The relationship between the number of suicidal communications prior to an attempt and the lethality of the attempt is investigated. Attempters who made fewer suicidal communications tended to use more lethal methods. A history of drug abuse was more prevalent in the low communication group. (Author/EMK)

A study investigated the effects of a more restrictive standard discrepancy model (SDM) on the learning-disability placement patterns of 4,100 students in Mississippi. Limiting eligibility to students who had achievement scores 1 1/2 standard deviations below their Full Scale IQ scores reduced eligible students from 124 to 36. (CR)

Three studies investigated the effectiveness of the Computer Assisted Reading Diagnosis, a diagnostic system based on "rauding" theory (a collection of theories, constructs, and equations developed to describe, explain, predict and control the ability to comprehend relatively easy sentences) and a causal model of reading achievement.…

The syntax of 14 child speakers of African American English (AAE) with and without language disorders were compared. Findings suggested that shared features between AAE and Standard American English may be more diagnostically salient than features not shared when identifying children of AAE language backgrounds with language disorders. (DB)

This study examined three maladaptive behaviors, self-injurious behavior (SIB), stereotypies, and aggression in 36 adults with either autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and mental retardation. Findings indicated that, for all three diagnostic categories, aggression was primarily maintained for attentional…

A study explored the orientation of 32 Finnish professionals in child neurological units toward child assessment and planning. Results indicate that practices were not implemented consistently and that professionals' varying perceptions of the concept of comprehensiveness and family involvement interfered with implementation of guidelines for…

Family physicians may lack discriminatory ability to differentiate normal aging form disease states. To assess such ability, 53 aging-related indicators or symptoms were presented to 65 physicians in 3 family practice residency programs. Respondents classified each symptom as normal aging or disease. On average, residents classified 73.4% of…

An Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI-R) was conducted with parents of 11 children with early infantile autism and 16 with a language disorder, along with a standardized Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-G). Ten children with autism were correctly classified on both measures. One child with a language disorder was falsely classified on…

A study involving 11 non-medical professionals and 17 parents of children with autism resulted in the following guidelines for sharing a diagnosis of autism, including establish a family-friendly setting, understand the family's needs, use good communication skills, provide a list of resources and interventions, discuss prognosis, provide hope,…

This article discusses diagnostic overshadowing, a robust bias that negatively affects the accuracy of clinicians' judgments about concomitant mental illness in persons with mental retardation and mental illness. Reviewing 12 studies, it examined moderators of diagnostic overshadowing and found clinician's cognitive complexity negatively affects…

Objective: To study the relationship between child psychiatric disorders and quality of life (QoL). Method: In a sample of 310 children (ages 6-18 years) referred for psychiatric problems, children, parents, and clinicians reported on psychopathology and subjective and objective QoL indicators. Results: Six diagnostic categories were…

This review presents the most recent research concerning neuroimaging in developmental disabilities. Changes in structure and activation have been found in children with ADHD and learning disabilities, following intervention. For the children with learning disabilities changes in activation have been found following intensive behavioral and…

Low self-efficacy is a key component of depression. Toddlers of depressed mothers may be at risk for impaired development of self-efficacy because of maternal modeling, diminished encouragement of toddlers' efforts, and/or biological contributions. We examined emerging self-efficacy in 70 toddlers of depressed mothers and 62 toddlers of…

This study examined changes in the diagnostic patterns among children and adolescents treated for mental health problems between the years 1995 and 2000. Using a large database (MarketScan[R]) which compiles claims information from private health insurance plans nationwide, our sample consisted of 100,716 children (under the age of 18) who…

The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of Age of Onset Criterion (AOC) to the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behavior disorder. For this purpose, a 10-item Likert-type Parent Assessment of Pre-school Behavior Scale (PARPS), developed by the experimenters, was used to examine the presence…