School Psychology Forum
Volume 4 Issue 3
Volume 4, Issue 3 (Fall 2010 )
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Parent Educational Involvement When Children Have Chronic Health Conditions
ABSTRACT: The current study examines the relationships between home-based and school-based parent educational involvement and parent self-efficacy, teacher communication, and other factors, including parent time, energy, and social support. Most of these constructs were chosen from Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s (2005) framework for parent involvement. Self-report surveys from a group of 130 parents with healthy children were compared to a group of 93 parents with children who have chronic health conditions (CHC). Children were between 5 and 11 years old. CHC included Type I diabetes and bleeding disorders, primarily hemophilia. Overall results suggest that parent involvement is similar across groups. Specific findings also support a positive relationship between teacher communication and home-based involvement for both groups. This finding and other results may assist in further developing interventions to support parent involvement across groups.
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Late Effects of Childhood Cancer: Implications for School Psychologists
ABSTRACT: Due to an increase in the rate of survival for children diagnosed with cancer, school psychologists must become knowledgeable of the long-lasting impact of this disease, particularly with respect to educational progress and performance. The purpose of this article is to present the most common late effects of childhood cancer that negatively affect a survivor’s academic, physical, and psychosocial outcomes. Evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies to limit the impact of these late effects are discussed. The importance of developing partnerships across educational, medical, and family systems is stressed along with suggestions for school psychologists to facilitate systems-level communication and collaboration to ultimately provide optimal educational experiences for survivors of childhood cancer.
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Transitioning to Postsecondary Education With Positive Mental Health: A Preliminary Correlational Study
ABSTRACT: This study examined intercorrelations among health-promoting beliefs and behaviors, perceived stress, and college adjustment among postsecondary students. Six hundred thirty-two college freshmen enrolled in introductory psychology courses at a public southeastern university completed an online survey. The Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale (SWPS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and College Adjustment Test (CAT) served as measures for primary variables of interest. Results indicated, for males and females (a) a strong negative correlation between perceived stress and college adjustment, (b) a significant positive association among health-promoting beliefs and behaviors and college adjustment, and (c) a significant negative association among health-promoting beliefs and behaviors and perceived stress. Intrapersonal variables such as self-appraisal of coping and optimism were the most beneficial health-promoting factors. Implications for future research, prevention,
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Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Students With Developmental Disabilities: Implications for Service Delivery and School Psychology
ABSTRACT: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is an increasingly common practice in healthcare. CAM is defined as healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not part of conventional western medicine. Despite a lack of supporting research regarding its safety and effectiveness, CAM use is pervasive among children with developmental disabilities. However, lack of medication monitoring can cause adverse side effects. The widespread use of CAM among school children requires schools’ policy makers and those who deliver specialized education services to consider which, if any, CAM treatments or therapies will be supported in school settings. Reviewed in this article are social trends in the use of CAM, the preliminary evidence of CAM effectiveness for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism, and the implications of CAM for service delivery and school psychology.
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