Future research should ensure adequate assessment for symptoms of anxiety and depression when examining sleep disturbance in children. Likewise, research on anxiety and depression should include assessment for symptoms of disturbed sleep. Bridging the gap between these literatures should provide further insights into the etiologies of these disorders, increase symptom detection, and improve the clinical care of children and their families.

Externalizing behaviors are a common component of the clinical presentation of Autism Spectrum Disorders and are typically the initial focus of treatment for children within this population. This article examines the appropriateness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) as a first-line, gateway treatment for preschoolers with High Functioning Autism who demonstrate co-occurring difficulties with aggressive and noncompliant behavior. Although PCIT has shown initial success in treating children with High Functioning Autism, much of the knowledge is based on clinical case studies thus warranting further empirical research before conclusions can be drawn.

As a precursor to numerous psychological difficulties, dating anxiety is an important area of research that has been largely neglected, with existing research providing few answers concerning how this construct may present at different developmental stages of the life span, or across special interest groups. This article describes what factors may be important to consider when examining dating anxiety in adolescents, gay/lesbian/ bisexual populations, ethnic minorities, older adults, and by addressing gender. Further research is necessary to address how social anxiety differs from dating anxiety, how these two constructs are similar and different across groups and throughout the life span, and how more developmentally sensitive measures of dating anxiety may be developed.

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The development of strong and positive relationships early in childhood is key to later social adjustment. Many behaviors have been shown to be related to children's status among their peers, defining whether they will be seen as popular, rejected, neglected, controversial, or of average status in the child's peer group. Children who display anxious behaviors are often overlooked by their peers, while aggressive and disruptive behaviors can lead to rejection. A small proportion of students display both symptoms of anxiety and ADHD, and prior research fails to show what peer status group most represents these children, or what social interaction skills these children display in a school setting. This study investigated the peer social status of children who display anxious, ADHD, and comorbid behavioral patterns. To further understand the characteristics of these different types of children, playground observations were made to attempt to reveal the proportion of positive, negative, and solitary play exhibited by each group during freeplay interaction with peers in their school environment. Results indicated no significant difference between groups on sociometric status or freeplay behavior. Limitations and future directions are discussed.