The experiences and thoughts of numerous parents who have raised severely handicapped children are shared in this pamphlet. The pamphlet describes the life changes brought about by the birth of a severely handicapped child; stages in the grief process; coping strategies; the impact on siblings; the reaction of family members and the importance of…

This booklet focuses on three particularly prevalent family crises: divorce, the death of a parent, and poverty. These crises profoundly affect millions of children in their personal, academic, and social development. The information and activities in this booklet are provided to enable Girl Scout leaders to increase their efforts both in helping…

The role of school-related stress in the life of the disabled child is examined, and parents and teachers are given suggestions to reduce stress and help the child cope. Stress is defined as the emotional and physical reaction to the pressures that society places upon the child to conform and live up to expectations. Among sources of stress are…

Research has shown that siblings can experience either negative or positive mental health outcomes as a result of having a brother or sister with disabilities. When maladjustment occurs, it is frequently attributed to the stress of excessive helping. This research-based paper proposes that siblings of children with disabilities, perceiving…

This study was an investigation of the incidence, impact, and methods of coping with patient suicide during the training years of psychology graduate students. A survey was conducted of 54 interns in Clinical Psychology at the Boston Veterans Administration Hospital from 1983 through 1988. The findings revealed that one in six subjects had…

The number of adults with learning disabilities (LD) is difficult to estimate. They may comprise as many as 80% of adult basic education students, but a smaller proportion of students in other adult education settings. Many adults with LD exhibit strengths that enable them to compensate for their disabilities and perform successfully without…

This fourth chapter in "The Challenge of Counseling in Middle Schools" presents four articles on stress and suicide in early adolescence. "Stress and the Middle Grader," by David Elkind, looks at technology and stress, describes three basic stress situations, and identifies stresses common to the middle grader. Stress symptoms in middle graders…

Because cancer patients and their families have special psychological needs that are not always met through medical care, the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University established the Cancer Patient Support Program (CPSP) at the Oncology Research Center. Services provided by the CPSP's 2 professional counselors and approximately 35…

Rescue and medical workers may be at risk for negative emotional experience following intervention efforts in disaster situations. To examine this possibility, 120 rescue and hospital personnel responded to a survey of their emotional reactions and coping behaviors 3 months after a devastating tornado. Twenty-eight subjects had been involved in…

The character of internalization as a continuous phenomenon was explored, with particular attention given to children's movement from heteronomy to autonomy. (The term "internalization" refers to the process by which an individual acquires an attitude, belief, or behavioral regulation from external sources and progressively transforms it…

The role of personality make-up of those involved in problem solving, conflict resolution, classroom management, and school discipline is discussed. Three studies are presented which demonstrated personal characteristics which may appear to invite, or provide opportunity for, antisocial behavior. In the first study, psychological profiles were…

Hypnotherapeutic approaches in helping physically disabled patients cope with stress and plan further goals during the rehabilitation period are discussed. Several techniques possible in a rehabilitation setting are presented, including integration of ego strengthening and self-esteem building. It is noted that, in rehabilitation, a major goal of…

Crisis intervention and post-disaster practitioners have recommended nontraditional services such as action oriented strategies and the building of new social support networks. Guidelines for establishing and operating such groups are sparse and not organized into a comprehensive approach. A literature search did identify several rationales to…

The paper investigates specific "gifted" qualities of some learning disabled students within the context of assessment and individualized programming. It is suggested that learning disabled children who have definite areas of strength receive "selectively enriched" programming in these areas. An educational model is proposed…

College students (N=396), chronic pain patients (N=319), and schizophrenic veterans (N=43) completed the Depression Coping Questionnaire (DCQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Factor analysis of the DCQ identified eleven coping responses: social support, problem solving, self-blame/escape, aggression, indulgence, activities, medication,…