Finding out that a child has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can put an enormous strain on families, and the quality of support offered by professionals at this time can make a huge difference to how they adjust to the news. This book comprehensively sets out the type of support that is most beneficial to families immediately following an ASD…

Juvenile assessment centers (JACs) were developed to address service fragmentation and promote the sharing of information among agencies providing services to youth involved with the juvenile justice system. To date, there are no reports that describe the diagnostic profiles of the youth served by such centers. The authors hypothesize that the…

The prevalence of Autism and other Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) has increased dramatically in recent years. The criterion for a clinical diagnosis of Autism, however, is independent from the special education eligibility requirements for Autism services. While the DSM-IV-TR provides a nationally-accepted definition for Autism and ASD, under…

Assessment and evaluation activities are an integral part of early intervention services. These activities culminate in written evaluation reports that include information such as observations of skills and deficits, diagnosis, and recommendations for intervention. However, few guidelines exist to help guide early intervention providers in writing…

Through contributions from top leaders in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), "Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder" examines the ASD research literature, discusses procedural implications, and makes recommendations for future practice and inquiry. It combines the most recent developments in established practices with newer and…

This paper presents a review of all patients with Down syndrome seen over a 5-year period by one consultant neurologist in general outpatient and specialist cognitive function clinics. It revealed only 7 cases in greater than 4500 general referrals (= 0.2%), all referred with suspected seizure disorders. The diagnosis of epilepsy was confirmed in…

Evidence-based practice (EBP) requires practitioners to identify and formulate questions in response to patient encounters, and to seek, select, and appraise applicable clinical research. A standardized workshop format serves as the model for training of medical educators in these skills. We developed an evaluation exercise to assess the ability…

Adolescence is a time of unparalleled threat, change, challenge, and opportunity. Rates of psychopathology increase dramatically during adolescence, yet many therapists find it hard to engage with adolescents. The organization of this book follows the typical emergence of specific syndromes in the course of development. Chapters are: (1) "General…

Evidence is reviewed regarding three types of unusual and/or subtle phonological behaviors in the speech of phonologically disordered children. Models of child phonology compatible with these behaviors are then discussed. The paper concludes with the implications these considerations have for assessment and treatment. (Author/CL)

The use of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM IV) as a teaching tool for social workers to understand mental illness has been debated for many years. The general consensus is that social workers need to be "familiar" with this classification system. Social Work's person in environment perspective, however, requires…

The usefulness of the grammaticality task as a clinical tool with the language impaired child is discussed by presenting the task as a method of eliciting a language sample. Data are presented supporting the validity of the procedure. (Author/SBH)

Discusses the problem of teaching nursing students to assess clients' needs adequately. Includes a chart developed as a guideline for functional assessment. (JOW)

The article critically appraises and reviews a selected group of nine observational instruments commonly used to assess activity level (and in particular, hyperactivity) in young children, and provides an annotated bibliography of 13 newer or less popular instruments. (DLS)

Speech-related reaction time measures and fluency-related measures of 24 adult stutterers and a like number of nonstutterers were assessed to determine their diagnostic discriminative power. Findings suggested that both fluency failures and the duration of laryngeal adjustment time are useful diagnostic measures for discriminating stutterers from…

Suggests considerations and strategies for identifying and modifying a client's defense mechanisms in counseling. Provides definitions of individual defenses and indicators for identifying the mechanisms. Literature review focuses on counseling implications of defenses. Process of defense mechanism modification is illustrated through case example.…