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In this study, a valid and reliable scale was developed to measure parents' perceptions of their children's social development in physical education classes. In the first part of the research, the relevant literature reviewed and student-parent interviews were held. As a result of the data obtained from the interviews, a 30-item draft scale was created. The draft scale was applied to 30 parents of students, and as a result of the feedback received, 5 items were removed from the pool. The remaining draft scale items were submitted to expert opinion and the number of items was reduced to 22. The 22-item scale was applied to 240 volunteer parents for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and to 216 different volunteer parents for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). As a result of the analyses, the final scale consisting of 15 items and four sub-dimensions was obtained. The Cronbach's Alpha values of the sub-dimensions were found to be between 0.74-0.79. In the final part, the 15-item scale was applied to 540 volunteer parents. Accordingly, while it was observed that parents' PSDSPEL scores were higher in the sub-dimension of showing positive behavior, it was determined that male parents' perception levels were higher than female parents. As a result of the study, it was found that the validity, reliability and internal consistency coefficients of the scale were at acceptable levels.

This article investigates how strategic community partnerships form the bedrock of successful institutional community engagement activities. In this investigation, these engagements encourage institutional practitioners to consider how truly effective community economic development materializes when the university assumes a reactionary role by tailoring activity to respond to outcomes community defines for itself. Using the formation and development of York University's successful social procurement program as test case, the article explores how key community partnerships have led to successful program outcomes -- which, to date, have amounted to over $8 million spent on diverse suppliers and 63 apprenticeship opportunities created. To demonstrate this evidence, the article considers how to identify and align with community champions to create tangible outcomes as well as how those defined outcomes are translated into creating activities that are aligned with what the institution can reasonably deliver to achieve the community's stated outcomes. In this article, this will be considered as it explores York's Social Procurement Vendor Portal and how its formation and refinement was directly attributed to community need. Finally, the investigation considers the interplay between how institutions can design impactful reporting that responds to community need.

Social studies have been marginalized in early childhood education amid the prevalence of standardized testing and political issues. However, a comprehensive approach to early education, including social studies, is gaining attention. This article emphasizes the significance of incorporating social studies into early childhood curriculum, illuminating its potential to enhance children's cognitive and social-emotional development. The second important aspect of this article focuses on the role of social studies in literacy skill development through building background knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills of young children.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is significantly known as social interaction impairment that can be reduced through early school-age intervention. The quasi-experimental research design was used to examine the effect of applied behavior analysis treatment on ASD children's interpersonal skills. The researchers used a purposive sampling technique to select 30 participants who have symptoms of ASD, which were divided into two groups (control and experimental) without gender discrimination. The assessment of basic language and learning skills (ABLLS-R) protocol and portage guide of early education was used to develop a questionnaire comprising four factors. The results indicate a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of students' interpersonal skills and the pretest and post-test scores of the experimental group. It is suggested that parents and therapists should develop a sharing ability among children with autism symptoms so they can understand social reinforcement.

School readiness assessments in South Africa still predominantly focus on the assessment of cognitive skills. The Emotional Social Screening Tool for School Readiness (E3SR) was developed to bridge the perceived gap in assessing emotional-social skills as a domain of school readiness. An emerging body of research reports exists on the psychometric properties and factor structure of the E3SR. An initial validation study recommended a 6-factor solution instead of the theoretical 9-factor model that was proposed in the development of the E3SR. The E3SR (Revised) was also reduced in length. We report here on a pilot study of which the aim was to establish the reliability and construct validity of the E3SR (Revised). A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather data from 9 pre-schools in Cape Town, South Africa. Pre-school teachers (n = 24) constituted the respondent group who completed the E3SR (Revised) screening questionnaires on Grade R learners (n = 394). Analysis was conducted on 321 completed screening questionnaires. With the data analysis we aimed to: a) summarise sample characteristics of teachers and children; b) establish reliability estimates; and c) establish construct validity and confirming the factor structure. Ethics clearance was given by the Humanities and Social Science Research Ethics Committee (HSSREC) of the University of the Western Cape. The study adhered to stipulated ethics requirements. Data failed to show multivariate normality; however, this violation of normality was expected and was theoretically supported. The sample size (n = 321) was sufficient for factor analysis of a 36-item scale. All subscales showed excellent reliability: Cronbach's alphas ranged between 0.939 and 0.971. CFA results demonstrated a good model fit. The E3SR (Revised) was found to be reliable and valid for use. The use of a rigorous methodological process including the decision-making matrix represent good research practice that can be used in instrument development across cultures.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of instructional methods based on Constructivist theory and cooperative learning on first-grade students' mathematical learning achievement and social awareness. Method: A natural sample of 30 children aged 6-7 years old was cluster-randomized into an experimental group. Mathematical Learning Achievement Tests and Social Awareness Assessment Scale were used to assess mathematical learning achievement and social awareness before and after 15 sessions of instruction based on Constructivist theory and cooperative learning. Results: 1) After a certain period of learning or training, the experimental group showed improvement in Mathematical Learning Achievement (M=20.6, SD=1.40). Compared to the pretest, there was a significant improvement in students' performance in the posttest (t (29) = 12.51, p < 0.05). 2) After a certain period of learning or training, the experimental group showed improvement in Social Awareness (M=16.5, SD=1.14). Compared to the pretest, there was a significant improvement in students' performance in the posttest (t (29) = 17.88, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The instructional methods based on Constructivist theory and cooperative learning can enhance first-grade students' mathematical learning achievement and social awareness.

