Recent advances in our understanding of children's peer relations have led to new models of assessment and intervention firmly rooted in developmental principles and practices. In this article, assessment and intervention efforts based on one contemporary approach to children's peer-related social competence are discussed in terms of their compatibility with developmentally appropriate practices for children without disabilities who are experiencing problems establishing productive relationships with their peers. In addition, children with Down syndrome serve as the reference group to illustrate how this model can be applied to children with disabilities. The extent to which this contemporary assessment and intervention approach can be carried out within the framework of developmentally appropriate practices while simultaneously addressing the special considerations presented by children with disabilities is examined.
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