The role of parenting self-efficacy on teacher-child relationships and parent-teacher communication: Evidence from an Australian national longitudinal study.

High-quality teacher-child relationships and parent-teacher communications have substantial benefits to children's well-being and school functioning. However, more research is needed to understand how parenting self-efficacy influences these relationships. This cross-sequential study investigated the direct associations of parenting self-efficacy with the teacher-child relationship and parent-teacher communication, as well as potential mediation pathways. The present study included a sample of 8152 children who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a large study with a nationally representative sample of children from two cohorts who were 4 years apart. We used data collected in three waves when participating children were ages 6 years, 8 years, and 10 years. Structural equation modeling was used to test a panel model with parent-reported parenting self-efficacy and parent-teacher communication quality, as well as teacher-reported teacher-child relationship, child behavior difficulties, and child prosocial behaviors at school. Cross-lagged regressions demonstrated that baseline parenting self-efficacy directly and positively linked with the quality of teacher-child relationship and parent-teacher communication 2 years later. Child behavior at school was identified as a mediation pathway between parenting self-efficacy and teacher-child relationship. The same patterns were identified in two waves (Waves 6-8 and Waves 8-10). Limited child gender, parent gender, or cohort differences were observed. The current findings provide initial support that parenting self-efficacy may have spillover effects on school-related factors. The findings have implications both for parenting and school researchers and for child mental health practitioners because one important way to promote parenting self-efficacy is through evidence-based parenting programs.

Chinese Private Preschool Teachers' Teaching Readiness and Teacher-Child Relationships: The Chain Mediation Effects of Motivation to Teach and Self-Efficacy.

The teacher-child relationship is a key element in measuring the quality of childcare institutions and is essential to the current and future physical and mental developmental outcomes of children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of private preschool teachers' readiness to teach in influencing the teacher-child relationship, and to explore the mechanisms by which teachers' motivation and self-efficacy mediate their readiness to teach and the teacher-child relationship. Online questionnaires were administered to 289 early-childhood teachers in Shanghai, China. The findings of the study indicated a significant and positive correlation between early-childhood teachers' readiness to teach and the quality of the teacher-child relationship. In addition, early-childhood teachers' internal motivation to teach and self-efficacy mediated their readiness to teach and the teacher-child relationship, respectively. However, teachers' external motivation did not mediate the effect of teaching readiness on the quality of the teacher-child relationship. Moreover, teachers' motivation to teach (encompassing both internal and external factors) and their self-efficacy played chained roles in mediating the relationships between teaching readiness and the teacher-child relationship. This study highlights the significant roles of teaching readiness and instructional motivation, along with self-efficacy, in cultivating positive teacher-child relationships within early-childhood education settings.

Callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors in left-behind preschool children: the role of emotional lability/negativity and positive teacher-child relationship.

BACKGROUND: Callous-unemotional traits and emotional lability/negativity of young children have been regarded as the markers of externalizing problem behaviors. Based on the sensitivity to threat and affiliative reward model and the general aggression model, emotional lability/negativity may act as a mediator in the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors. Additionally, a positive teacher-child relationship could act as a buffer given the parental absence in left-behind children. However, these links remain unexplored in left-behind preschool children. Therefore, this study explored the link between callous-unemotional traits of left-behind preschool children and externalizing problem behaviors, as well as the mediating role of emotional lability/negativity and the moderating role of a positive teacher-child relationship. METHOD: Data were collected on 525 left-behind children aged 3 to 6 years from rural kindergartens in China. Preschool teachers reported all data through an online survey platform. Moderated mediation analysis was performed to examine whether the mediated relation between callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors was moderated by a positive teacher-child relationship. RESULTS: The results showed callous-unemotional traits significantly predicted externalizing problem behaviors and lability/negativity acted as a mediator, while a positive teacher-child relationship acted as a protective factor in moderating the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and emotional lability/negativity. This study identified a moderated mediation effect among the four variables in left-behind preschool children in China. CONCLUSION: The findings provide support for the advancement of theoretical foundations, and provide an avenue for further exploration to support the mental health and overall development of left-behind children during early childhood.

The relationship between preschool teacher trait mindfulness and teacher-child relationship quality: the chain mediating role of emotional intelligence and empathy.

