This comparison of 39 college freshmen with learning disabilities (LD) and 33 nondisabled freshmen found that LD students were becoming more dependent on their families, spent less time in study, exhibited greater pessimism about success in coursework, and were dissatisfied with the social climate on campus. Actual grade attainment of both groups…

Considers eight models for the study of pubertal change that explore possible links between hormones and negative affective experiences, such as depression and aggression. Notes that hormonal effects, though small, have demonstrated stability and have interacted with psychological and social factors, implicating hormonal changes in the development…

The Seattle (Washington) Homeless Adolescent Research Project implemented Project Passage to provide individualized mental health services to homeless adolescents, involving assessment, linkage, advocacy, counseling, treatment teams, and crisis service. Participants evidenced lower levels of aggression and greater satisfaction with quality of life…

Relations among observed family interaction patterns, preadolescent boys' classroom self-restraint, and academic achievement were studied in a sample of 65 intact families. Findings identify behavioral self-restraint, a form of social competence, as a noncognitive mediator between the quality of family functioning and academic achievement in early…

Presents an overview of the research literature concerning the significance of adolescent friendship. Topics addressed are (1) the ubiquity of friendships; (2) friendship stability; (3) conditions of friendship, such as reciprocity, commitment, and equality; (4) similarities among friends; and (5) social and emotional development fostered by…

Studied relationship between college programs in prisons and societal adjustment as well as participation in college programs. Examined postrelease success of 526 offenders enrolled in college, vocational, secondary, and elementary programs while incarcerated. Results were mixed, but college program participants had better adjustment scores…

Used longitudinal design to assess risks associated with maltreatment in maltreated and nonmaltreated children. Found that heightened difficulties in peer relationships and self-esteem were associated with greater severity and chronicity of maltreatment. The best predictions of specific aspects of adjustment considered timing, type, and severity…

Describes and reviews the work of researchers who have operationalized the construct of friendship and the theoretical basis for the association between friendship experiences and children's level of psychological adjustment. Details study of how various levels of friendship constructs relate to one another and to children's loneliness and…

This study examined the social adjustment of deaf adolescents enrolled in segregated (n=39), partially integrated (n=15), and mainstreamed (n=17) settings. Partially integrated students reported better adjustment than mainstreamed students with deaf peers; mainstreamed students reported better adjustment than partially integrated students with…

Strategies for working with international camp staff include speaking plain English, making camp policies and customs clear, including food from other countries in the menu, encouraging international staff to play games and sing songs in their native language, and assigning buddies to international staff. Includes tips for hiring international…

Examined adjustment problems from late childhood to early adulthood among 500 Swedish girls. Found a diversified pattern of multisyndrome formation in late childhood. The syndrome structure in early adolescence identified externalizing adjustment problems and peer problems. An externalizing syndrome was stable between late childhood and early…

Assessed whether low perceived maternal power and temperamentally fearful preschool-aged daughters predicted subsequent maternal overcontrol and internalizing symptoms in daughters 2 years later. Found that low perceived maternal power predicted subsequent maternal overcontrol with initially fearful daughters but did not predict subsequent…

Background: In professional practice, psychologists and other professionals such as therapists and teachers receive referrals of many children who present with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties that are difficult to understand and assess. The problems of some of these children may stem from pragmatic difficulties in communication.…

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is an assessment procedure used to identify the reasons for children's misbehavior. In this article we provide an overview of one approach to FBA known as "multimodal functional behavioral assessment" (MFBA) that provides a comprehensive examination of the causes of children's disruptive behavior. The…

Although fundamental beginning reading skills are highly related to later reading success (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000), it remains unclear how these beginning reading skills impact the social adjustment of kindergarten through second grade children. Therefore, the purposes of this study were: (a) to examine the…