Volume 47, Issue 5 (January/February 2019 )

• Book Reviews: Interviewing Children and Adolescents: Skills and Strategies for Effective DSM-5 Diagnosis—2nd Edition

  Morrison and Flegel, in their book, Interviewing Children and Adolescents: Skills and Strategies for Effective DSM-5 Diagnosis, provide an updated and in-depth integration of developmentally appropriate interviewing of children and adolescents in order to reach DSM-5 diagnoses. … more

• Book Reviews: Helping Students Overcome Social Anxiety: Skills for Academic and Social Success

  For any practitioner who has struggled with helping adolescents conquer school-based anxiety, Helping Students Overcome Social Anxiety: Skills for Academic and Social Success is a clear, comprehensive guide that can be a serious game-changer. The book is organized into four overall sections: Recognizing and Addressing Social Anxiety at School, Promoting Skills for Academic and Social Success (SASS), Supplementary Strategies, and Other Practical and Clinical Considerations. … more

• Just a Click Away: Breaking Out of Technology Silos With Interoperability

  As the school psychologist got ready to write an evaluation report, she started by accessing the various databases from which she needed to retrieve information about the student. One database had student attendance, discipline referrals, and grades. … more

• Reflecting on the Public Policy Institute: Graduate Students as Advocates

  This past July, NASP partnered with George Washington University (GW) to host the 2018 Public Policy Institute (PPI). As participants at the 3-day basic training, we learned about educational policy, developed advocacy skills, participated in group discussions and activities conducted by NASP staff and Government and Professional Practice Committee, and connected with aspiring and seasoned advocates from across the country. … more

• The President's Strand—Unlock Potential: Prevention Is Key in Atlanta

  Every year, the NASP president has the opportunity to identify presentation strands meant to complement and promote the convention theme throughout the week. These strands consist of professional development opportunities that are related to the convention theme and highlight its important features. … more

• Stop and Think: Why Cling to What Does NOT Work? Q&A With Amanda Vanderheyden

  School psychology has an established tradition of providing evidence-based services and practices. However, such practices sometimes conflict with our preparation or traditional methods of service delivery, creating the need to continually evolve and grow as professionals. … more

• 2019 Convention News: What's Hot in Atlanta: More Than Just Soul Food

  When you think of Atlanta, images of heavenly fried chicken, fluffy biscuits, and smoky barbeque may come to mind. But don't be fooled; Atlanta is a foodie paradise that boasts a range of food from around the world. From Chinese to Ethiopian and everything in between, you'll be sure to find something to tantalize your taste buds. … more

• Q&A With Dieu M. Truong

  Dieu M. Truong is a third-year doctoral student in the school psychology program at the University of Houston. She is originally from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. She is ethnically Chinese Vietnamese and can speak proficiently in both Cantonese and Vietnamese. … more

• Q&A With Kamontá Heidelburg

  Kamontá Heidelburg is a fourth-year doctoral student in school psychology at the University of Cincinnati (Ohio). He is a native of Cincinnati, and completed both his bachelor's degree in psychology and his master's degree in applied behavior analysis at the University of Cincinnati. … more

• Navigating Atlanta: Transportation and Safety

  As with any city in the current energy-consumption consumer conscious age, Atlanta offers several transportation options, whether you need to travel longer distances (e.g., from the airport to the hotel) or short distances (e.g., from the hotel to a tourist destination or restaurant) Keep reading to learn the different ways you can explore the city and how you can stay safe while doing so. … more

• GLSEN Releases 2017 National School Climate Survey

  The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, commonly known as GLSEN, released its 2017 National School Climate Survey (Kosciw, Greytak, Zongrone, Clark, & Truong, 2017) in October 2018. GLSEN conducts this survey every 2 years to report on the school experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The survey was conducted online between April and August 2017, and the final sample included 23,001 6th to 12th grade students between the ages of 13 and 21. … more