Purpose: A novel, Project- and Collaborative Learning-based educational method is proposed, implemented and evaluated in this paper. The aim is to exploit hands-on laboratory modules in Vocational Education in order to experientially introduce students to green, ecofriendly practices and the principles of sustainability and circular economy. Besides their apparent individual and social benefits, such knowledge and skills are also expected to raise qualifications and employability of Vocational Education graduates. Methods: The proposed method is tested through a quasi-experimental methodology, via an educational intervention with a class of Vocational Lyceum students, in the field of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. The learning content focuses on the reclaiming and reuse of operational components from damaged electrical/electronic equipment at end-of-life stage. Through repeated Analysis and Synthesis phases, students learn to extract, measure, classify and reuse operational components either to repair similar equipment or to design and construct novel devices. Results: Evaluation is carried out via closed and open type activities as well as by observation sheets of the teacher. Learning outcomes are evaluated through knowledge post-tests of the closed type while social/emotional outcomes are evaluated through questionnaires. Evaluation results indicate that the proposed method does produce cognitive and social/emotional skills gains for the students. The development of metacognitive skills and the stimulation of imagination and innovative thinking in the students is also observed by the teacher, but not formally evaluated due to practical constraints. Conclusions: The proposed method is implemented and pilot-tested with positive results both as to the cognitive and as to the social/emotional domain -- yet, these results are of an indicative value, due to the limited scale of the educational intervention. Future research is necessary in order to evaluate the proposed method in extent and possibly compare results across education grades or engineering fields, as the method is generic enough to be easily adaptable for different ages/grades and engineering/technical fields of study.

This article examines the negative effects social media has on adolescents' health and well-being, and how it impacts their academic life. Research was conducted by using scholarly search engines to locate several articles that examined the effects of social media use on adolescents within the last ten years. After reviewing the articles, five main themes emerged: social media's impact on (1) social-emotional health, (2) mental health, (3) physical health, (4) academic performance, and (5) the effect of social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from the literature review show the adverse effects of social media on adolescent social-emotional, mental, and physical health, and student academic performance. This review of the literature concludes by observing that adolescents are struggling with problematic social media use and need to learn responsible self-regulation tools and strategies. Future research should consider how to effectively protect and limit students from having to experience these adverse effects, while promoting a healthy and responsible balance of life online and in-person.

As the demand for opportunities to learn English grows throughout the world, parents and educators are looking for innovative ways to engage students in English-learning opportunities. Perhaps your school or municipality will seek to initiate an English Camp to be on trend with this growing need. Or perhaps, like many go-getter teachers, you wish to initiate such a program on your own. This article explains the basics of designing and organizing a themed English Camp. The process is illustrated by examples from camp programs that were designed as Open Educational Resources (OERs) by English teachers in Belarus, beginning in 2021. The programs are the product of a course organized and facilitated by the authors of this article.

It is a very important step to consider the variables that affect sibling relationships together. This study aimed to determine the effects of the variables Birth Order (First, Middle, and Last), Gender (Female, Male), and Number of Siblings ("two or three" and "four or more"), which have been suggested to affect sibling relationships in the literature, in young adults. The family is one of the essential components of society. What makes the family is the interaction and communication between mother, father, and children. Sibling relations are an essential part of these. Sibling relations play an important role in individuals' cognitive, mental and social development. It is the research defined to examine relationships. "Lifelong Sibling Relations Scale" was directed to 735 university students in the study. Data were collected from students attending a university in Turkey. The interaction of three variables for the sub-dimensions of the scale and the total scores obtained from the scale were examined separately. Aligned rank transformation ANOVA (ART anova) was used since there were three different independent variables in the study and the values did not show normal distribution. In order to carry out the research, it used the R statistics program and ARTool package. As a result of the research, while the median values of the scores in both the total and sub-dimensions of sibling relationships did not differ according to the interaction of the three variables, a significant difference was found in sibling relationships according to birth order, which is one of the main effects. When the three variables are considered together, it is observed that the highest sibling relationship for both the total score and the sub-categories belongs to female students who were born in the first place and have two or three siblings. It has been observed that individuals with four or more siblings born in the middle have the lowest scores in sub-dimensions except adult cognition. In this study, gender, birth order, and the number of siblings, which is seen to affect sibling relations of young adults in the literature, and the interactions of these variables are discussed. A scale consisting of six sub-dimensions and an overall score for lifelong sibling relations was used in the study. The differentiation of the total score obtained from the scale and its sub-dimensions according to the variables was analyzed.

