An unobtrusive self-monitoring procedure was used to teach four elementary school students with serious emotional disturbances (SED) to monitor their behavior while working independently on newly taught materials. A modest positive relationship was found between self-monitoring and the target behaviors measured (percentage of on-task behavior…

This article reviews the functional assessment paradigm in relation to students with serious emotional and behavioral disorders who have well developed cognitive abilities and linguistic skills. Based on the needs of these students, the Assessment Intervention Process, a system for facilitating the development of effective positive behavior plans…

In this article different views of the nature of perfectionism in gifted students are discussed. Three experts in the field of giftedness address their previous articles and findings on perfectionism and debate whether "healthy" perfectionism can exist in gifted students. (CR)

This response to "Behavior Disorders: A Postmodern Perspective" (Elkind) suggests that the field must increase dependence on scientific data and theories to guide educational policies and research and assume responsibility for the impact of decisions on the lives of students and families. The perils of assuming a postmodern perspective are…

Lifetime history of psychopathology was assessed in the relatives of 26 preadolescents (13 depressed-abused and 13 depressed-nonabused children). Compared to that of relatives of 27 normal control children, relatives of depressed-abused children had a nine-fold increased risk for major depression and a three- to nine-fold increased risk for…

A study investigated the motivational characteristics of 36 adolescents with learning disabilities (LD), 26 students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD), and 53 typical students. Students with LD appeared more alienated and oriented to avoiding work, whereas students with EBD reported significantly more feelings of test anxiety. Gender…

This article provides an overview of strength-based assessment of children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders and discusses the development and psychometric characteristics of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS). The BERS is a norm-referenced, standardized test that assesses the strengths of children and…

This study examined the construct validity of the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (TSC-40) in a sample of 130 female psychiatric inpatients. The TSC-40 displayed criterion-related validity in relation to childhood sexual abuse. Survivors of sexual abuse obtained significantly higher scores than those without such a history on the overall TSC-40 and on…

This article outlines principles of a needs-based approach to the inclusion of students with emotional and behavioral disorders and describes implications for inclusion in three areas: (1) provision of services; (2) curriculum; and (3) behavior management. The article also addresses the responsible limits of inclusion from a needs-based…

An intervention designed to address barriers to access to children's mental health services for low-income families was implemented in three Oregon counties. Paraprofessionals provided families with information, emotional support, and tangible assistance. Families in the intervention group (n=96) were significantly more likely to initiate…

Middle school students (n=86) with learning disabilities or emotional disturbance who participated in Cooperative Homework Teams achieved a higher rate of homework completion and higher percentage correct on homework than controls but did not perform better in mathematics achievement. Significant effects were found for grade level but not for type…

Summarizes data on the emotional and social development of disturbed children placed for fostering or adoption. Presents some of the characteristics of postplacement support services as well as information on how these services must be improved to facilitate successful child placements. (HTH)

Investigated the effects of labeling bias on prognostic outlook for children as a function of diagnostic labels and professional group membership. Studied the reaction of professionals to the description of an elementary-school-age boy with behavior problems. Effect for diagnostic label on judgment of overall adjustment approached significance.…

Evaluation of demographic, behavioral, and mental health service utilization data on 662 children in foster care found that 56% had received mental health services. Children who experienced "active" types of maltreatment (such as sexual abuse) were more likely to receive mental health services even when severity of mental health problems…

During the implementation of a cross-agency, co-located service delivery system, the number of youths eligible for public mental health services in Santa Barbara County increased from 956 to 1,826 and the number of youths eligible for special education services for students with emotional/behavioral disorders increased from 101 to 204. (Contains…