No description available.

Children with language impairment (LI) are more likely to be socially withdrawn than their typically-developing peers. This withdrawal can lead to negative outcomes later in life. This study focuses on a subtype of withdrawal labeled as solitary-pretend play, which involves parallel play and solitary-dramatizing. The effectiveness of the Teacher Behavior Rating Scale (TBRS) to measure the construct of solitary-pretend play was considered in a group of 256 children. First, confirmatory factor analysis was used on the entire sample to assess the TBRS questions. The TBRS ratings of 128 children with LI and 128 typically developing peers were then compared, with group and gender as variables. The analyses revealed that the TBRS items intended to measure solitary-pretend play grouped together to measure a single construct. Additionally, significant differences were observed between the groups of children with LI and their typically-developing peers. There was also a significant difference between boys and girls. The interaction between these variables was not significant. These results demonstrated that the TBRS is a viable measure of solitary-pretend play in children and that children with LI are rated as demonstrating higher levels of solitary-pretend play that their typical peers. Boys were also rated as demonstrating more instances of solitary-pretend play compared to girls. This study suggests that the TBRS is an effective way to quickly identify instances of solitary-pretend play in children and that children with LI and boys are more likely to demonstrate instances of solitary-pretend play, which will lead to the needed referrals and interventions to help manage these behaviors. Further research is required to determine the extent to which the influence of group and age has on solitary-pretend play and the extent to which each of the subtypes of withdrawal relate one to another.

Different reasons for social withdrawal include a performance deficit, a social skill deficit, lack of peer support, and avoidance of anxiety or aversive interactions. Each of these reasons for social withdrawal may require a different intervention. This study investigated the utility of brief experimental analysis for identifying the most functional intervention to increase positive peer interactions for three socially withdrawn students. Using a multiple baseline and multi-element single subject design, three treatments were administered to compare differences in peer interactions during recess. Interventions were contingent reward, a social skills training with peer mediation, and a brief cognitive-behavioral strategy. Although students responded differently to the three interventions, the social skills training with peer mediation intervention showed the greatest gains for all students during the brief assessment and when implemented over time.

No description available.

Researchers have recognized that social withdrawal in early childhood is a complex and multifaceted construct which includes three main observed subtypes: reticence, solitary-passive withdrawal, and solitary-active withdrawal. Each is differentially associated with children's behavioral outcomes in Western societies (e.g., United States, Canada). Furthermore, potential gender differences may exist regarding the distinct associations between non-social behavior and indices of maladjustment across boys and girls due to differential societal and cultural gender-role expectations. Previous studies suggest that subtypes of observed social withdrawal can be identified in Chinese preschoolers. It is important to examine the behavioral correlates of observed withdrawn subtypes in the Chinese cultural context due to the social-cultural variations in what is considered as socially acceptable/adaptable behaviors between North America and China. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the various behavioral correlates of different forms of nonsocial play among Chinese preschoolers and potential gender differences in the linkages. Teachers of 506 preschoolers from two cities in mainland China completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed various aspects of child behavioral outcomes in early childhood, including social withdrawal, assertiveness-prosociability, aggression, impulsive/disruptive behaviors, and anxiousness. Measurement models estimated with two-group confirmatory factor analyses yielded invariant factor structures for boys and girls for each of the behavioral measures. Distinct patterns of associations were found among behavioral correlates of subtypes of observed social withdrawal across boys and girls. Solitary-passive play was negatively associated with prosocial behaviors for girls and boys, positively related to impulsive behaviors for girls and boys, and negatively associated with victimization and anxious behavior for girls, but not boys. Solitary-active play was found to be negatively related to prosocial behaviors, positively associated with physical aggression, victimization, impulsive, and anxious behavior for girls and boys. Reticence was associated with less prosocial behavior for boys and girls. It was also positively associated with victimization, impulsiveness, and anxious behaviors for girls (but not boys). These gender difference findings and their implications for child adjustment in the Chinese cultural context are discussed.

