This is a quiet rant. A request to revisit an article reprinted in this issue prompted it and I focus on context and purpose of the original article, lack of developments in the field since the article was published, and favored directions to take in the future related to the focus of the original work. [This classic article was indexed in ERIC in…

Systematic screening for behavioral and social-emotional concerns at school is one way to ensure that at-risk children are identified and provided services. School psychologists play a critical role in creating multitiered systems of support that consider universal screening, early intervention, and ongoing progress monitoring to help support…

Instruction is the most important variable in special education, but it is often overlooked. Special instruction is what makes special education work, yet it is often neglected. We need to know more about how to teach both academic and behavioral skills more effectively, how behavioral and academic skills are interrelated, and how to choose those…

Six months after the carnage at Virginia Tech last year, the author relates that she studied the steps colleges have since taken to try to prevent suicide and homicide on campus. Here, she discusses some of the observations she gathered from her study. She describes that some faculty members are indifferent, oblivious, or even nasty to their…

Three questionable assumptions in Lefkowitz and Burton's (1978) critique of the concept of childhood depression are discussed. (MP)

A reply to Costello's arguments against the author's initial critique of the concept of childhood depression. (MP)

Notes that articulating existence and cause of referral biases is critical to more effective preschool services. Maintains that until high child poverty, exposure to violence, and shortage of safe and stimulating environments are addressed, escalating rates of serious child emotional/behavioral problems will continue. Asserts that we must question…

Contends that implications of Fantuzzo et al's study go beyond Head Start and pertains to other programs serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Suggests that when considering policy implications of the study, two issues should not be ignored: (1) the child within the context of a broader society; and (2) the importance of collaboration in…

The article examines reasons for over-referral of language minority students for learning disabilities placement including misinterpretation of problem behaviors stemming from linguistic or cultural differences and stresses the importance of documenting prior interventions to distinguish differences from handicapping conditions. (DB)

Reviews the psychological literature pertaining to identification and relates it to the teaching situation. (FL)

The article points out the risk of erroneous classification and inequitable treatment for students who are difficult to teach and manage. Analysis of child count data highlights variability in identification and referral processes and suggests that attempts to tighten eligibility standards, especially for mildly handicapped students, is…

Considers the school counselor's role as consultant. Describes step-by-step procedure for the stage of problem clarification and identification for behavioral consultants. Assumes that each problem may be defined in varied ways and that problem definition is not considered useful unless it is accepted as such by both the teacher (consultee) and…

The paper discusses H. Goddard's identification of the "moron" and advances the thesis that mild mental subnormality developed as a "scientific" explanation for the socially unacceptable behavior of economically marginal persons, with Goddard's classification being grafted onto a traditional identification based upon judgments…

The position paper of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders critically reviews objections to special education service for children with conduct disorders and concludes with a series of recommendations for improving the assessment and identification of all children with behavioral disorders. (DB)

Hyperactive behavior emerged as a medically defined social problem during the 1960's. The structural (social, political, economic and legal) antecedents of this social problem and the consequent educational policy transformations which shaped the identification and management of school children are considered here. Classroom management strategies…