Family and child influences on the peer-related social competence of young children with developmental delays

Young children with developmental (cognitive) delays experience unusual difficulties in establishing relationships with their peers and developing friendships. A conceptual model of children's peer-related social competence is presented by identifying information-processing and emotional regulation processes governing the production of social strategies occurring during social tasks. Contemporary family factors and children's cognitive, communicative, and behavioral characteristics that influence the development of these processes are discussed and form the framework for designing intervention programs to promote children's peer-related social competence. The interplay between the fields of child development and developmental disabilities is emphasized. MRDD Research Reviews 1999; 5:21–29. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.