• Creating a Community Learning Center in the Rural Rust Belt

  This article, part of NASP's Leadership in Action Spotlight initiative to highlight ways in which school psychologists are leading efforts to enhance service delivery and perform their comprehensive role, describes the development of a community learning center in a poor rural area in Ohio. Challenges, opportunities, and success are described through the eyes of a school psychologist who led this effort over the course of three years. … more

• You Be the Judge #17: FAPE and Tuition Reimbursement

  This latest in Perry Zirkel’s “You Be the Judge” series reviewing recent court decisions relevant to school psychologists, the issue of free appropriate public education is addressed in the context of tuition reimbursement. … more

• Parent Advocates Champion Evidence-Based Practice Under the Banner of Dyslexia—Part 3

  This final part of the three-part series on the parent-led dyslexia advocacy movement part takes a close look at advocates’ issues—their perceptions of current policies and practices and their rationale for distinguishing dyslexia from specific learning disability—and examines the implications of the parent advocacy movement for school psychologists. … more

• History of NASP Continuing Education

  As school psychology developed as a profession, standards were brought to graduate training starting with the Thayer Conference in 1954. However, once graduate students graduated and began practicing school psychology, there were very few opportunities to update their skills through continuing education opportunities specific to school psychology. … more

• Online Education in School Psychology: A Voice From Behind the Computer

  This article describes the first-hand experience of one student who is enrolled in an online graduate program in school psychology. The author addresses some potential concerns of students considering online education: cost, implications for fieldwork, taking the program while working full time, and job opportunities upon graduation. … more

• In Memoriam: Rosemary O'Donnell

  Rosemary O'Donnell was born on July 27, 1941 in Norton, Kansas and died of kidney disease on November 11, 2018 in Topeka. After graduating from Norton Community High School (1959) she graduated with a BA in Secondary Education (English) from Colorado State University and an MAT in Museum Education from George Washington University. … more

• The NASP Exposure Project: Addressing Workforce Shortages and Social Justice

  Addressing the critical shortage of school psychologists is inextricably connected to the success of a vital profession. This article provides an overview of the NASP Exposure Project, an initiative that addresses two strategic goals: workforce shortages and social justice. Based on data from the pilot intervention project, the authors offer implications for practice. … more

• What School Psychologists Should Know About Prader–Willi Syndrome

  Prader-Willi syndrome is a genetic disorder with physical, cognitive, and behavioral features. This article describes the disorder, recommendations for school programming and assessment, and suggestions for interventions in school, home and community. … more

• President's Message: Convention Is Prevention

  We all know that Prevention Is Key and a great way to Unlock Our Potential. At the NASP convention, we can learn new strategies and skills, connect with colleagues, and make new friends. It is a way to refuel and reinvigorate our work life through increased knowledge and interpersonal connections. … more

• Editor's Note: Teen Dating Violence

  The #MeToo movement has been a viral phenomenon, raising everyone's awareness of sexual harassment and abuse. We think of this movement as focused primarily on adults; however, after reading the front-page article by Alexine Anater and Tessa Dion on teen dating violence (TDV), I began to wonder why we don't hear about #MeToo activity among the young people we serve in our day-to-day work in middle and high schools. … more

• Suicide Contagion and Clusters—Part 1: What School Psychologists Should Know

  This first article in a two-part series describes the phenomenon of suicide contagion and suicide clusters and provides a foundation for suicide prevention based on building positive school climate, positive connections between students and adults, and clear messaging to students. … more

• Measuring the Triad of Positive Emotional Strengths: Gratitude, Life Satisfaction, and Hope

  Emotional strengths such as gratitude, life satisfaction, and hope have been shown to be predictors or moderators of positive life outcomes (e.g., academic success, positive classroom behavior), reflecting their status as mental health strengths or protective factors. This article describes brief self-report measures of these factors. … more

• Teen Dating Violence With LGBTQ Students: A Call to Practice

  Teen dating violence affects upwards of 30% of adolescents. This article describes current research on this issue and its implications for school practice and for the role of school psychologists. … more