A study was conducted of 1,051 students of diverse backgrounds who sought counseling at a university career center. Chi square analyses showed racial/ethnic differences in the counseling process: referral sources, reasons for seeking counseling, counselor perception of outcomes, and number of sessions held. (Contains 29 references.) (SK)

Forty-nine foster children with behavioral problems who were referred to therapy were compared to 19 normal children in foster care. Results found that the age of the child when placed in care, the number of placements, and the type of placement affected the need for therapy. (CR)

A study examined 391 adult referrals to a mental health clinic serving individuals with mental retardation to explore the relationship between referral source and referral reason. Externalizing behaviors were found to be the most common referral reason; however, referral reason did vary as a function of referral source. (Author/CR)

Data on 15,253 newly hired employees were coded by hiring source (employee referral, other informal, temporary worker, formal, unspecified). Analysis suggested that referrals were less likely when candidates were not of the same gender or race as most current employees. Minorities used networking more but knew fewer people able to recommend them.…

Comparison of community children referred for learning disability evaluation (CR, n=17) with children not-referred in community general education (CGE, n=161), community special education (CSE, n=30), or from outpatient hospital referrals (HR). CR group performance was equivalent to that of CSE and HR groups. Results suggest conceptualizing…

Purposes of the study were to determine the type and format of information pediatricians receive from schools regarding diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), their preferences for this information, and their opinions on referral rates and treatment. The majority of pediatricians believe schools overrefer and…

Studied clinical referrals of two different societies (Jamaica, where Afro-British culture discourages child aggression, and United States, where uncontrolled child behavior appears more accepted) to determine influence of cultural factors in clinical referral patterns. Found significant difference in clinic-referred problems of American and…

This study explored the relationship between expanded information and referral (I&R) services and traditional reference services in public libraries in North Carolina. Results show librarians feel I&R services should be limited to those closely related to traditional reference services. Other I&R services typically provided by social…

Surveyed 63 professional psychologists specializing in youth and family practice about recently referred and treated cases of school refusal behavior. Obtained data on clinical prevalence; demographic characteristics; length of absenteeism; severity; etiology; and length, type, and success of treatments used. Results revealed that children…

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and Standard Raven Progressive Matrices (SPM) results from 26,300 children from differing ethnic backgrounds showed that it was possible to approach proportionate representation in the referral process, but not to achieve it in the selection process for either the WISC-R or the SPM. (SLD)

Evaluation of data on 689 Indiana students (ages 6-18) referred and identified as having learning disabilities indicated that 58 percent had been retained before identification, suggesting that retention is being used as remediation before labeling a student. Implications of this practice and alternatives to grade retention are considered.…

Investigated referral question bias on school psychologists' classification decisions across different types of cases. Findings from 175 school psychologists who classified 5 case studies on basis of scores from intelligence, achievement, and behavioral measures revealed lack of congruence among respondents' classification decisions that was more…

Fragile X Syndrome is an inherited condition often causing mental retardation in adolescence but difficult to detect in childhood. Early detection allows therapeutic intervention and alerts parents to seek genetic counseling. Symptoms warranting a referral include language delay, autistic behaviors, hand-biting, oversensitivity to touch, large…

Questioned practicing school psychologists (n=225) in Wisconsin regarding their experience with number of behavioral referrals for which physically aggressive behavior was principal concern. Increases of at least moderate degree were perceived by school psychologists across grade levels. Respondents observed that student aggression was phenomenon…

Faculty, staff, and students (N=1,458) on three university campuses indicated their likelihood of referring a student to psychological counseling. Results indicate men were less likely than women to refer at all three institutions. Older persons were more likely to refer at two institutions. At one institution, older persons were more apt to refer…