Wendy L. Stone

A comparison of teacher and parent views of autism

Changing conceptualizations of autism have led to an increased focus on parents and teachers as treatment agents. In order to evaluate the views of autism held by these two groups, 47 teachers of autistic students and 47 parents of autistic children completed a survey assessing beliefs regarding various aspects of the disorder. Parent and teacher responses were compared to those obtained from a group of 22 “specialists” in autism, drawn from across the country. Both parents and teachers were found to harbor misconceptions regarding cognitive, developmental, and emotional features of autism. Furthermore, parents and teachers hold discrepant views in some areas that may have implications for their collaborative efforts.

The impact of socioeconomic status on teenage mothers and children who received early intervention

Abstract To determine the early school age effects of an intervention program for low SES, black teenage mothers and their term and preterm infants, a subsample of 61 mother-child dyads was assessed when the children were 5 to 8 years of age. The mothers and children were videotaped in a storytelling interaction together and then interviewed and tested. The child interviews included the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, the Wide Range Achievement Test, and the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test. The maternal interviews included a demographic questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, the Parenting Stress Index, and the Vocabulary subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Analyses of variance yielded no intervention effects and no effects of prematurity on any of the child or mother measures. Correlation analysis, however, yielded a number of significant relations between socioeconomic status and child and maternal outcome measures. These findings suggest that the effects of intervention may be short-term for this population, and that low socioeconomic status (SES) may override the effects of early intervention and prematurity by the time children reach school age.

Children's Effects on Parenting Stress in a Low Income, Minority Population

Relationships between parenting stress as measured by the Parenting Stress Index and other maternal and child characteristics were investigated in a sample of 66 low income mothers and their 5- to 8-year-old children who are at risk for educational disabilities. The data provide concurrent and construct validity support for the Parenting Stress Index. In addition, child characteristics (self-esteem, behavior conduct, and spelling achievement) and maternal characteristics (self-esteem and crowding stress) related to parenting stress in this sample. That these variables combined to explain approximately half of the variance on the Parenting Stress Index suggests that they represent important sources of parenting stress, at least during the early grade school years. Because the childrens behavior and academic achievement constituted significant sources of parent stress, supportive counseling services may be needed that are often required for children of low income, less well-educated parents.

Assessing the problematic interpersonal skills of mentally retarded individuals in a vocational setting

The present paper reports on two studies which were designed to assess specific interpersonal situations and behaviors which interfere with a mentally retarded individuals adjustment to a vocational setting. In the first study, lists of problematic interpersonal situations and problematic behaviors were generated based on (a) interviews with prevocational teachers, school personnel, and work supervisors in a sheltered workshop setting, and (b) behavioral observations of workers in prevocational classes and a workshop setting. The list of problematic behaviors was further evaluated by work supervisors to determine the frequency and seriousness of each behavior. This information provided a basis for establishing training priorities in an interpersonal skills training program for mentally retarded individuals. In a second study, problem behavior ratings were obtained from prevocational teachers and residential supervisors for 40 mentally retarded individuals. Teachers additionally rated each individual using several standardized assessment scales (Behavior Problem Checklist, AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, Vocational Competency Scale). After placement in a sheltered workshop setting, problem behavior ratings were obtained from work supervisors for each individual, and the length of successful employment was assessed. Intercorrelations among measures and across raters provided initial support for the validity and reliability of the problem behavior list. Implications for future researching and training on interpersonal-vocational skills are discussed.

The Development of Social Skills in Children

In recent years, there has been a tremendous surge of interest in the development of children’s peer relationships and social competence. Although children’s peer interactions have been the focus of considerable attention since the 1930s and 1940s, this area is now being explored with renewed vigor by clinical, developmental, and behavioral investigators.