While there has been research published on social withdrawal during childhood, little work has been done on the effects of social withdrawal during emerging adulthood. Since emerging adulthood is a time of transition and initiation to new environments and social contexts, it would be expected to be a time of great anxiety for individuals predisposed to social withdrawal (shyness). Shyer emerging adults are at risk for internalizing behaviors, lowered self-concept, and delayed entry into romantic relationships, therefore, they may also be more challenged when it comes to enacting prosocial behaviors. In addition, the inability to self-regulate emotions may mediate this relationship. This study utilized a sample of 774 college students (538 women, 236 men; 79% Caucasian; M = 20 years old) to test these hypotheses. Results showed that emerging adults who were more socially withdrawn were less likely to exhibit prosocial behaviors toward strangers, friends, and family members. In addition, results showed that the inability to self-regulate emotions, or cope, mediated this relationship in all cases. Implications include the salience of emotional self-regulation as a prerequisite to prosocial behavior directed toward multiple others and the possibly detrimental influence of shyness on relationship and community involvement during emerging adulthood.

Language serves as a mechanism through which children are able to interact and communicate with their others. Thus, when children do not produce language at a typical pace, there may be cause for concern. The primary purpose of the current study was to examine the language abilities of children displaying various forms of social withdrawal and children engaging in subtypes of aggression. Participants came from the Brigham Young University Child Laboratory (N = 141; Mage = 4.57; 53% female) and were observed and teachers and parents completed reports on children's behaviors and demographics. Results revealed reticent and solitary-passive children to produce less language compared to their non-withdrawn peers and comorbid aggressive children to produce more language compared to their non-aggressive, physically aggressive and relationally aggressive peers. I then discuss contextual and conceptual factors that may play a role in understanding the relation between language production, social withdrawal and aggression.

Language serves as a mechanism through which children are able to interact and communicate with their others. Thus, when children do not produce language at a typical pace, there may be cause for concern. The primary purpose of the current study was to examine the language abilities of children displaying various forms of social withdrawal and children engaging in subtypes of aggression. Participants came from the Brigham Young University Child Laboratory (N = 141; Mage = 4.57; 53% female) and were observed and teachers and parents completed reports on children's behaviors and demographics. Results revealed reticent and solitary-passive children to produce less language compared to their non-withdrawn peers and comorbid aggressive children to produce more language compared to their non-aggressive, physically aggressive and relationally aggressive peers. I then discuss contextual and conceptual factors that may play a role in understanding the relation between language production, social withdrawal and aggression.

No description available.

