DSM-IV Diagnosis in the Schools

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 guide provides an 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 disorders most commonly encountered in school-age children and adolescents. Throughout the book, the author explains terms, concepts, and procedures that might be less familiar to practitioners in a school environment.

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

About the Author :
Alvin E. House, PhD, is a clinical psychologist whose professional practice focuses on applying assessment results in school, vocational, medical, and forensic consultations. Associate Professor of Psychology at Illinois State University, he teaches graduate-level courses in mental health diagnosis, psychological assessment, and psychopathology. He is the coauthor of a manual on observational assessment of children and has published numerous articles and chapters on intellectual, personality, and neuropsychological testing.

Review :
"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 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, Professor of Psychology and Coordinator of Graduate Programs in School Psychology, Illinois State University "The most useful part of this book comes when House specifically addresses the areas of confusion and disagreement, and the different interpretations regarding the IDEA and DSM-IV categories....DSM-IV Diagnosis in the Schools is useful for familiarizing clinicians with the way school psychologists make decisions about eligibility...."DSM-IV Diagnosis in the Schools" clearly lays out classifications of DSM-IV and those conditions covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act."--"American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry" "This book, introduced as an attempt to provide a broad understanding of the DSM-IV diagnostic system in order to use it more efficiently with children and adolescents, in our opinion delivers the goods....This book is clearly written, full of substance, and provides a well-organized overview of the DSM-IV diagnostic classification for the youth."--"The Canadian Child Psychiatry Review" "Overall, Dr. House did an outstanding job of covering a broad, comprehensive topic. This book isn't for the faint of heart! But it is an excellent book to read in short segments and keep as a resource."--"Communique" "The most useful part of this book comes when House specifically addresses the areas of confusion and disagreement, and the different interpretations regarding the IDEA and DSM-IV categories....DSM-IV Diagnosis in the Schools is useful for familiarizing clinicians with the way school psychologists make decisions about eligibility.... DSM-IV Diagnosis in the Schools clearly lays out classifications of DSM-IV and those conditions covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act."-- American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry "This book, introduced as an attempt to provide a broad understanding of the DSM-IV diagnostic system in order to use it more efficiently with children and adolescents, in our opinion delivers the goods....This book is clearly written, full of substance, and provides a well-organized overview of the DSM-IV diagnostic classification for the youth."-- The Canadian Child Psychiatry Review "Overall, Dr. House did an outstanding job of covering a broad, comprehensive topic. This book isn't for the faint of heart! But it is an excellent book to read in short segments and keep as a resource."-- Communiqu& eacute; "The most useful part of this book comes when House specifically addresses the areas of confusion and disagreement, and the different interpretations regarding the IDEA and DSM-IV categories....DSM-IV Diagnosis in the Schools is useful for familiarizing clinicians with the way school psychologists make decisions about eligibility...."DSM-IV Diagnosis in the Schools" clearly lays out classifications of DSM-IV and those conditions covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act."--"American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry" "This book, introduced as an attempt to provide a broad understanding of the DSM-IV diagnostic system in order to use it more efficiently with children and adolescents, in our opinion delivers the goods....This book is clearly written, full of substance, and provides a well-organized overview of the DSM-IV diagnostic classification for the youth."--"The Canadian Child Psychiatry Review" "Overall, Dr. House did an outstanding job of covering a broad, comprehensive topic. This book isn't for the faint of heart! But it is an excellent book to read in short segments and keep as a resource."--"Communiqué "