The teacher-child relationship plays an important role in children's future development. However, the existing research mainly focuses on the influence of preschool teachers' external conditions on the teacher-student relationship, while the research on the influence of teachers' internal psychological characteristics on the teacher-student relationship is relatively lacking. In this study, three hundred and seventeen preschool teachers were tested were tested with Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Emotional Intelligence Scale, Chinese Interpersonal Response Index, and Teacher-student Relationship Scale. The results showed that trait mindfulness positively predicted the quality of parent-teacher relationship (ß = 0.173, p = 0.026). Emotional intelligence played a mediating role in trait mindfulness and teacher-child relationship quality (ß = 0.118, p = 0.004), and empathy played a mediating role in trait mindfulness and teacher-child relationship quality (ß = 0.112, p = 0.001). Meanwhile, emotional intelligence and empathy played a chain mediating role in trait mindfulness and parent-teacher relationship quality (ß = 0.044, p = 0.038). On the one hand, this study enriches attachment theory. The conclusions of this study verify the diversity of proximal factors in attachment theory, and confirm the influence of teachers' own characteristics and abilities on the teacher-child relationship quality. On the other hand, by exploring the factors affecting the teacher-child relationship quality, we can find ways to improve teacher-child relationship from a new perspective, and then provide some new methods and approaches for improving the quality of preschool teacher-child relationship.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Social Adjustment among Chinese Preschoolers: The Moderating Role of Teacher-Child Relationship.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with social adjustment difficulties, but few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms in Chinese preschoolers. This study examined the relationship between CU traits and social adjustment among Chinese preschoolers as well as the moderating role of the teacher-child relationship in the association. Participants were 484 preschool children aged 3-6 years old from Shanghai, China (Mage = 5.56 years, SD = 0.96 years). Parents reported children's CU traits and teachers reported their relationship with children and rated children's social adjustment as well. The results revealed that (1) children with higher CU traits positively related to aggressive and asocial behavior with peers, but negatively related to prosocial behavior; (2) the teacher-child relationship moderated the relationship between CU traits and social adjustment in children. Specifically, teacher-child conflict exacerbated the aggressive and asocial behavior of children with CU traits and reduced the prosocial behavior of children with CU traits. These findings extended the current research on CU traits and had important implications for early interventions targeted at children with CU traits.

The Relation between Korean Children's Autonomy and Motor Development Mediated by Teacher-Child Relationships: A Focus on Gender Difference.

This study was conducted to identify the relation between children's autonomy and motor development mediated by teacher-child relationships. Are there differences between teacher-child relationships and motor development according to the gender of the child? To answer this question, the fundamental movement skills of 292 children were measured, and teacher-child relationship and children's autonomy data were collected from the teachers. There was a gender difference in locomotion skills; however, there was no difference in object control skills. In the case of girls, a conflict teacher-child relationship mediates the association between autonomy and object control skills. This study highlights the importance of teacher-child relationships, which are mainly discussed in relation to conventional social-emotional development, and provides examples of whole-child development.

Preschool children's negative affect and social skills in China: The moderating effect of the teacher-child relationship.

Negative affect is an important temperament in children, influencing their social skills. However, the evidence for this association in preschool children is limited. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms that explain the relationship between preschool children's negative affect and social skills remain less understood. Thus, the primary goal of this study was to examine the moderating role of the teacher-child relationship in the associations between negative affect and social skills of Chinese preschoolers. A sample of 198 preschool children (M age = 58.64 ± 3.83 months, 53% boys), recruited from 13 classes in two public kindergartens in Shanghai, China, participated in this 1-year longitudinal study. The mothers reported children's negative affect, while the teachers reported children's social skills and the teacher-child relationship. Results of a series of moderating effect analyses showed that (1) T1 negative affect could significantly negatively predict T2 social skills (cooperation, self-control, and assertion), and (2) the associations between negative affect and social skills were moderated by the teacher-child relationship (including teacher-child closeness and conflict). Specifically, a high level of teacher-child closeness buffered the prediction of negative affect on social skills, while a high level of teacher-child conflict aggravated the said prediction. The findings highlight the importance of the teacher-child relationship in the development of children's social skills during preschool age when they have a high level of negative affect. This has important implications for the development of interventions to improve teacher-child relationships and children's social skills.

Disrupting the Link between Corporal Punishment Exposure and Adolescent Aggression: The Role of Teacher-Child Relationships.

