There appear to be four major schools of thought concerning adolescent depression: (1) depression as a clinical disorder is not possible before late adolescence or early adulthood; (2) depression in children and adolescents is a unique clinical entity, different from adult depression; (3) adolescents manifest depression in the same way as adults;…

Presentations from speakers at a conference on Rett Syndrome are summarized. The presentations focused on Rett Syndrome's genetic basis and identification as a clinical syndrome, involving, among other things, mental subnormality, epilepsy, infantile spasms, hand stereotypes, and poor hand use. Also discussed were: Rett Syndrome's predictive…

The high incidence of reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Vietnam veterans has prompted researchers to search for reliable assessment and treatment procedures for this disorder. Although some encouraging preliminary data on the use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) have been obtained, it is uncertain if this…

The literature on the diagnostic validity of schizotypal personality disorders (SPD) in childhood is reviewed, and the results of a chart review of 20 SPD children meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III criteria are presented suggesting that SPD in childhood exists and warrants study. (Author/CB)

Depression is considered a significant affective disorder in children and adolescents. This article provides school psychologists with information concerning the current status of depression in this population. Epidemiological data on depression is provided with phenomenology and diagnostic criteria, review of assessment measures, and…

Reviews existing definitions of childhood depression and their implications for diagnosis. Evaluates better known self-report inventories, parent rating scales, psychiatric interviewing schedules, and peer nomination techniques. Addresses diagnostic issues associated with reliability, validity, consistency across raters, settings, and time and…

Presents the second of a two-part state-of-the-art review concerning current trends in mental health computing, with special clinical applications in automated psychological testing, computer interviews, computerized diagnosis, clinical consultation, computer-aided instruction, computerized treatment intervention, and user acceptance. (Author/ABB)

Definitional and intervention issues regarding learning disabilities and emotional disturbance are examined. Three major topics are addressed: academic deficits of disturbed students, behavior problems in learning disabled students, and differentiation of LD from ED. The need for a service delivery model with foci in reciprocal person/environment…

The author reports on recent Soviet studies of developmentaly delayed (DD) children, which compare clinical characteristics of DD, mentally retarded, and normal children relative to such aspects as attention, memory, intellectual functioning, and verbal facility. Noted is the similarity of DD children to American learning disabled children.…

The purpose of this chapter is to provide counselors with a road map that will help in the assessment phase of the family counseling process. Understanding the influence of the family system is extremely helpful when working with individual clients (especially children and adolescents). The presenting problem or concern may not be directly related…

Reports the clinical validity of the Process for Assessment of Effective Student Functioning. A clinical team studied 300 representative second and fifth graders. Found the Process was valid for predicting independent clinical judgments of the status of these children, and located potentially handicapped children better than teacher referral.…

The utility of the procedures special educators apply in making decisions about the identification of handicapped individuals has not been thoroughly studied. The paper examines the utility of diagnostic decision making from the perspective of receiver operating curve analysis. (Author)

Discusses a set of neuropsychodiagnostic rules proposed by Selz and Reitan. That study was found to be seriously limited on theoretical grounds and in terms of research methodology. Sampling problems were indicated, and issues of neurological integrity and learning disabilities were poorly conceptualized. (Author)

Research relating to drug effects on academic attainment in children with pronounced learning problems is reviewed. Laboratory studies on the use of stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics are surveyed. Problems with diagnosis are considered and the relationship of drugs and learning disabilities is discussed. (PHR)