The focus of this volume is systems theory. While systems theory has been widely utilized in marriage and family counseling, it is less well known to counselors in other specialities. Articles in this issue are: "The Evolving Family of the 1990s: Implications for Counselors" (Terry Bordan and Eugene Goldin); "Systems Theory across the Counseling…

Emotional Release Counselling (ERC) is based on the simple premise that to feel emotions and energy and to let them be expressed keeps us mentally healthy. ERC works to help a child be deeply connected to the sensation within the body, to develop self-awareness. The book explains the concept of emotional release counseling and provides specific…

This book tells the story of a child with learning disabilities who, now in her 50s, eventually obtained a Ph.D. The author records her memories of academic and social problems throughout her school and employment. Each chapter contains a "reflection" and "commentary" from the author. Every reflection is a dramatic demonstration of how it feels to…

This brief information sheet summarizes the types of social-emotional problems common among gifted children and suggests preventive actions schools can take. A table lists problems associated with characteristic strengths of gifted children. Specific problems briefly addressed include: uneven development, peer relations, excessive self-criticism,…

Kazimierz Dabrowski's theory of positive disintegration is applied to counseling gifted students having emotional and adjustment problems. According to the theory, a central feature of psychological growth is a series of disintegrations--progressive contradictions and conflicts that arise from a person's experience of life. Such conflicts and…

This investigation revives direct impact explanations of single-parent effects on student performance by further disagreggation by sex of the student. The effect of living in a single-parent household on the standardized test scores of students was estimated separately for males and females through analyses of data from the High School and Beyond…

This bibliography of 185 books, journal articles, government and private agency reports, literature reviews, and conference papers was prepared for the "At-Risk" Task Force of the American Council on Rural Special Education. The general problem is one of children and youth who are placed, by the actions of self or others, in situations where they…

This study sought to uncover the variables which account for much of the variance in life satisfaction among older residents of the Lynds' classic, sociological community setting: Middletown, USA (Muncie/Delaware County, Indiana). Data were collected in 1987 from 400 random telephone interviews with older adults (60 years of age and older). Six…

Because handicapped and nonhandicapped students in a Pennsylvania elementary school were not sucessfully mainstreamed and lacked social skills, a practicum was devised to (1) teach social behavior skills to socially/emotionally maladjusted (SEM) students, and (2) present social skill intervention strategies promoting a positive attitude between…

This paper focuses on the mental health consequences of the disaster in Armero, Colombia which resulted from a volcanic eruption and mudslide, and highlights the role of the primary care worker in delivering mental health care to disaster victims. Eight characteristics of disasters that are closely related to their psychopathogenetic potential…

A study investigated whether the reading preferences of emotionally disturbed boys were the same as the interests of boys in the general population. Subjects, 25 boys from a private residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed boys, were interviewed individually, completed a reading interest survey, and selected titles of books they…

Although several theoretical positions deal with the concept of childhood depression, accurate measurement of depression can only occur if valid and reliable measures are available. Current efforts emphasize direct questioning of the child and quantification of parents' observations. One scale used to study childhood depression, the Personality…

Extreme classroom discipline can cause post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) in children. Only extraordinary stressors qualify as stressors resulting in PTSD, yet this requirement is inadequate. Although corporal punishment may be common and acceptable in certain areas, acutely corporally punished children exhibit PTSD, regardless of the region.…

These inservice training materials were developed to address issues arising when parent aides assist parents under stress. Survey data from aides and their supervisors indicated that they wanted to know how to communicate with parents about their children; how to work with families having problems with alcohol, exploitation, and depression; how to…

Included in this booklet is an account of children's concepts of death at various ages. Specifically, the discussion examines the "average" or "normal" reaction of children from birth through 2 years; 3 through 5 years; 5 through 8 years; 9 through 10 years; and at 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 years. Children's reactions to the death of a pet and…