Chinese court music from the Zhou Dynasty holds immense cultural and historical significance, reflecting ancient China's sophisticated societal ethos, rituals, and values. The study's objective is to investigate the reviving of literacy in Chinese court music from the Zhou Dynasty at a University in China. The study encompasses a comprehensive literature review exploring ancient Chinese music, educational practices, and cultural preservation efforts. The research primarily focuses on the efforts made at a university in China to reconstruct and promote ancient court music, collaborating with cultural institutions like museums and performance venues. Three key informants include experts in Chinese court music, educators specializing in ancient music education, and students engaged in court music programs. Data analysis involves thematic analysis of qualitative data gathered through observation forms, interview forms, and questionnaires. The research results reveal the significant educational role of court music in moral education, virtue cultivation, and societal harmony. Suggestions for future research include exploring innovative pedagogical approaches, expanding collaborative partnerships, and evaluating long-term sustainability strategies for preserving Chinese court music heritage.

This research is part of the "Ancient Xuzhou Houses in China: Cultural Memory, Symbol and Process Reconstruction in the Context of Rural Revitalization" project. Traditional houses contain a large amount of cultural value, literacy role, and historical memory. In order to sort out the transfer process more clearly between memory and people, this study set three research objectives. First, spatial memory transmission and literacy role needs to be studied and analyzed. Then, on this basis, we will further study the method of spatial memory transmission and literacy role. Finally, the appropriate medium for spatial memory transmission is analyzed. This study used descriptive analysis to summarize and discuss the results. The results show that spatial memory transmission and literacy is a process of maintaining and transmitting social and cultural values through the use and evolution of architecture and spatial design over time. Symbols in the memory space of residential buildings are containers for storing memories, just like a mobile hard drive that records relevant memory information. Residential buildings and people are like two devices that convey information and communicate through symbols. After comparison, in the dimension of cultural memory, symbols are more social and cultural and are more suitable as a medium for transmitting spatial memory and literacy role under cultural identity. This article explains the relationship between symbols and spatial memory, through spatial memory transmission to describe how common memories are shared and reproduced among collective members through cultural memory, literacy role and symbolic translation. It can transmit cultural and historical memories between different generations and acquires the importance of spatial positioning and environmental interaction in transmitting cultural memory.

Background: Early childhood is a formative period during which distinguishable development has projections of bearing desirable outcomes within an individual. Hence, physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social independence are healthy components of a typical child's development that early childhood development (ECD) educators deem essential for Grade R readiness. Aim: This article aims to explore ECD educators' perceptions of typical 4-year-old learners' aspects of development and how this supports their readiness for Grade R. Setting: This study was conducted in an ECD centre in a marginalised rural context of the Mandlankala area, Empangeni, north of Zululand. Methods: An interpretive qualitative case study methodological design framed within Bronfenbrenner's person-proximal processes-context model was adopted. Purposive convenient sampling was used to select three ECD educators from an ECD centre. Semi-structured interviews and learners' physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social behaviour observations were used to generate data. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Findings revealed that early childhood educators perceive 4-year-old learners' readiness for Grade R differently based on criteria such as their personalities based on developmental milestones and the educator's experience in the field and training. Conclusion: This study concluded that the learner's level of physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social development influences their readiness for Grade R. Contribution: School readiness skills allow school teachers to expand and further develop learners' skills in the specific areas of social interaction, play, language, emotional development, physical skills, literacy and fine motor skills.

International students negotiate various intersecting identities while studying abroad. When an international student moves into the new spatial context of their host country, the student's intersectional identity is perceived with degrees of marginalization or privilege by host country nationals that conflict with the student's understanding of their identities in their home context. Existing frameworks from various theoretical traditions describe how students experience identity negotiation and construction, yet there is no synthesized conceptualization of how students negotiate identity when intersectional identities are relocated, or transposed, into a new spatial context. In this manuscript, I propose a new conceptual framework, which I call transposed identity negotiation, that weaves together identity negotiation (Swann, 1987), intersectional reflexivity (Crenshaw, 1991; Jones, 2010), and the theory of social and spatial contexts (Lindemann, 2007; Logan, 2012; Vital & Yao, 2021) to improve our understanding of how international students negotiate identities in the host country context.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of musical play on the social skill development of third-grade students and to investigate the opinions of classroom teachers on the effect of musical play on the social skill development of their students. The study sample consists of 60 students: 30 in the experimental group, and 30 in the control group. Musical play activities were applied in the experimental group for 10 weeks. At the end of the research, interviews were conducted with both the experimental and control group classroom teachers. The results demonstrate a significant difference, in of the experimental group, between the posttest total scores, adjusted according to the students' social skills scale pretest total score averages. According to the answers to interview questions from the classroom teachers, musical play is beneficial for the development of social skills.

