This article addresses theoretical and practical issues in the provision of mental health services to address psychosocial problems of secondary and postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Examples are offered of case studies and interventions from two federally funded research/demonstration projects at the University of Minnesota: the…

After providing a brief review of three other approaches to assessment of preschool children (DSM-IV diagnoses, "Zero to Three" diagnoses, and temperament scales), this paper focuses on the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA). The empirically based assessment paradigm provides user-friendly, cost-effective, reliable,…

High teacher attrition in rural Alaska is abetted by stress induced by the culturally and environmentally differing milieus of the arctic and sub-arctic. Severe climatic conditions curtail traditional activities, and confined isolated settings place strain on personal relationships and heighten irritability, anxiety, and anger, often leading to…

The "ACNJ Child Advocate" is published quarterly by the Association for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ). ACNJ collects, analyzes, and distributes information on the well-being of children in New Jersey so that policymakers can pinpoint problems and work toward solutions. It reports data on key indicators of child well-being in each county…

When parents are unavailable for their children, or simply do not know what to do when a youngster is experiencing an overwhelming stressor, the parent's response, or lack of, can compound the child's psychosocial difficulties. Even though some youngsters overcome the adversity of inadequate parenting, others cannot and consequently experience…

This paper discusses the importance of teaching social skills to children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE) and the interrelationship between social skills and academic improvement. Goals and techniques for teaching social skills are identified, including: (1) improving the skill of compliance by setting reasonable…

Three case studies of students (aged 8-13) with emotional and behavior problems are presented to illustrate issues in teacher-parent communication difficulties. Teachers' visits to the students' homes were used as part of a family systems approach in successfully devising a method to reinforce behavior change. (JDD)

The outgrowth of a 1996 report on the impact of armed conflict on the well-being of children, and preparation for the 2000 International Conference on War-affected Children, this book examines progress made and obstacles encountered since 1996 in relieving the trauma of armed conflict. The stories recount family displacement, the rise of HIV/AIDS…

Presents the results of two forgiveness education programs on college students who judged themselves parentally love-deprived. The longer program, a six-day workshop using a more developed therapeutic regimen, proved the most successful. Includes a discussion of initial screening techniques and workshop procedures. (MJP)

The promotion of employee assistance programs (EAP) in higher education is considered in 24 chapters, with an emphasis on enhancing resources and the academic environment for faculty and staff. Seven topical areas are addressed: history of EAP; characteristics of higher education; alcoholism and other risks in the academic life-style; EAP models…

Classifies and discusses five stress variables affecting the mental health of Chinese students living in Taiwan. These include interpersonal problems, academic problems, health/living problems, financial anxiety, and environmental problems. Although detrimental to mental health, these factors exerted little influence on physical health or…

This document, intended as a resource for school psychologists, contains articles addressing a variety of psychological and behavioral problems of children and adolescents. Each chapter includes the following content: background information concerning the specific topic, approaches for assessing the behavior of concern, intervention possibilities,…

The CAG "Communicator" focus is on serving gifted students in California. This document consists of the four issues of "communicator" issued during 1997. Featured articles include: (1) "The Gifted Student At Risk. It Can't Be True" (Judy Roseberry); (2) "Tech Net-Technology and At-Risk Students" (Judy Lieb); (3) "Reviving Ophelia: Saving the…

Describes 11 effective steps taken by the Duval County (Florida) school board to improve the academic achievement of minority students, as measured by the Stanford Achievement Test. Programs include eliminating social promotion, developing tests of essential skills and minimum skills, involving the family, and helping with personal problems. (IW)

The need for an environment conducive to achievement for diverse learners is especially challenging at the middle and high school levels, where more students with learning challenges are included in the general education program, but teachers tend to be less tolerant of disruptive and distractible behaviors. Thus, students who do not conform to…