Response to Intervention (RTI) models of diagnosis and intervention are being implemented rapidly throughout the schools. The purposes of invoking an RTI model for disabilities in the schools clearly are laudable, yet close examination reveals an unappreciated paucity of empirical support for RTI and an overly optimistic view of its practical,…

Reviews and critiques relevance of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised (DSM-III-R) for school psychological practice. Presents five misguided assumptions upon which DSM-III-R use is based, dealing with medical model conceptualization of behavior; reliability; validity; relevance for special education…

Responds to critiques by Reynolds and by Hynd of previous article (Gresham and Gansle, this issue) which reviewed relevance of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised (DSM-III-R), and noted irrelevance of DSM-III-R for school psychology practice. Addresses misconceptions/misconstruals of objective facts in…

Responds to previous article (Gresham and Gansle, this issue) which reviewed relevance of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised (DSM-III-R), and concluded that DSM-III-R is largely irrelevant for school psychology practice. Notes that Gresham and Gansle's proposal is not more powerful and cannot replace…

Responds to previous article (Gresham and Gansle, this issue) which reviewed relevance of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised (DSM-III-R), and concluded that DSM-III-R is largely irrelevant for school psychology practice. Calls Gresham and Gansle article rife with inaccuracies and misrepresentations that…

Responds to previous article (Gresham and Gansle, this issue) which reviewed relevance of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised (DSM-III-R), and concluded that DSM-III-R is largely irrelevant for school psychology practice. Discusses Gresham and Gansle's criticism of medical model views of abnormal behavior…

Considers that children exhibiting frequent problems with inattention, impulsivity, and overactivity in classroom settings may be at risk for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Describes four-stage model for school-based assessment of ADHD which includes screening techniques, multimethod assessment, interpretation of results, and…

Responds to previous article (Gresham and Gansle, 1992) which argued that Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition-Revised (DSM-III-R) was irrelevant for practice of school psychology and that absence of treatment validity was most serious issue among problems with DSM-III-R. Elaborates on several issues surrounding…

Examined Basic School Skills Inventory-Screen to determine its agreement with teacher judgments of student performance to increase relevance of educational programs for young children. Observed and tested primary grade children (n=64) and validated results with second group of kindergartners (n=208). Results were predictive of subsequent school…

Responds to article by Bagnato and Neisworth on social and treatment "invalidity" of intelligence testing for early intervention with preschoolers. Agrees with Bagnato and Neisworth that psychologists should employ wide variety of procedures and practices in their assessment of preschool children. Disagrees with conclusion that intelligence…

Responds to article by Bagnato and Neisworth on social and treatment "invalidity" of intelligence testing for early intervention with preschoolers. Contends that "intelligent" testing as part of appropriate assessment practice with young children will avoid many problems with "intelligence" testing as outlined by Bagnato and Neisworth. (NB)

Reviewed 39 empirical studies in which direct observational methods were used to assess children in whom attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had been diagnosed. Found that classroom studies distinguished ADHD children from comparison groups better than laboratory studies. Behaviors that most consistently distinguished ADHD children…

Conducted national consumer survey of preschool psychologists (n=185) regarding treatment and social validity of early intelligence tests for preschoolers with developmental deficits (n=7,223). Results demonstrated that early intelligence tests failed to be acceptable tools 43% of time and failed to document eligibility of over 3,000 young…

Discusses Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), accepted as leading known cause of mental retardation. Relates chronicity, timing, and severity of alcohol exposure to age-specific developmental and behavioral consequences. Delineates specific interventions with infants, preschoolers, school-age children, and adolescents. Advocates for accurate diagnosis…