The authors discuss how board games offer individuals with autism (who often struggle with social settings and require structured outlets for building relationships) an affordable, naturalistic, collaborative environment that is stimulating, engaging, and educational. Board games, they assert, provide opportunities to practice social skills, including cooperation and social deduction, essential skills for both neurotypical and atypical people. The authors include recommendations for introducing board games into special educational settings.

Recess is a mainstay in schools. It is assumed recess has positive impacts on the academic, behavioral, and social experiences of youth. In this systematic literature review, we explored empirical studies that examined these areas. We provide a synthesis of the literature to assist researchers and clinicians in designing effective interventions. Overall, findings indicate that recess may indirectly positively influence academic outcomes and benefits students' social engagement, but there is mixed evidence if recess directly improves problematic behavior outcomes.

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to investigate the experiences and perspectives of parents of highly and profoundly gifted children in developmental and cultural contexts. A purposive sample was selected from parents who are members of networks and organizations serving highly and profoundly gifted students. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 parents. Data were analyzed using the six-step approach of thematic analysis and revealed eight overarching themes including (a) self-efficacy within sociocultural contexts; (b) feelings of confidence; (c) role in fulfilling children's needs; (d) decisions and actions related to children's giftedness; (e) development of the parent/child dyads; (f) sense of belonging within the larger community; (g) impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their child's gifted education; and (h) resources needed to facilitate children's social-emotional and academic needs. Implications inform educators, counselors, and communities of the lived experiences of parents and their need for a sense of support and belonging.

Motivation is a key factor for child development, but very few studies have examined child and family predictors of both child task and perceived motivation. Thus, the three aims of this 6-month longitudinal study in preschoolers with global developmental delays (GDD) were to explore: 1) differences between task and perceived motivation in cognitive domain; 2) differences among three domains of perceived motivation: cognitive, gross motor, and social; and 3) early child and family predictors of cognitive task motivation and the three domains of perceived motivation 6 months later. Results indicated that preschoolers with GDD showed higher cognitive task motivation than cognitive perceived motivation, and lower perceived cognitive motivation than the other two perceived motivation domains. Different child and family factors predicted cognitive task motivation and the three domains of perceived motivation. Practitioners should educate caregivers on how to observe children's motivation to enhance children's active participation.

Prosocial behaviours such as sharing are essential for young children's collaborative learning experiences and social development. When learnt during the early years, these behaviours enable positive peer interactions and relationship building in social settings, laying the foundation for young children's social and emotional competencies with implications for individual and societal wellbeing. It is, therefore, critical that the early years are optimised to facilitate the development of young children's prosocial behaviours. Set against this context, we present the findings of our qualitative teacher inquiry project that examined the role of social stories intervention in developing children's prosocial behaviours, particularly sharing. The study was conducted at a private kindergarten in Singapore with four preschool children between the ages of four and five with difficulties in sharing resources with peers in classroom settings. The findings show children's gradual progress from self-centred behaviours to independent problem-solving and other-oriented sharing behaviours, demonstrating the importance of consistency, teacher facilitation and authenticity as the three key elements of a successful social stories intervention. Thus, this small-scale qualitative study adds value to the limited literature on social stories intervention to promote sharing behaviours in preschool children.