Previous research has identified harsh parenting practices, such as corporal punishment, as a predictor of adolescent behaviour problems such as increased aggression. However, not all children who experience childhood corporal punishment develop increased aggression, making the illumination of factors moderating this link an important question for informing prevention. In the current study, an autoregressive cross-lagged panel model was used to examine teacher-child relationships as both a direct and interactive protective factor (via weakening the effects of corporal punishment exposure) in adolescent aggression. Data was used from the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z-proso). Self-reported data was collected at three time points: age 11 (n = 1144, 49% female) age 13 (n = 1366, 49% female) and age 15 (n = 1447, 48% female). Results suggested having a positive teacher-child relationship was a direct protective factor against concurrent aggression. However, there was not consistent evidence for a moderating effect of teacher-child relationships. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Early Teacher-Child Relationships Promote Self-Regulation Development in Prekindergarten.

Children's experiences during the prekindergarten period are critical for shaping their emerging self-regulation skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of teacher-child relationship quality to children's performance on a self-regulation task at the end of prekindergarten. Teachers rated the conflict, closeness, and dependency in their relationships with 104 children in the fall of prekindergarten, and children's self-regulation was independently measured with a visual attention task in the spring of prekindergarten. In addition, teachers and parents rated children's temperamental self-regulation (i.e., effortful control). Results indicate that greater teacher-child dependency predicted children's longer time on the visual attention task, and greater teacher-child closeness predicted children's lower accuracy on the visual attention task. In addition, children who were rated as more self-regulated by parents were more accurate on the visual attention task. The implications of the results are discussed.

Shyness and School Engagement in Chinese Suburban Preschoolers: A Moderated Mediation Model of Teacher-Child Closeness and Child Gender.

Shyness is associated with poorer preschool engagement, but few studies have evaluated the underlying mechanisms in Chinese preschoolers. This study explored the mediating role of teacher-child closeness and the moderating role of child gender in the association between shyness and school engagement to fill this gap. With the cluster sampling method, a total of 532 young children (240 girls; Mage = 4.29 years, SD = 0.65 years) were recruited from 15 suburban kindergartens in East China. Mothers rated children's shyness, and teachers evaluated children's school engagement and teacher-child closeness five months later. The results reveal the following: (1) Shyness was related to higher cooperative participation and lower school avoidance; (2) Teacher-child closeness mediated the relationships between shyness and school engagement. Specifically, shyness negatively predicted teacher-child closeness, and teacher-child closeness positively predicted cooperative and independent participations and school liking, and negatively predicted school avoidance; (3) Child gender moderated the relationship between shyness and school engagement, and specifically, for boys but not girls, shyness was significantly linked with lower school avoidance; for girls but not boys, shyness was significantly related to higher cooperative participation and lower independent participation. These findings have implications for the school engagement of preschoolers.

Depressive and anxious symptoms and teacher-child dependency and conflict in early childhood.

Internalizing symptoms, including depressive and anxious symptoms, are among the most common mental health concerns for young children. In middle childhood, children who experience more frequent internalizing symptoms tend to also experience more negative relationships with their teachers. Less is known about how children's depressive and anxious symptoms are associated with teacher-child relationship quality in early childhood. The few studies of these associations in early childhood present mixed findings on the directionality of these associations. To address these mixed findings in early childhood, the current study used autoregressive latent trajectory models with structured residuals to examine four conceptual models of the concurrent and prospective associations between children's depressive and anxious symptoms and teacher-child dependency and conflict, including concurrent, child-driven, relationship-driven, and transactional models. Participants were 428 children (49.1% girls, Mage = 4.09 years, SD = 0.32) assessed in the fall and spring of preschool and kindergarten. Children's symptoms of depression and anxiety were related to the concurrent quality of teacher-child dependency and conflict, supporting the concurrent model. Children who experienced increased depressive and anxious symptoms across preschool and kindergarten, relative to their peers and their own average experiences, tended to also experience more dependent and conflictual relationships with their teachers.

Using relationship-focused reflection to improve teacher-child relationships and teachers' student-specific self-efficacy.

