January 19, 2008
New course this spring - Child psychopathology
This semester brings another new course - child psychopathology - basically a DSM course (assessment and diagnosis). Should be interesting! In my current setting (suburban school social work with a prevention focus) I don't have to diagnose because it is a prevention program. This has both pros and cons. Since I am not fully assessing & diagnosing, it keeps me honestly doing prevention, not treatment. But a segment of the students referred to me would be well-served by having a thorough psychosocial assessment, so that they could be referred to the appropriate programs & providers.
Assessment and diagnosis always seems like solving a puzzle to me - trying to find the right pieces of information and fit them together so that they make sense and point the direction for treatment.
SASS 440 - child development texts
I'm afraid that I ended up being disappointed in the Austrian text after my intial excitement. I'm not sure that it's really challenging at a graduate level, and I wish it had more practical examples/scenarios to illustrate the theories that it's referencing. So my search for the ideal graduate level child development text will continue.
Out of Action report
I'm afraid that the Fall of 2007 was very stressful with my mother being very ill, which meant that my blog went into hibernation. She's doing better, so I will try to resume a meaningful professional blog.
September 19, 2007
New blog of interest
I found a new blog which I really liked and wanted to share with others. The focus is primary on psychotherapy, especially CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy), but it is interesting and readable. Although they seem to be on hiatus at the moment as there are no posts so far this fall. But check out the article reference to oxycotin and males and empathy!
http://gandalwaven.typepad.com/intheroom/
August 01, 2007
Education & summer break
I thought it very interesting to read the research by Karl Alexander about the cumulative gap that occurs for students based on social/economic class. While his study is extremely small and there is a chance it is not generalizable, I think that it fits with what we know about the academic differences based on class. Poor children are more likely to start school with a gap and life continues to exacerbate that gap.
see study at
http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/April07ASRFeature.pdf
As a school social worker it makes a strong case for advocating for changes in our system. Possibly for a different kind of school year: one with shorter breaks that occur more frequently, so that perhaps children go to school for 3 months and have 3 weeks off and 3 months and 3 weeks off. Or perhaps there need to be more free summer programs that combine academics with additional life opportunities (that children growing up in poverty may not have as much access to).
July 26, 2007
Bullying
I am trying to figure out an effective series of interventions to implement at a middle school/high school level to really change the bullying dynamics. I have found curriculums out there but they are more directed at elementary ages. It's interesting to me how people either do not see bullying or label it as inevitable/a rite of passage. (despite a significant body of research that says otherwise, and despite the tragedies that happen at schools nationally). Hopefully the Ohio state law will have a meaningful impact, but I am afraid that people will only give it lip service, or that they will hide what is going on (since they have to place the statistics on their school websites, I have to believe that some districts will not want to fully disclose, as that will change how they are perceived.)
Preparation for teaching
Excited about the Austrian text - it's by a social worker, which I hope will be more engaging with students, and seem more relevant to them. I will see as I read it for myself.