Purpose: The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is a group-based social skills training program for adolescents on the autism spectrum. Although the program has been shown to be effective in improving social skills in autistic adolescents, evidence of its effectiveness from the Mandarin-speaking Chinese population is sparse. The present study used a non-randomized, pre- and post-intervention research design to investigate the feasibility and cultural validity of the program, as well as examine the moderators of intervention outcomes. Methods: Thirty-three autistic adolescents with intelligence quotient above 70 (M[subscript age] = 13.57, SD[subscript age] = 1.43; Male: Female 25:8) and their parents received 14 concurrent 90-minute sessions. Adolescents' autistic traits, challenging behaviors, emotional functioning, socio-cognitive process, social environment factors (school support), and caregivers' well-being were evaluated. Results: The findings suggest that with minor adjustments, the Mandarin version of PEERS® was generally acceptable and feasible for autistic adolescents and their parents. PEERS® may improve the social skills knowledge, reciprocal communication abilities, and emotional well-being of autistic adolescents. Also, participants with a higher level of school support, and parents with lower perceived subjective well-being at baseline may gain more benefits from PEERS®. The cultural adaptation and acceptability of the Mandarin Version of PEERS® were discussed. Conclusion: This feasibility study (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2200061417, 2022-06-23, retrospectively registered) provides a basis for further randomized control trials of the Mandarin version of PEERS®.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of dietary factors on developmental trajectories in young autistic children. Methods: A gluten-free and casein-free diets, as well as six types of food (meat and eggs, vegetables, uncooked vegetables, sweets, bread, and "white soft bread that never molds") were investigated observationally for up to three years in 5,553 children 2 to 5 years of age via parent-report measures completed within a mobile application. Children had a parent-reported diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); 78% were males; the majority of participants resided in the USA. Outcome was monitored on five orthogonal subscales: Language Comprehension, Expressive Language, Sociability, Sensory Awareness, and Health, assessed by the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) (Rimland & Edelson, 1999) and Mental Synthesis Evaluation Checklist (MSEC) (Arnold & Vyshedskiy, 2022; Braverman et al., 2018). Results: Consumption of fast-acting carbohydrates -- sweets, bread, and "white soft bread that never molds" -- was associated with a significant and a consistent Health subscale score decline. On the contrary, a gluten-free diet, as well as consumption of meat, eggs, and vegetables were associated with a significant and consistent improvement in the Language Comprehension score. Consumption of meat and eggs was also associated with a significant and consistent improvement in the Sensory Awareness score. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate a strong correlation between a diet and developmental trajectories and suggest possible dietary interventions for young autistic children.

The learning and developmental losses from preprimary program closures due to COVID-19 may be unprecedented. These disruptions early in life can be long-lasting. Although there is evidence about the effects of school closures on older children, there is scarce evidence on such losses for children in their early years. This article is among the first to quantify the actual impact of pandemic-related closures on early child development, in this case, for a sample of young children in Chile, where school and childcare closures lasted for about a year. We use a unique data set collected face-to-face in December 2020, which includes child development indicators for general development, language development, socioemotional development, and executive function. We find adverse impacts on children in 2020 compared to children interviewed in 2017 in most development areas. In particular, 9 months after the start of the pandemic, we find a loss in language development of 0.25 SD.

Despite initiatives by key actors in the last two decades, Early Childhood Development in Ghana, measured by physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional development of children up to 8 years of age, remains poor. This study aimed to assess Ghana's Early Childhood Development (ECD) status and determinants by analyzing the Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2017/18 data. Among the 3801 Ghanaian children (35-59 months; 1880 males), 42.7% were developmentally on track in literacy-numeracy, 93.6% in physical, 68.2% in social-emotional, 82.3% in learning, and about 67% in at least 3 of the 4 domains. Multiple logistic regression analyses suggest a positive association between ECD and female sex of children, their age, mothers' attendance in any ECD programs, mothers' educational qualification, and household wealth. On the other hand, evidence of a negative association was observed between ECD and child disability, stunting status of children, maternal disability, the number of days children were left alone for more than an hour, and residence in a rural area. The level of maternal education may be implicated in ECD policies as it affected several ECD domains.

Lifespan is a pool of stories that, in the beginning, sets the tone. It lays the foundation for students' long-life learning, attitudes formation, behavioral modifications, and shapes the trajectories of students' early childhood development (an important thread of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Target 4.2 bedrock on "access to quality early childhood development, care pre-primary education" till 2030 with specific thread 4.2.1). Predominantly, a child's healthy dynamics nail down to his/her cognitive development and emotional regulations are excogitated as a building block that gets a load on the teachers' socio-demographic attributes. They are tossed around a supreme indicator and paramount countenance which works as an appetizer and nurtures infants' cognitive and emotional empathy in schools. Knuckle down to the excellence of teachers' socio-demographic attributes, the authors iced on the cake through quantitative ex-post-facto research leading to the positivist paradigm, on a sample of randomly selected 800 participants. The current research is planned in the sweat of the authors' brow to ramify how teachers' socio-demographic attributes prioritizes to promoting early childhood development and transitioning children's cognitive and emotional empathy into school. After obtaining unfetter and unrestricted permission from the authors and ensuring ethical considerations, the researchers piloted a questionnaire to confirm Cronbach's Alpha reliability statistics 0.798, 0.805, and 0.797. After applying the regression analysis technique, the researchers unmasked that teachers' socio-demographic attributes affected 78.10% of children's early childhood development, 59.70% of cognitive, and 72.40% of emotional development. Based on the results, the present research recommends that the Government of the Punjab has a lot on their plate through hiring experienced staff and providing them with induction and in-service training with good incentives to promote extra children's social, emotional, cognitive and intellectual growth for empathy in schools. Moreover, the current quantifiable stumbling blocks might be examined through conducting qualitative and mixed-method research in public and private educational institutions; a burning dilemma neglected since independence and is a cause of concern for stakeholders.