The present study evaluated whether LLInC (Leerkracht-Leerling Interactie Coaching in Dutch, or Teacher-Student Interaction Coaching), a teacher-based coaching-intervention, yielded improvements in dyadic affective teacher-child relationships in elementary school (Grades 2-6). Based on attachment theory, LLInC aims to foster more flexible and differentiated mental representations of teachers' relationships with individual children with whom they experience relationship difficulties. Using a quasi-experimental design, we compared an intervention group of teachers (n = 46 teachers and 92 children) receiving LLInC with a control group receiving no form of intervention (n = 32 teachers and 88 children). To investigate possible transfer effects, we asked teachers from the intervention group to report on their relationships and self-efficacy beliefs regarding two other children with whom they experienced relationship difficulties as well (n = 46 teachers and 81 children). Multilevel models were used to examine intervention effects on teachers' perceptions of relationship quality (i.e., Closeness, Conflict, Dependency), and teachers' student-specific self-efficacy beliefs for Behavior Management and Emotional Support. Teachers receiving LLInC reported short-term improvements in Closeness and self-efficacy beliefs for Emotional Support and decreases in Conflict as compared to control teachers. Similar improvements in Closeness and self-efficacy for Emotional Support were found for the intervention-transfer group as compared to control teachers. Also, teachers receiving LLInC had short-term and longer-term improvements in self-efficacy beliefs for Behavior Management as compared to control teachers. These improvements regarding Behavior Management were not found for the intervention-transfer group.

Child-teacher dependency: The state of the research.

The purpose of this commentary is to situate the findings from the studies in this special issue within the broader child-teacher relationship literature, with particular focus on the complex nature of child-teacher dependency. First, I briefly describe and review each of the compelling papers in this special issue. Second, I weave the studies to each other by linking their methods and results, and by identifying similar findings from the extant literature. Third, I provide some thoughts about future directions and implications for the study of child-teacher dependency from my perspective as a researcher in this field.

Understanding the origins of child-teacher dependency: mother-child attachment security and temperamental inhibition as antecedents.

This study investigated the joint contribution of child-mother attachment quality and child temperamental inhibition to the development of child-teacher dependency. A sample of 237 kindergartners (Mage = 60.2 months) and their teachers from 36 classrooms participated. Preschool child-mother attachment quality was assessed using the Attachment Q-set. Behavioral inhibition was rated by the preschool teacher. Dependency was assessed at three waves during kindergarten, using observer and teacher reports. In line with assumptions from attachment theory, less securely attached children were observed to be more overly reliant on their teacher in class. For behavioral inhibition, a divergent picture emerged depending on the assessment of dependency: Classroom observations yielded less (overt) indications of dependency among more inhibited children, whereas teachers reported more (covert) expressions of dependency. These results suggest that different measures may capture different aspects of the multifaceted construct of dependency, thus calling for more conceptual and empirical work.

The role of consultative alliance in infant and early childhood mental health consultation: Child, teacher, and classroom outcomes.

Young children's social-emotional development is powerfully shaped by their early environments, which for many includes early childhood education (ECE). Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) pairs teachers and infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) consultants to promote teachers' capacity to foster positive social-emotional development in ECE. Although the outcomes of IECMHC have been well studied, little research has investigated how this model leads to changes for teachers and children. According to theory, the quality of the relationship between teachers and IECMH consultants, termed consultative alliance (CA), is a key mechanism of change. This study analyzed the role of CA on 6-month outcomes of IECMHC in a sample of 316 children, 289 teachers, and 62 IECMH consultants. Results from multilevel models suggested that stronger CA predicted greater improvements in teacher-child closeness and teacher-rated child attachment behaviors. In addition, a strong CA was related to greater improvement in classroom climate, teachers' self-efficacy, and teachers' perceptions of their jobs. This study upholds the centrality of relationship-building and parallel process in mental health consultation, and by advancing understanding of the mechanisms of change for IECMHC may provide salient implications for policy and practice.

El desarrollo socio-emocional de los niños pequeños es formado de manera poderosa por sus tempranos ambientes, los cuales, para muchos incluyen la educación en la temprana niñez (ECE). La Asesoría de Salud Mental del Infante y la Temprana Niñez (IECMHC) empareja maestros y Asesores de la Salud Mental del Infante y la Temprana Niñez (IECMH) para promover la capacidad de los educadores de crear un positivo desarrollo socio-emocional en ECE. A pesar de que los resultados de IECMHC han sido bien estudiados, poca investigación se ha enfocado en cómo este modelo conduce a cambios para educadores y niños. De acuerdo con la teoría, la calidad de la relación entre educadores y Asesores de IECMH, llamada Alianza Consultiva (CA), es un mecanismo clave para el cambio. Este estudio analizó el papel de la Alianza Consultiva en resultados de seis meses de IECMHC en un grupo muestra de 316 niños, 289 educadores y 62 Asesores de IECMH. Los resultados de modelos de multiniveles sugieren que una más fuerte CA predijo mayores mejoras en la cercanía entre educador y niño y las conductas de afectividad del niño evaluadas por el educador. Adicionalmente, una más fuerte CA se relacionó con una mayor mejora en el ambiente del aula de clases, la auto-efectividad de los educadores y las percepciones que los educadores tenían de su trabajo. Este estudio apoya la centralidad de establecer una relación y un proceso paralelo en la asesoría de salud mental, y por medio del avance en la comprensión de los mecanismos de cambio para IECMHC, pudiera proveer implicaciones destacadas para la política y la práctica.

