This paper addresses the task of the family therapist who is called upon when remediation attempts between school and family fail to produce favorable results with a child identified as a problem pupil. The job of the therapist in dismantling the system that is detrimental to the child and reorganizing one that enhances development is discussed…

Estimates suggest that about 15% of all children have some form of mental disturbance. Potential causes can be of a physical, psychological, or environmental origin. Symptoms which indicate that a child needs professional help usually involve emotional overreaction to changes. Diagnosis of a child evidencing symptoms of mental illness should take…

Describes how intervention for families with abused or neglected adolescents usually focuses on the troubled youth with the abuse or neglect either overlooked or ignored. Argues that a developmental perspective is essential to the understanding and assessment of the family dynamics of adolescent mistreatment, and presents case examples. Offers…

Describes work being done by National Indian Youth Leadership Project (NIYLP), which gains its inspiration from both traditional sources and contemporary models of youth development and which draws upon Indian heritage to address problems of alienation, dropouts, delinquency, and substance abuse. Contrasts traditional parenting to present patterns…

Addresses issues such as dropouts, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, suicide, and other health-damaging behaviors. Presents a theory of youth development and learning, and an integrated, interactive and reciprocal model for the prevention of health-damaging behavior. Addresses the role of the schools in prevention. (Author/BH)

Introduces Heinz Kohut's psychology of the self and its counseling implications and reports on the development of 10 eight-point rating scales of counseling outcome that are derived for his theory. Reports data on interrater reliability and agreement for the 10 scales. (Author)

This publication explores the need for child care, particularly for low income families, and the social importance of high quality child care. These factors are the impetus for the Campaign for Child Care NOW! organized by the Children's Defense Fund. This advocacy program is urging Congress to approve legislation that will guarantee funds to help…

In the traditional African society (TAS), the child is allowed to interact with learning materials and situations. Consequently, learning becomes relevant, meaningful, and purposeful in relation to the individual and the society. In the modern African society (MAS), education has been at best an experiment that is marked with inconsistencies in…

Describes research on the development of chronic conduct problems in childhood and adolescence, examining a multiple risk-factor model that includes biological predispositions, ecological context, family processes, peer influences, academic performance, and social information processing as factors leading to conduct problems. The paper describes a…

This document was prepared to help parents, educators, and concerned citizens better understand how children and adolescents actually learn. True learning involves: (1) developing a passion for learning; (2) acquiring communication skills; (3) constructing new knowledge; (4) taking part in concrete activities; and (5) developing problem solving…

The report describes the population of children in Australia with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus, notes their needs and characteristics, reviews their school placement and social circumstances, and considers future educational services for them. Initial chapters review the literature on medical, psychoeducational, and social-family aspects of…

Even as children, some individuals cope remarkably with stressful situations. They are active and know how to seek adult support. Research suggests that their strong personalities are rooted in part in the treatment they receive as infants, but also that schools can effectively help deprived children to become well-adjusted adults. (KH)

Summaries of the keynote speech by Os Guiness and discussions on U.S. cultural trends in education, in child development, and among youth are included in this document. Guiness believes there has been a shift from an economic focus to one centered on cultural activities. He states that four current cultural trends are: (1) a sense of hollowness;…

This paper provides a theoretical discussion of educational program evaluation. Psychometric theory and developmental psychology are compared as they pertain to the testing of children. The nature of change in childhood makes it necessary to examine the assumptions and goals related to the testing of children as a means of evaluating educational…

Why, despite society's common understanding of the problems of children, have individuals failed to act decisively and powerfully to bring them security and hope? This report, which includes articles excerpted and adapted from presentations and discussions at a 1996 symposium, addresses this question. After an introduction by Rosalynn Carter, the…