Both parasympathetic nervous system regulation and receipt of social support from close relationships contribute to prosocial development, although few studies have examined their combined influences in adolescence and particularly within racially and ethnically minoritized populations. In this longitudinal study of 229 U.S. Mexican-origin adolescents (48% female-identifying), youths reported on receipt of social support from family and friends from 10 to 16 years, had their baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) measured at 17 years, reported their prosocial behavior and completed the Mind in the Eyes test to assess cognitive empathy at 17 and 19 years, and reported their prosocial civic behavior (i.e., community activity) at 19 years. Family social support predicted prosocial behavior at 17 years, and friend social support predicted prosocial civic behavior at 19 years. Compared to youths with lower or higher baseline RSA, youths with moderate RSA reported more prosocial civic behavior, had greater cognitive empathy, and tended to report more general prosocial behavior at 19 years. The quadratic association between baseline RSA and cognitive empathy was stronger for youths with greater family social support. These findings are the first to extend the evidence that moderate baseline parasympathetic nervous system activity supports prosocial development into late adolescence and with the U.S. Mexican-origin community, and these findings address calls for more integrative biopsychosocial studies of prosociality.

The alexithymia hypothesis posits that specific aspects of the autistic socio-cognitive profile, namely emotion recognition difficulties, can be explained by the increased prevalence of alexithymia in autistic populations. However, this hypothesis has largely been tested in adults. We tested whether co-occurring alexithymia could account for associations between autistic traits and two key domains of socio-emotional cognitive functioning in adolescence. Participants were 184 (44% male) children aged 10-16 years with and without a diagnosis of autism (n = 75 autistic), who completed experimental measures of emotion recognition and theory of mind. Parents completed assessment of autistic traits and alexithymia. Pre-registered analyses tested associations between autistic traits and socio-cognitive task performance, and whether including alexithymia as an additional predictor changed the nature of the association between autistic traits and task performance. Results showed participants with higher levels of autistic traits performed lower on emotion recognition and theory of mind tasks, and that these associations were not significantly altered by including alexithymia in the models. Results suggest that more work is needed to understand the applicability of the alexithymia hypothesis in younger populations, but that at least in young adolescents and when using parent-report measures, alexithymia may not be associated with emotion recognition or theory of mind ability.

Autistic individuals have significant social-communication challenges that commonly persist into adulthood and impact academic, social, and vocational pursuits. More than two decades of research have established video behavior modeling as a successful, cost-effective, and time-efficient intervention tool for autistic children; however, less research has investigated the use of video modeling with autistic adults, and only a handful of studies have assessed its effects in non-vocational community-based settings. This study examines the effects of video modeling on social-communication skills of autistic adults in a U.S. community-based fitness group using a multiple-baseline single-case design with replication across participants. Additional data on visual attention, generalization, and social validity were captured. Results show variable effects across participants and provide valuable information to guide individuals in choosing effective and practical evidence-based practices to support the social-communication success of autistic adults.

This study examined the intersecting experiences of perceived racial discrimination, poverty-related stress (PRS), and civic efficacy with psychological functioning in preadolescents. The sample consisted of 129 low-income, racially and ethnically diverse preadolescents. Hierarchical linear regression analyses found that perceived racial discrimination and PRS were associated with greater psychological problems, as reported by parents and youth. High levels of both perceived racial discrimination and PRS together resulted in even higher psychological problems, as reported by parents. Lastly, civic efficacy significantly moderated the relationship, where higher civic efficacy in the presence of both discrimination and PRS was associated with fewer psychological problems. In conclusion, these findings suggest that considering both stressors as intersecting rather than additive stress may better explain the mental health disparities among low-income and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) youth. Additionally, empowering resources, such as civic efficacy, may promote positive development.

1. Who am I? 2. Where do I belong? 3. What am I called to? These three questions represent the narrative shifts that are the outcomes of the Identity/Belonging/Agency (IBA) transformative development framework. The IBA framework emerged from the author's critical reflections on fiction reading and dialogues in 12+ community conversations to explore everyday global African/Black experiences. It responds to the self-inquiry: "How do global Africans/Black peoples experience developmental transformation in the context of social marginality?" It conceptualizes that the key developmental tasks of global Africans/Black peoples lies in claiming identity through differentiation from dominant narratives of marginality, belonging through locating self-in-society and community, and agency through a focus on self-in-transcendence. The IBA framework is proposed as core to understanding how global Africans/Black peoples, and perhaps other socially constructed racialized groups, can choose to move from marginality to personal as well as social transformation through their agency.

The importance of supporting parent-child interactions has been noted in the context of prodromal autism, but little consideration has been given to the possible contributing role of parental characteristics, such as psychological distress. This cross-sectional study tested models in which parent-child interaction variables mediated relations between parent characteristics and child autistic behaviour in a sample of families whose infant demonstrated early signs of autism (N = 103). The findings suggest that associations between parent characteristics (psychological distress; aloofness) and child autistic behaviours may be mediated by the child's inattentiveness or negative affect during interactions. These findings have important implications in developing and implementing interventions in infancy which target the synchrony of parent-child interaction with the goal to support children's social communication development.

