Shifting federal educational priorities and increased funding for pre-K means that more school counselors are interacting with and supporting children before kindergarten age in public school settings. One potential area of focus for school counseling with young students is executive function (EF), including emotional and behavioral regulation,…

Social development is one of the most critical developmental areas for human beings. Deficits in social skills may negatively impact several essential domains including academic achievement, interpersonal relationships, behavior, mental health, and adult life outcome. Individuals with autism present with core deficits in social skills. Without…

Self-regulation is the ability to control one's thoughts, actions, and emotions. When children are better able to follow directions or control impulses they are better prepared for school and for life. Sesame Workshop has and continues to create rich, meaningful content that places self-regulation skills and the strategies needed for school…

The Screening for Understanding: Initial Line of Inquiry was designed to be used in conjunction with the child study team planning process for dealing with continuous problem behaviors prior to conducting a formal functional behavioral assessment. To conduct the initial line of inquiry a one-page reproducible screening matrix was used during child…

Executive functions (EFs) involve a number of interconnected systems that, when compromised, can result in difficulties that affect a child's ability to perform tasks across early childhood settings, including the home and community-based settings. In retrospective research studies, researchers have found that a young child's…

When Nicholas Hobbs created the Re-EDucation model, he envisioned that this philosophy would inform multiple disciplines. Today, Re-ED is widely applied to work with troubled children in day treatment, school-based services, residential settings, and therapeutic wilderness programs. Hobbs outlined a dozen Principles of Re-EDucation that are…

This article is about a street-wise boy who is unaware that his younger brother has been using clever manipulation to get him into trouble. Nicholas is a 12-year-old boy whose father was recently given a life sentence for murder. Nicholas is in a boxing league and uses his fighting skills on the streets. Angel is Nicholas' nine-year-old brother…

The authors examine the effects of poverty-related adversity on child development, drawing upon psychobiological principles of experiential canalization and the biological embedding of experience. They integrate findings from research on stress physiology, neurocognitive function, and self-regulation to consider adaptive processes in response to…

In his monumental research, although Piaget primarily relayed information about children's developmental stages of cognitive growth, Marian Marion goes on to discuss not only the developmental stages, yet focuses on how children think. In her textbook, "Guidance of Young Children", Marion conveys how teachers need to understand children and help…

Clinical observation is an essential component of a sensitive and accurate diagnostic assessment. The Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule) is a structured diagnostic tool encompassing three essential features of observation: (1) the use of challenging tasks to elicit behaviors of interest; (2) opportunities to observe behavior in…

Many children and youth have difficulty controlling emotions and impulsive behavior. Brain science is shining new light on the process by which children develop self-regulation and controls from within. This article expands upon Fritz Redl and David Wineman's pioneering work aiding children in the development of flexible and effective controls…

Understanding disparities in school readiness among America's children when they begin kindergarten is critically important, now more than ever. In today's 21st century global economy, it is expected that the great majority of children will complete high school ready to enter college or begin a career, and assume their civic responsibilities. This…

Current approaches to troubled children focus on external control and superficial compliance. This article explores the significance of Fritz Redl's concept of building controls from within to effective practice in the 21st Century. The author provides a brief overview of Fritz Redl's concept and hopes that this overview and the material to follow…

Teachers report that teaching young children who exhibit defiant and challenging behavior is the most difficult component of their work. This article explores four decades of textbook and research literature recommendations and 4 years of teacher reflections. Common themes of control, power, and anger were identified. A significant finding was…

The Everyday Learning Series has been developed to focus attention on the every day life experiences of early childhood and to offer insight about how parents and care givers can make the most of these experiences. Having angry feelings or feeling aggressive is normal. Most children learn to manage such feelings in safe and acceptable ways,…