Le développement socio-émotionnel des jeunes enfants est fortement formé par leurs premiers environnements, ce qui pour bien d'entre eux inclut l'enseignement préscolaire. L'approche IECMHC (Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation soit Consultation en Santé Mentale du Nourrisson et de la Petite Enfance) jumelle des enseignants et des consultants IECHM (Santé Mentale du Nourrisson et de la Petite Enfance) afin de promouvoir la capacité des enseignements à cultiver et à favoriser un développement socio-émotionnel positif dans l'enseignement préscolaire. Bien que les résultats de l'approche IECMHC aient été bien étudiés il existe peu de recherches sur la manière dont ce modèle mène à des changements pour les enseignants et les enfants. Selon la théorie, la qualité de la relation entre les enseignants et les Consultants IECMH, appelée Alliance Consultative (AC), est un mécanisme clé de changement. Cette étude a analysé le rôle de l'Alliance Consultative sur les résultats à six mois de la IECMHC chez un échantillon de 316 enfants, 289 enseignants, et 62 Consultants IECMH. Les résultats de modèles multi-niveaux ont suggéré qu'une AC plus forte prédisait des améliorations plus importantes dans le rapprochement enseignant-enfant et dans les comportements d'attachement de l'enfant évalués par l'enseignant. De plus une AC plus forte était liée à une amélioration plus importante du climat de la salle de classe, de l'auto-efficacité des enseignements et des perceptions que les enseignants se faisaient de leur travail. Cette étude maintient la centralité de la construction de la relation et du processus parallèle dans la consultation de santé mentale. En faisant progresser la compréhension des mécanismes de changement pour la IECMHC elle présente aussi des implications importantes pour les décisions stratégiques et la pratique.

Informant-specific reports of peer and teacher relationships buffer the effects of harsh parenting on children's oppositional defiant disorder during kindergarten.

Harsh and restrictive parenting are well-established contributors to the development of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) among children. However, few studies have explored whether interpersonal relationships that develop outside the family environment attenuate the risk for ODD that is associated with harsh parenting. The current study tested multireporter measures of teacher-child closeness and peer acceptance as moderators of the association between harsh parenting and children's ODD as children's social worlds widen during the kindergarten year (N = 338 children, 48% girls, M age = 5.32 years). Harsh parenting interacted with peer nominations of peer acceptance and children's report of teacher-child closeness to predict children's ODD symptoms in the spring, adjusting for fall symptoms. Children exposed to harsh parenting exhibited greater symptom increases when they were less liked/accepted playmates and in the context of lower teacher-child closeness. However, harsh parenting was not associated with symptom change among children with higher levels of peer-nominated acceptance and those who reported closer relationships with teachers. There were no significant interactions using teacher's report of peer acceptance or teacher's report of teacher-child closeness. Findings highlight positive peer and teacher relationships as promising targets of intervention among children exposed to harsh parenting and support the importance of assessing multiple perspectives of children's social functioning.

Can teacher-child relationships support human rights to freedom of opinion and expression, education and participation?