The purpose of this study was to examine potential differences in social learning between individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS), the leading known inherited cause of intellectual disability, and individuals with non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thirty school-aged males with FXS and 26 age and symptom-matched males with non-syndromic ASD, were administered a behavioral treatment probe designed to improve levels of social gaze during interactions with others. The treatment probe was administered by a trained behavior therapist over two days in our laboratory and included reinforcement of social gaze in two alternating training conditions -- looking while listening and looking while speaking. Prior to each session, children in each group were taught progressive muscle relaxation and breathing techniques to counteract potential increased hyperarousal. Measures included the rate of learning in each group during treatment, in addition to levels of social gaze and heart rate obtained during administration of a standardized social conversation task administered prior to and following the treatment probe. Results showed that learning rates obtained during administration of the treatment probe were significantly less steep and less variable for males with FXS compared to males with non-syndromic ASD. Significant improvements in social gaze were also observed for males with FXS during the social conversation task. There was no effect of the treatment probe on heart rate in either group. These data reveal important differences in social learning between the two groups and have implications for early interventions in the two conditions.

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Social-Emotional Assessment Measure (SEAM) (33-66 months), which is designed to assess social-emotional difficulties and behavior disorders in young children. In this case, the SEAM was translated and back-translated. The sample included 2477 preschoolers (1256 boys; M[subscript age] = 57.57 months, SD = 10.93) residing in Shanghai, China. In summary, the results presented a 10-factor model that showed a good fit for the SEAM (33-66 months). Ultimately, the analyses demonstrated adequate internal consistency, reliability, and convergent validity. These findings indicate that the SEAM (33-36 months) is appropriate for use in Chinese preschool populations.

Purpose: Sociometric studies and adult reports have established that children with Language Disorder (LD) are at risk of peer relationship difficulties. However, we have limited knowledge of how children with LD understand friendship, whom they deem as a good or bad friend, and what role their friendship concepts play in their relationships with peers. This exploratory study aimed to conduct a qualitative investigation into the friendship concepts that children with LD hold and to explore their strategies for making friends. Methods: We conducted multiple, art-informed interviews on the topic of friendship with 14 children with LD at the age of 6-8 years. Participating children were based in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. They attended enhanced provision, specific speech and language classes and mainstream classrooms. We used framework analysis to map children's responses to Selman's (1979) developmental model of interpersonal understanding, which espouses a theory of children's social development within the context of peer relationships. Results: The understanding of friendship formation in children with LD varied from physical presence to mutual support and sharing. Children's ideas about a good/bad friend represented the lowest developmental stage. Participants from the mainstream classroom demonstrated the highest stages of interpersonal understanding. Children with LD did not mention their language abilities as a barrier to making friends. Conclusion: There are limited studies exploring friendship directly from children with LD, and this study provides insights into this gap, by utilising art-informed interviews. Children's immature understanding of a good/bad friend points towards a potential susceptibility to false friends, which we suggest needs further empirical validation. We also found that children with LD did not pay attention to their language difficulties when making friends, which raises questions about the ways diagnoses are shared with children.

Students with General Learning Difficulties present low levels of social competence. In order to increase them, students participate in school psychological support programmes. There are no research data available in Greece regarding social competence in students with General Learning Difficulties in the first grades of elementary school. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the efficiency of an intervention programme, which focused on strengthening their social competence, in the first grades of primary school. The levels of social competence of the students were evaluated before and after the implementation of an 8-month social empowerment programme, following a mixed-methods approach with the use of semi-structured interviews and observation in the school context. The participants were 21 students with General Learning Difficulties, 18 education professionals, whose classes the 21 students attended, together with the 21 parents of these students (one parent per student). The results showed that the social competence of the participants was low before and that it increased after their participation in the intervention programme. In addition, girls had higher social competence than boys both before and after their participation in the intervention programme. These results highlight the benefits of classroom intervention programmes for children with General Learning Difficulties.

PEERS® for Young Adults is an evidence-based program aimed at teaching social skills needed to establish and maintain close relationships, including friendship and romantic relationships. The study investigated the effects of the Polish adaptation of the curriculum on the social functioning of adults on the autism spectrum. Fifteen young adults (aged 18-32, M = 23.5) were randomly allocated to an immediate or delayed (control) treatment condition. By self and parent report, individuals who participated in the PEERS® program showed significant improvements in social skills, social cognition, and social knowledge, but limited gains in social engagement. The effects were maintained over six months after the treatment. The intervention was well-accepted and deemed feasible by young adults, their parents, and peers involved in the program.

