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DSM-IV Diagnosis in the Schools

Alvin E. House

Familiarity with the DSM-IV has become an integral part of child and school psychology. Specific diagnoses are increasingly required for educational placement, funding and resource allocation, and treatment planning. This clearly written guide provides a succinct and well-organized overview of the principles of diagnostic classification used by the DSM-IV. Readers learn how the DSM-IV "works" as a method of organizing and communicating our understanding of adjustment and cognitive disorders in youth. Chapters group diagnoses thematically by prominent presenting symptoms, focusing on the disorders most commonly encountered in school-age children and adolescents. Throughout, the author explains terms, concepts, and procedures that might be less familiar to practitioners in a school environment.

Contents

Introduction
I. Diagnostic Issues and the Use of DSM-IV
1. Psychiatric Diagnosis: Issues for School Psychologists
2. An Overview of the DSM-IV Diagnostic System
3. Learning to Use DSM-IV
II. Guidelines for Evaluation of Presenting Problems
4. Disruptive Behavior Symptoms (Externalizing Problems)
5. Emotional Symptoms (Internalizing Problems)
6. Substance-Related Problems, Other "Addictive" Behaviors, and Harmful Environmental Effects
7. Highly Focused Symptom Patterns
8. Problems with Mental Ability, Learning, Communication, and Cognition
9. Highly Atypical Symptom Patterns: Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Psychoses
10. Personality Disorders
11. Additional Codes and Categories
III. The Application of DSM-IV in School Settings: Issues and Topics
12. Ethics and Professional Responsibility in Evaluation
13. The Case Record: Data and Supporting Documentation for Diagnosis
14. Seeking Reimbursement for Assessment and Diagnosis within School Settings
15. DSM-IV and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
16. Concerns about DSM-IV

Reviews

"School psychologists are increasingly being required to supply DSM-IV diagnoses for the children and adolescents they work with. Reflecting the author's more than 20 years of experience in child assessment and diagnosis, this comprehensive book familiarizes readers with the many features of the DSM-IV. House provides useful decision trees for differential diagnosis and illuminates complex diagnostic and professional issues with examples drawn from school-based practice. This uniquely practical book should be required reading for all current and future school practitioners."
-Mark E. Swerdlik, PhD, Illinois State University