Most definitions of emotionally disturbed youngsters suggest that disturbances in the child's behavior patterns cause academic and social problems which affect the child and his peers. While the process of identification may be facilitated by operational criteria within a definition, these factors are noticeably absent from definitions of…

There is a robust association between prenatal smoking and disruptive behavior disorders, but little is known about the emergence of such behaviors in early development. The association of prenatal smoking and hypothesized behavioral precursors to disruptive behavior in toddlers (N=93) was tested. Exposed toddlers demonstrated atypical behavioral…

Aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents have undergone important conceptual and definitional modifications in the past two decades. In particular, subtypes of aggression have been proposed that separate the form and the function of the aggressive behaviors (i.e., social vs. physical aggression; reactive vs. proactive aggression).…

This article describes the historical conceptualization of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the similarities between the behavioral manifestations of ADHD and creativity, some speculations about their common etiology, some illustrative case studies, and practical implications of mistaking one for the other. (JDD)

This paper defines sociopathy and presents current findings on its causes and treatment. A milieu therapy program is described, including the preventive and active treatment methods used to keep the adolescent sociopath fully occupied in constructive activities and "sponsor" relationships to overcome antisocial behavior patterns. (Author/SJL)

A psychiatrist describes causative factors (e.g., difficult childbirth, cerebral hypoxemy), behaviors (e.g., motor instability, irritability, enuresis), and abilities (e.g., extrasensory perception, telepathy) that he has associated with giftedness but that are not widely recognized. He also advocates the use of ambidextrous training and Losanov…

A psychologist who has helped gifted elementary and secondary students reverse cycles of underachievement defines the problem, identifies home origins of underachievement, and describes examples of parental interactions that foster underachievement. (MC)

This paper presents a review of relevant medical and psychological literature that addresses the psychological characteristics of heroin addiction and addicts: dependence (both physical and psychological); explanations of the phenomenon of addiction (both medical and behavioral); and other psychosocial views of causation including escapism,…

This introduction to students with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) covers a historical perspective of these disorders, definitions of ADHD, etiology, behaviors associated with ADD and ADHD, developmental course, identification and assessment, services, classroom interventions, medication…