This article is a conceptual co-exploration of the relationship between philosophy and childism. It draws upon a colloquium in December 2021 at the Childism Institute at Rutgers University. Nine co-authors lay out and interweave scholarly imaginations to collectively explore the concept of childism in critical philosophical depth. Through diverse entry points, the co-authors bring a wide range of theoretical perspectives to this task, some engaging the term childism explicitly in their work, others approaching it anew. The result is an extended conversation about the possibilities for deconstructing ingrained historical adultism and reconstructing social norms and structures in response to what is marginalized in the experiences of children. Our own conclusion, having initiated this dialogue, is that we have learned to think about childism with greater plurality, that is, as childisms.

Using multiple methodological approaches in a sample of Chinese high school students (N = 1511), this paper reports on the development and initial validation of a 32-item Student Perceptions of School Guidance Support Scale (SPSGSS) initially intended to measure guidance support students perceive they receive from schools in four key areas of student development: academic development, career development, personal/social development, and college preparation. Results of factor analyses show that a bifactor model emerges as a best fit, indicating that students may have both an overall conception of what school guidance support is like and a separate understanding of specific aspects of school guidance support that contribute to the measurement of the overall conception. Examinations of ancillary bifactor indices reveal high reliability of the SPSGSS total score, suggesting that the total score is a reliable measure of the general SPSGSS factor. Moreover, this survey shows clear evidence of measurement invariance across genders and grade levels. Implications of these findings for educational research and practice are discussed.

The purpose of the study was to investigate how knowledge of giftedness impacts self-concept of gifted adolescents. Guided by Sirgy's (1997) Self Congruity Theory and Shavelson et al.'s (1976) multidimensional hierarchical self-concept model, data collection was undertaken using semi-structured interviews with 11 Australian gifted adolescents and their parents. The collected data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four key themes emerged: (a) expectations from self and others, (b) the source and solutions to challenges, (c) the stigma of giftedness, and (d) parental involvement. In the findings, advanced knowledge of giftedness was associated with a more intense experience of stigma and a more internal locus of control. In addition, understanding giftedness was found to empower the parents of gifted students for more efficacious advocacy and support to cater to the needs of their gifted children.

This article focuses on elements of successful sociocultural inclusion and linguistic participation in a bilingual dual-language preschool for Latinx children. It presents a subset of findings from a three-year qualitative research project in which Latinx critical race theory and a translanguaging framework were used to illuminate critical intersections between children's funds of knowledge, their translanguaging talents, and their interests in play and social interaction. Learning Stories served as both the focus for documentation and the unit of analysis for understanding children's translanguaging experiences, as well as for promoting new forms of authentic assessment for family engagement.

The recent development of AI Chatbot -- specifically ChatGPT -- has gained dramatic attention from users as evident by ongoing discussion among the education fraternity. We argue that prior to making any conclusion, it is important to understand how ChatGPT is being used in higher education across the globe. This paper makes a significant contribution by systematically reviewing the global literature on the use of ChatGPT in higher education using PRISMA guidelines. We included 69 studies in the analysis based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. We presented the scope of published literature in three aspects: (i) contextual, (ii) methodological, and (iii) disciplinary. Most of the studies have been carried out in HICs (n = 53; 77%) representing the field of higher education (n = 37; 54%) without specifying the discipline, while only a few studies were based on empirical data (n = 19; 27%). The findings based on included studies reveal that ChatGPT serves as a convenient tool to assist teachers, students, and researchers in various tasks. While the specific uses vary, the underlying motivation remains consistent: seeking personal benefits and reducing academic burdens. Teachers use it for personal and professional learning and resource generation while students use it as personal tutors for various learning purposes. However, concerns related to accuracy, reliability, academic integrity, and potential negative effects on cognitive and social development were consistently highlighted in many studies. To address these concerns, we have proposed a comprehensive framework for universities along with directions for future research in higher education as an optimal response.

Schools are important in nurturing social skills and behaviours. Research consistently demonstrates that movement into/out of school (transience/mobility) disrupts positive social skill development, especially for students who frequently move. The impact of attending a highly transient school on "non-mobile" students is not as well-known. The current study explored the impact of values and life skill-based programme, Kiwi Can, on social development and the classroom climate for non-mobile children. Researchers administered surveys to students attending 15 intervention (i.e. Kiwi Can programme; n = 763) and 9 control (n = 456) schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. We examined the impact of programme participation by school transience level (high, middle, low) and length of school participation (new, experienced). The results indicate that students attending highly transient schools struggled to build social relationships, feel connected, demonstrate care and compassion to others, and behave in prosocial ways. They also felt less safe at their schools. Students participating in Kiwi Can for more than two years (experienced schools) showed fewer negative effects of transience on social development than less experienced schools. This research highlights the plight of students who are 'left behind.'