Students with Exceptionalities and the Peer Group Context of Bullying and Victimization in Late Elementary School

We examined bullying and victimization in 5th grade classrooms in relation to students’ education status and peer group membership. The sample consisted of 484 participants (258 girls, 226 boys), including 369 general education students, 74 academically gifted students, and 41 students with mild disabilities. Students with mild disabilities were more likely to be perceived as being bullies by both teachers and peers. Teachers also rated students with mild disabilities significantly higher for being bullied by peers. Academically gifted students were rated by teachers as the lowest for both bullying and being bullied. Associating with aggressive or perceived-popular peers increased the likelihood of being perceived as a bully. Social isolates were more likely to be bullied than students who did not associate with perceived-popular peers who, in turn, were more likely to be bullied than students who associated with perceived-popular peers. Students with mild disabilities who had aggressive and perceived-popular associates had more peer nominations for bullying than all others. In contrast, students in general education with neither aggressive nor perceived-popular associates had the fewest peer nominations for bullying. We discuss implications for research and intervention.     

The seven virtues of simple type theory

Simple type theory, also known as higher-order logic, is a natural extension of first-order logic which is simple, elegant, highly expressive, and practical. This paper surveys the virtues of simple type theory and attempts to show that simple type theory is an attractive alternative to first-order logic for practical-minded scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. It recommends that simple type theory be incorporated into introductory logic courses offered by mathematics departments and into the undergraduate curricula for computer science and software engineering students.     

The Contribution of Positive Politics to the Prediction of Employee Reactions

This study investigates whether perceptions of positive (i.e., beneficial) political behaviors are distinct from those of negative political behaviors and the extent to which positive politics perceptions contribute to the prediction of organizationally relevant employee reactions. Data were drawn from 119 survey respondents. The results indicate that, rather than 2 ends of a continuum of political behavior, positive and negative politics represent separate perceptions both of which are seen to occur for individual, group, and organizational foci. In addition, perceptions of positive politics contribute significantly beyond perceptions of negative politics to the prediction of the 4 outcomes used in this study (satisfaction with one's job, supervision, and coworkers; and fulfillment of one's psychological contract with the organization).     

Diagnostic and Assessment Findings: A Bridge to Academic Planning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Increasing numbers of children diagnosed and treated for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has impacted both neuropsychologists and educators. Though both play key evaluative and treatment roles, there is no available method or process in place enabling the translation of the neuropsychological report recommendations into a format educational teams can easily use, leading to a gap between neuropsychological recommendations and educational planning. In the following, we review the areas evaluated by a neuropsychologist when assessing a child with an ASD, discuss the domains targeted by educational teams when designing an educational plan, and then present a process that has met with some success creating a "bridge" between the diagnostic/assessment process and the subsequent academic planning. Though presented in the context of ASD, the process described can be used by neuropsychologists for various populations to facilitate partnerships with educators that result in improved care for the child.     

Temperament, executive functions, and the allocation of attention to punishment feedback in passive avoidance learning

Several theories have been proposed to account for the apparent non-responsiveness to punishment cues or aversive events demonstrated by members of some disinhibited groups. Included among these theories are those that emphasize individual differences in temperament, temperament-related biases associated with the allocation of attentional resources, and impairments in executive functions. This study examined the relative contribution of each of these variables to the prediction of passive avoidance errors (PAEs, or failures to inhibit responding to punishment cues) during a computerized go/no-go task. Variations in temperament, attentional allocation to punishment feedback, and executive functions were found to independently and additively contribute to the prediction of PAEs in a mixed sample of men and women recruited at a university campus (n=145). Results from this study, therefore, support multiple theoretical perspectives on PAEs as assessed by the go/no-go experimental paradigm.     

Childhood-Onset Multiple Sclerosis and Mood Disorders: A Case Study

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is rare in children. Little research exists regarding emotional and behavioral disorders in childhood-onset MS, despite the occurrence of such problems in adults with MS. This paper describes the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of a boy diagnosed with MS at age 9 and mood disorder at age 10. He displayed no cognitive or behavioral problems prior to the onset of physical symptoms of MS. Three years after diagnosis, this child showed persistent problems with speed of processing, visual-motor skills, and parent and teacher-reported executive functioning. In addition, he had difficulties with emotional lability, behavioral disinhibition, depression, and social interaction. As with adults, children with MS may be at increased risk for mood disorder compared to their peers. Mood disorders in children with MS are likely to be multiply determined, although the specific causal mechanisms are unknown.     

Counselor Competence With Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Clients: Differences Among Practice Settings

Counselors from school and community practice, counseling students, and counselor educators (N= 468) participated in this study of competence to serve lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) clients. Participants reported high LGB‐affirmative attitudes but lower knowledge and skills. School counselors reported significantly lower LGB competence than did counselors in other settings. Implications include the importance of graduate and postgraduate training to improve LGB knowledge and skills and the hope that LGB‐affirmative attitudes suggest receptivity toward such growth. Consejeros que trabajan en prácticas escolares y de comunidad, estudiantes de consejería y educadores de consejería (N= 468) participaron en este estudio sobre la competencia para servir a clientes lesbianas, gays y bisexuales (LGB). Los participantes comunicaron un nivel elevado de actitudes afirmativas hacia LGB, pero menores conocimientos y habilidades. Los consejeros escolares indicaron niveles de competencia en LGB significativamente menores que los consejeros en otros escenarios. Las implicaciones incluyen la importancia de la formación de estudiantes de grado y posgrado para mejorar sus conocimientos y habilidades sobre LGB y la esperanza de que las actitudes afirmativas hacia LGB sugieren receptividad hacia dicha formación.