PURPOSE: This study explored how teacher-child relationships change over the early school years, in terms of closeness and conflict, whether these trajectories differ in type and frequency for children with typical development and children with speech and language concern (SLC), and whether the trajectories are associated with school outcomes at 12-13 years. METHOD: Participants were children, parents and teachers in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Parents identified 2890 children with typical communication and 1442 children with SLC. Teacher-rated teacher-child closeness and conflict were collected biennially over six years. Academic and social-emotional outcomes were reported by teachers and children. Growth mixture modelling was conducted to generate teacher-child relationship trajectories and Wald's chi-square analyses were used to test the association between trajectories and school outcomes at 12-13 years, after controlling for a range of covariates including child's sex, language background, Indigenous status, age and socio-economic position. RESULT: In both groups, the majority of children had teacher-child relationship trajectories with sustained high closeness and low conflict that predicted positive outcomes at age 12-13, but the SLC group was more at risk of less positive trajectories and poorer school outcomes. CONCLUSION: Close, less conflicted relationships with teachers may provide a supportive context for later language, literacy and social-emotional development. This study highlights the role of teachers in supporting children in their development of communication and academic skills that will optimise their capacity for freedom of opinions and expression, education and participation, as enshrined in Articles 19, 26 and 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Children's Representations of Attachment and Positive Teacher-Child Relationships.

This study was designed to explore whether children's representations of attachment contribute to the co-construction of positive teacher-child relationships. An assessment of verbal intelligence was included as a predictor on the assumption that teachers might perceive themselves as having better relationships with more verbally competent children. Participants were 52 children from two pre-schools, in the district of Lisbon. The Attachment Story Completion Task (ASCT) was used to assess children's attachment security. The PCV-P (a scale developed in portuguese language) was used to describe teacher-child relationships through teachers' ratings of child secure base behavior and emotion regulation and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-R) was used to access verbal skills. Bivariate correlations showed that the teachers' rating of child secure base behavior was significantly associated with both child attachment security and verbal IQ. In a multiple regression analysis, the overall model R2 was significant, as was the interaction term showing a moderating effect of attachment security on the relation between verbal IQ and teachers' ratings of secure base. The results suggest that co-construction of a close attachment-relevant relationship with teachers in early childhood is, in part, a function of the security in the context of parent-child attachment, but also of child verbal development.

The combined effects of teacher-child and peer relationships on children's social-emotional adjustment.

Teachers and peers represent two important dimensions of the classroom social ecology that have important implications for children's social-emotional adjustment. This study examined the combined effects of teacher-child relationships (TCR) and peer relationships for 6-7year-old children on their social-emotional adjustment at 8-9years. The sample was comprised of children and their teachers participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=2857). Teachers reported on TCR, peer relationships, and children's emotional well-being, and children provided self-reported self-concept and school liking during a face-to-face interview. The analytic approach extends previous research by modeling TCR and peer relationships in combination, using cluster analysis to understand the nature of 6-7year-old children's social relationships in the classroom. Five distinct profiles of children were identified: adaptive, teacher-oriented, teacher-child conflict prominent, non-adaptive, and invisible. The adaptive profile had the best outcomes on all three aspects of social-emotional adjustment at age 8-9; the non-adaptive profile had the poorest outcomes, and the invisible group was mid-range. The teacher-oriented and teacher-child conflict prominent groups had mixed outcomes for social-emotional adjustment. Implications for school psychologists and teachers are discussed.

Children with autism spectrum disorder and social skills groups at school: a randomized trial comparing intervention approach and peer composition.

BACKGROUND: Peer relationships improve for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in clinic-based social skills groups but rarely generalize to real world contexts. This study compares child outcomes of two social skills interventions conducted in schools with children in Kindergarten through fifth grade. METHOD: Children with ASD were randomized to one of two interventions that varied on group composition (mixed typical and ASD vs. all ASD or social difficulties) and intervention approach (didactic SKILLS based vs. activity-based ENGAGE groups). Interventions were implemented at school for 8 weeks (16 sessions) with an 8-week follow-up. Innovative measures of peer nomination and playground peer engagement, as well as teacher reports of child behavior problems and teacher-child relationship were analyzed for 137 children with ASD across four sites. RESULTS: On the primary outcome of social network connections from the peer nomination measure, there was no main effect of treatment, but there were moderator effects. Children with low teacher-child closeness or high conflict improved more in their social connections if they received the SKILLS intervention, whereas children with higher teacher-child closeness improved more if they received the ENGAGE intervention. Only two secondary outcome measures yielded significant effects of treatment. Children in the SKILLS groups increased peer engagement and decreased isolation during recess. Child behavior problems and teacher-child closeness moderated peer engagement such that children with higher behavior problems and lower closeness benefitted more from SKILLS groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that social skills groups conducted at school can affect both peer engagement during recess as well as peer acceptability. Child characteristics and teacher-child relationship prior to intervention yield important information on who might benefit from a specific social skills intervention.