized dispositional inferences about the focal peer. Girls were sensitive to the stability dimension,…

Discusses perceptions that sixth graders and their parents have about their relationships. Sociable children were more likely to agree with their parents about the supportiveness of the relationship than were withdrawn or aggressive children. Mothers of withdrawn or aggressive children, and fathers of aggressive children, felt less supportive than…

This article addresses the controversy regarding the exclusion of youths labeled socially maladjusted from special education services for the seriously emotionally disturbed. The article reconceptualizes the issue from a cultural-organizational perspective, viewing such exclusion as resulting from a society that has little tolerance for "deviant"…

This article focuses on the social analysis of communication activities and the functioning of individuals with mild to moderate mental retardation. It provides an examination across the lifespan, from children to aging adults, addressing individuals' adaptations to society's communication demands, quality of life, social growth, and communication…

This study with three groups of young adults with mental retardation found that five variables contributed substantially to community adjustment: (1) number of limiting factors, (2) earned income, (3) number of support services, (4) living arrangement, and (5) number of daytime activities. (Author/DB)

Used observation and teachers' ratings of preschoolers' social adjustment to the peer group to study the concurrent validity of social participation categories. Social participation categories of withdrawal and interactive play were well validated by other measures of social adjustment. Parallel play was correlated only with task involvement. (BB)

Examined relations between characterological versus behavioral self-blaming attributions for victimization and maladjustment in middle school students. Found that self-perceived victimization was associated with characterological self-blame, loneliness, anxiety, and low self-worth. Peer-perceived victimization was related to peer acceptance and…

A study involving 254 children (ages 3 to 17) investigated how children referred to the East Baltimore Mental Health Partnership (EBMHP) from a traditional mental health center differed from children referred by non-mental health agencies. Children differed in terms of their sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial adjustment depending on…

Studied interrelationships between dating patterns and trajectories of psychosocial functioning over a year in middle adolescents. Found that increasing casual dating was associated with rising problem behaviors and improved close friendship quality; pathways culminating in steady relationships were accompanied by increasing friendship discord,…

Assessed the possible confounding of preadolescents' temperament as a predictor of psychological adjustment, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and expert ratings. CFAs demonstrated that temperament could be reliably measured after eliminating overlapping items. Negative emotionality and impulsivity were negatively related to symptom…

Discusses five areas concerning Heatherington et al.'s study: nature and nurture issues; deviance versus normative behavior in stepfamilies; context and meaning in different types of families; intersecting developmental trajectories; and gender differences. (JPB)

Focuses on the nature of peer relationships of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children, including relationship problems that are commonly manifested in the areas of academic, conduct, and social problems. Finds that children with ADHD experience numerous peer difficulties and may benefit from specially designed intervention. (SD)