A presença de uma criança com Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo (TEA) em uma família está associada à maior vulnerabilidade emocional dos pais assim como à maior suscetibilidade de seus irmãos bebês ao transtorno e a outros problemas do desenvolvimento. A detecção e a intervenção precoces têm sido apontadas como fundamentais para redução do sofrimento e melhoria do prognóstico de desenvolvimento de bebês. O retraimento social, fenômeno essencialmente diático e relacionado a perturbações duradouras da interação, constitui importante sinal de sofrimento psíquico nos primeiros meses de vida. Manifesta-se através da redução ou ausência de comportamentos positivos (como contato visual, sorrisos e balbucios) e/ou pelo aumento da frequência de comportamentos negativos (como choros, gritos e gestos de autoestimulação), e pode ter origem em uma combinação de fatores orgânicos e ambientais. Por estar associado a uma série de problemas de comportamento e relacionamento que se estendem da infância à idade adulta, sua identificação nos primeiros dois anos de vida constitui importante sinal de alerta para risco de desenvolvimento psíquico, podendo ser útil na avaliação deste grupo específico de bebês. O objetivo do presente estudo consiste em descrever e avaliar a ocorrência de retraimento de bebês, irmãos de crianças com diagnóstico de TEA, em comparação com outros bebês, irmãos de crianças sem diagnóstico de TEA, além de estimar a associação entre o retraimento do bebê e outras variáveis como: sexo do bebê; escolaridade materna; suporte social percebido pela mãe; grau de autismo do irmão; e presença de sinais de risco para autismo do bebê. A amostra do estudo foi composta por 133 famílias, sendo 68 pertencentes ao grupo caso (com um bebê e, ao menos, um(a) filho(a) mais velho com TEA) e 65 pertencentes ao grupo contraste (sem nenhum(a) filho(a) com TEA, a lém de um bebê). A avaliação do retraimento foi realizada através da codificação da Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) aplicada a filmagens da interação mãe-bebê. Embora a frequência de retraimento tenha sido duas vezes maior entre os bebês do grupo caso (19,11%, n=13) em relação aos bebês do grupo contraste (9,23%, n=6), a diferença encontrada não foi estatisticamente significativa (p=0,103). Dentre os itens avaliados pela escala, bebês, irmãos de crianças com TEA, apresentaram redução significativa da expressão facial em comparação aos irmãos de crianças sem TEA (p=0,012), independentemente do desfecho de retraimento. O grau de autismo do irmão e o suporte social percebido pela mãe não apresentaram associação com o retraimento (p=0,250 e p=0,554), assim como o sexo ou a idade do bebê. Em contrapartida, o retraimento parece estar associado ao risco para autismo do bebê (p=0,003) e ao grau de escolaridade materna (p=0,042). Ainda que não apresentem risco estatístico comprovado para o retraimento, o conjunto de resultados indica que bebês, irmãos de crianças com TEA, podem apresentar maior vulnerabilidade para tal. Os resultados demonstram, portanto, que irmãos de crianças com autismo têm chance aumentada de apresentarem problemas do desenvolvimento, o que aponta para a consequente necessidade de elaboração de estratégias de intervenção junto a essas famílias / The presence of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a family is associated with greater parental emotional vulnerability as well as with higher susceptibility of the infants siblings to this disorder and other developmental problems. Early detection and intervention have been identified as central on reducing suffering and improving the developmental prognosis of the infants. The social withdrawal, phenomenon essentially dyadic and related to lasting disturbance of interaction, is an important sign of psychological distress in early life. Expressed over reduction or absence of positive behaviors (such as eye contact, smiles and babbling) and/or by increasing frequency of negative behaviors (such as cries, screams and self-stimulation actions), can come from a combination of organic and environmental factors. Due to association with several behavioral and relationships problems extending from childhood to adulthood, identifying social withdrawal in the first two years is an important warning sign for risk of psychical development, also useful for assessing this specific group of infants. The aim of present study is to describe and assess the occurrence of social withdrawal in infant siblings of children diagnosed with ASD compared to infant sibling of children without a diagnosis of ASD, and estimate the association between infants withdrawal and other variables such as: sex of the infant; maternal education; social support perceived by the mother; degree of autism on the child diagnosed; and the presence of risk factors for infants autism. The study sample was composed by 133 families, 68 in the case group (with a infant and at least one older child with ASD) and 65 in the contrast group (without a child with ASD, besides the infant). Withdrawal assessment was coded by the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) of mother-infant interaction video recordings. Although the frequency of withdrawal has been twice as high among the group of infant case (19.11%, n = 13) compared to the contrast group (9.23%, n = 6), the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.103). Among the items of the scale, sibling infant of children with ASD showed significantly decrease on facial expression compared to siblings of children without ASD (p = 0.012), regardless the withdrawal outcome. Childs autism degree and social support perceived by the mother were not associated with withdrawal (p = 0.250; p = 0.554), as well as sex or infants age. In contrast, withdrawal appears to be associated with the risk for infants autism (p = 0.003) and with the degree of maternal education (p = 0.042). Although the results did not show statistical risk examined on withdrawal, it still indicates that infants siblings of children with ASD may be more vulnerable to such outcome. Therefore, the results demonstrate that infant siblings of children with ASD are more likely to have developmental problems, which points to the consequence need to develop of intervention strategies for these families