Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a group of disorders directly caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. This spectrum of disorders cause neurodevelopmental, neurobehavioral, and mental health effects. The consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure are permanent, leaving children and adults with behavioral and learning difficulties throughout…

Internet gaming has become an increasingly popular activity among youth. Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is currently included in the "DSM-5" as a condition for further study. This article discusses the rationale and implications for the proposed disorder's inclusion to the "DSM-5." While IGD is a proposed disorder, it shares…

Communication disorders include language disorder, speech sound disorder, social (pragmatic) communication disorder, childhood-onset fluency disorder (stuttering), and other specified and unspecified communication disorders. This group of neurodevelopmental disorders is characterized by deficits in language, speech, and communication.…

Spina bifida (SB) refers to a subgroup of congenital defects where the neural tube fails to fuse, often resulting in a protruding spinal cord. This is often due to a defect or absence of vertebral arches resulting from a failure of the mesoderm to organize over the region of the defect. SB occurs during gestation between the third and sixth week…

Serious antisocial behavior in children and adolescents poses significant challenges within educational settings and is one of the most important concerns facing educators today. The disorder of particular interest to the development of aggressive and antisocial behaviors in youth is conduct disorder (CD). Conduct disorder is characterized by…

While there are some differences between the construct of specific learning "disability" and "disorder," there are many similarities. Also, due to the number of clinical evaluations school psychologists review in practice, it is necessary to be familiar with the construct of specific learning disorder in order to incorporate…

Schizophrenia is a severe and persistent mental illness that is typically associated with distress and severe functional impairment. Individuals presenting with schizophrenia have symptoms that markedly impair their ability to perceive, think, engage, or express themselves clearly. Because the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia articulated in…

Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), as defined by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), refers to difficulties in the perceptual processing of auditory information in the central nervous system and the neurobiological activity that underlies that processing and gives rise to electrophysiologic auditory potentials (ASHA,…

Tic disorders, including Tourette syndrome, can significantly impact student functioning in the school setting. As professionals on the front line, school psychologists are in a unique position to guide students with tics. With proper education about tics and a collaborative approach, they can ensure that students with tics are maximally supported…

It has become increasingly common for school-age children and adolescents to express what is commonly known as gender nonconformity. School officials across the country are being called upon to implement systems and programs that are inclusive of gender nonconforming youth. It is important that children have access to a learning environment that…

For this ninth article in the series reviewing recent court decisions concerning appropriate school psychology practice from both professional and legal perspectives, this author provides a summary of a concussion- related case and provides responses to a series of questions by three members of the school psychology profession. The issue in this…

Approximately 215,000 or 1.8 in 1,000 school age youth have been diagnosed with Type 1 or 2 diabetes within the United States. Accordingly, based on the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP, 2010) recommended caseload of 500-700 students, a school psychologist should be prepared to work with 1 to 2 youth and their families managing…

This article discusses the Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP), also known as "factitious disorder by proxy" (FDBP) and fabricated and/or induced illness, which is a mental illness in which a person lies about the physical or mental well-being of a person he/she is responsible for. Most often the dynamic transpires between a mother and her child.…