Developing effective treatments for children and adolescents.

Mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. Ongoing research has advanced knowledge on the underlying biology, prevention, and treatments for mental illnesses. Unfortunately, most people who need treatment do not receive it. This chapter provides an introduction to serious mental health disorders in children and adolescents and addresses barriers to people receiving effective treatments. It addresses federal efforts focused on earlier identification of mental illness and improving access to effective treatments. While this book focuses on diagnosing mental illness in children and adolescence, Chapter 1 puts into context what children and adolescents need for good mental health; the importance of partnering with youth and caregivers, addressing issues from a strengths perspective, and engaging in culturally sensitive practice; and the importance of understanding that people are not their mental illness. Finally, an overview of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and the overall structure of the book is provided.

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Analyzing the Potential Benefit of Microcomputer Use for Teaching Figurative Language

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/1058-0360.0102.36 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 36-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Marilyn A. Nippold ◽

Ilsa E. Schwarz ◽

Molly Lewis

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Standardized Tests ◽

Figurative Language ◽

Language Intervention ◽

School Age Children ◽

Educational Materials ◽

Language Learning Disabilities ◽

Promising Application ◽

Experience Difficulty

Microcomputers offer the potential for increasing the effectiveness of language intervention for school-age children and adolescents who have language-learning disabilities. One promising application is in the treatment of students who experience difficulty comprehending figurative expressions, an aspect of language that occurs frequently in both spoken and written contexts. Although software is available to teach figurative language to children and adolescents, it is our feeling that improvements are needed in the existing programs. Software should be reviewed carefully before it is used with students, just as standardized tests and other clinical and educational materials are routinely scrutinized before use. In this article, four microcomputer programs are described and evaluated. Suggestions are then offered for the development of new types of software to teach figurative language.

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