Social Interaction Research and Families of Behaviorally Disordered Children: A Critical Review and Forward Look

Abstract

This article critically reviews research on the social interactions of behaviorally disordered children with family members. Behaviorally disordered children are in part characterized by their difficulty in establishing or maintaining positive social relationships. This includes conduct disordered, socially withdrawn, and autistic children. Most applied research on social development has been conducted in educational settings. Yet, parents and siblings are typically acknowledged as the earliest and one of the most enduring influences on children's social development. Descriptive and intervention research that includes direct observational measures of social interaction between behaviorally disordered children, their siblings, or parents are reviewed. Two princiipal questions are addressed: (a) To what degree have these research studies shown that behaviorally disordered children exhibit deficits in positive interaction with family members when compared to nonhandicapped children and their families; and (b) what interventions have been shown to be effective in increasing positive interaction between behaviorally disordered children and their families? Issues and questions for future research in this area are discussed.