Focusing identification and programing only on behavior related to students ability to function in the environment might give a uniform perspective for service and a specific goal for special education. Such an approach may alleviate problems with client specificity, program goals and philosophies, and service efficacy. (CL)

The paper describes a model for understanding system level responses to the cognitive dissonance produced by working with emotionally disturbed/behavior disordered students. Responses to mild, moderate, and severe levels of dissonance are cited, and the dibilitating effects of increasing threats to a system's order are portrayed. (CL)

To contrast the academic performance of two categorical groups, 16 learning disabled (LD) and 16 behaviorally disordered (BD) 10-year-old pupils were given three standardized achievement tests. Results showed significant differences in 10 of 12 comparisons. BD pupils consistently functioned at a higher grade level than LD pupils. (Authors)

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" presents a model of effectiveness for wraparound teams, derived from a review of research and theory on effective teams. Using this framework, the authors discuss some of the…

This article argues that bodily experiences and attitudes toward the body, such as rejection of the body, detachment, numbness, physical anhedonia, and lack of protection can facilitate acts of self-destruction. Demonstrates that suicidal individuals experience their body differently from other populations and that these are related to suicidal…

This reaction paper reviews a report on the use of carbamazapine for behavioral disorders. The paper translates the original report's data into percentages and concludes that carbamazapine has a more limited role in behavior disorder treatment. The original report's author then clarifies various points criticized in the reaction paper. (JDD)

Compared responses of two groups of conduct-disordered adolescents (N=76): those who scored high on a depressive inventory and those who did not. Found groups differed significantly, not only on depressive feelings, but also on other emotional difficulties which suggests existence of subgroups with different characteristics within…

Examines biochemical measures in a population of forensic psychiatric inpatients. Regression equations utilizing chemical and biological variables were developed and evaluated to determine their value in predicting the severity and frequency of aggression. Findings strongly suggest the presence of specific biochemical alteration among those…

Examines the convergence of 6 measures of aggression in a group of 43 children and adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders. The results suggest that measurement of clinically salient physical aggression requires multiple informant sources and that the Child Behavior Checklist and Iowa Conners Aggression Factor are assessing dimensions other…

Discusses distinguishing and overlapping features of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder. Notes that conclusions regarding comorbidity, treatment efficacy, and long-term outcome can be influenced by several factors, including diagnostic procedures and sample characteristics. Sees need to distinguish between referred and…

Behavior-disordered students (n=18) were trained to apply general self-management strategies to affect improvement in performance on independent mathematics calculation practice sheets. Compared student performance under two separate conditions, baseline and self-management. Based on weekly mean percentage of correct responses to daily mathematics…

This introduction to a special issue on postmodernism and behavior disorders discusses problems with the definition of postmodernism, including the trend for people to label whatever they wish as postmodern, the inability to separate postmodern from the modern, and the subjectivity of defining which ideas are about "reality" or "truth." (CR)

Twenty adolescents who had made suicide attempts are compared with 20 nonpsychiatric subjects on measures of problem solving, stress, and coping. Findings support a transactional model of adolescent suicidal behavior whereby inaccuracies in the appraisal of problem solving while under high stress lead to a reduction in the use of adaptive coping…

Extensive experience with the diagnosis of childhood-onset schizophrenia indicates a high rate of false positives. Most mislabeled patients have chronic disabling, affective, or behavioral disorders. The authors report the cases of three children who passed stringent initial childhood-onset schizophrenia "screens" but had no chronic psychotic…

Objective: To present data from a general infant psychiatry clinic, including range and frequency of presenting symptoms, relationship between symptoms and diagnoses, and comparison of two diagnostic systems, DSM-IV and Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC: 0-3). Method: A…