The increasing survival of children and young people with congenital disabilities such as spina bifida (SB) provides a challenge to health care systems globally about how best to respond to the multitude of health, developmental, and psychosocial needs of those affected by this complex disorder across the lifespan, not just in childhood and…

Medical technology continues to improve, increasing life expectancies and capabilities of children with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Pediatric health issues have an impact on children's academic, emotional, behavioral, and social functioning. This article reviews a consultative Biopsychoeducational Model, based on a problem-solving process,…

Although many previous studies have begun to address the reproductive health needs of women with intellectual disabilities; however, the supportive behaviors of caregivers to assist their reproductive health is not well understood. Data from a cross-sectional survey of ""2009 National Survey on Reproductive Health Care Needs and Health…

With the array of challenges facing today's youth, school counselors are in a unique position to recognize and respond to the diverse mental health needs of students. After a brief examination of the challenges and some promising responses, this article will consider the use of advocacy, collaboration, and professional development to aid school…

Caregivers of 210 youth receiving residential treatment (RT) or intensive family services (IFS) in Ontario were interviewed about the long term community adaptation of youth after leaving these programs. School attendance and academic functioning data at admission, discharge, and 12-18 months post-discharge were analyzed to explore predictors of…

Teachers' professional development is not exclusively concerned with supporting teaching and knowledge. Support is required for teachers to reflect on their existing practice and adapt new knowledge and beliefs to their own teaching milieu. Therefore, design policies that support teachers are very vital for professional development. Knowledge on…

Access to, and delivery of, safe and culturally appropriate health services is increasingly important in New Zealand. This paper will focus on counting the costs of health advocacy through the experience of a small non government charitable organisation, the Health Advocates Trust, (HAT) which aimed to provide advocacy services for a wide range of…

The nation of Indonesia is in an area of geological instability, resulting in repeated and severe natural disasters. As a result, Indonesian residents are likely to be exposed repeatedly to significant traumatic events. Researchers and clinicians working in such areas face the challenge of assessing large groups of people exposed to trauma and…

This article tracks the trajectory and impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the communities of Houston/Harris County, Texas, USA, the schools, children, and families; along with the community partnerships that addressed the trauma and upheaval. Following the influx of individuals and families who were displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita…

The aim of this study was to investigate group sex offenses with regard to the role of leaders versus followers and to compare both groups on levels of psychopathology, intelligence, and psychosocial and offense-related characteristics. Eighty-nine adolescent group sex offenders (mean age = 14.9, SD = 1.4) referred by the police to the Dutch child…

Biopsychosocial consequences of catastrophic events create an ongoing need for research that examines the effects of mass traumas, developing psychosocial interventions, and advocacy to address the needs of affected individuals, systems, and communities. Because it is neither possible nor necessarily desirable to intervene with all touched by…

Persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) have twice as many health problems than the general public. The author discusses evidence-based research on prevalence and best treatment of primary and secondary health problems in persons with ID. Citing the pan-European Pomona project, European data were collected on training for health professionals…

The relationship between mental health and special educational needs is both complex and misunderstood. In this article, Richard Rose, Professor of Special and Inclusive Education, Marie Howley, Senior Lecturer, Ann Fergusson, Senior Lecturer, and Johnson Jament, a PhD student, all from the Centre for Special Needs Education and Research directed…

Objective: To examine patterns and predictors of trends in "DSM-IV" serious emotional disturbance (SED) among youths exposed to Hurricane Katrina. Method: A probability sample of adult pre-hurricane residents of the areas affected by Katrina completed baseline and follow-up telephone surveys 18 to 27 months post-hurricane and 12 to 18…

This paper is reformatted and reprinted as part of the 40th Anniversary of the "American Journal of Health Education" (originally School Health Review) Health Education--Our Heritage. The original article appeared in Volume 1, "School Health Review" (September 1969, pp. 9-14). At the time, Myer Herman was director of the Division of Adult Health…