ABSTRACT Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in a range of social, emotional, neurological, c... more ABSTRACT Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in a range of social, emotional, neurological, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes. If these outcomes are significant, family members and the individual who has sustained the TBI may struggle with accepting the effects of these deficits. They may grieve over disrupted family relationships, roles, and routines which can become a factor within the school setting. School psychologists are in a unique position to provide appropriate, short-term, school-based, TBI-related psychological grief counseling and support services designed to assist affected children in adjusting and succeeding in the school setting post-TBI. This paper will discuss evidenced-based strategies adapted from allied disciplines (e.g., education, medicine) that can enhance school psychologists’ ability to effectively address grief associated with TBI. Specifically, interventions designed to address the unique factors associated with ambiguous loss will be discussed.
The researchers examined the educational outcomes of three groups of college students who receive... more The researchers examined the educational outcomes of three groups of college students who received an evaluation due to academic difficulties: those diagnosed with a learning disability (LD) who subsequently registered for services through the university student disability resource center; those diagnosed with an LD who did not register for services; and those who were evaluated, but did not receive a diagnosis. The purpose of the study was to determine if accommodations and services provided by the disability resource center had a positive academic impact on students with LD in regards to their GPA and re-enrollment status after two semesters post-evaluation. No differences in post-evaluation GPA were found between the groups. However, both LD groups demonstrated within-group improvements in their GPA following the date of their evaluation, whereas students without an LD showed no improvement. Finally, students who were not diagnosed with LD were more likely to drop out of school t...
ABSTRACT Facilitation of posttraumatic growth (PTG) is an encouraging area of research, yet littl... more ABSTRACT Facilitation of posttraumatic growth (PTG) is an encouraging area of research, yet little is known about the relationship between mindfulness and PTG. While recent studies support the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions with trauma-exposed populations and further findings link mindfulness with a variety of PTG outcomes, how these multidimensional constructs relate remains unclear. As such, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mindfulness, specifically exploring differences between contemplative practitioners and nonpractitioners. Nonpractitioners (n = 248) and practitioners (n = 65) completed self-report measures of mindfulness, PTG, and trauma history online. Canonical correlation analyses indicate that contemplative practitioners reported higher levels of trait mindfulness and PTG as well as a stronger relationship between mindfulness and PTG in comparison with noncontemplative respondents. Results further indicate that the mindfulness dimensions were uniquely associated with PTG across the two groups. In summation, contemplative practitioners and nonpractitioners engaged different elements of mindfulness with respect to PTG and the mindfulness dimensions addressing behavioral regulation and evaluation appeared to be most closely associated with PTG. A hypothesized developmental trajectory in the relationship between mindfulness and PTG is discussed.
ABSTRACT AbstractThe associations among second- and third-grade students' content-area kn... more ABSTRACT AbstractThe associations among second- and third-grade students' content-area knowledge, vocabulary, and reading gains and the science instruction they received were examined in this exploratory longitudinal study. We also asked whether there were child characteristics instruction interaction effects on students' content-area literacy. Second graders (n = 88) were followed into third grade (n = 73). Classrooms were observed all day in the fall, winter, and spring, and amounts and types of science instruction and language arts instruction were recorded. Results revealed that specific types of science instruction were related to second- and third-grade students' gains in content-area literacy skills and that the relation of science instruction to outcomes depended on students' fall content-area knowledge, vocabulary, and reading skills. These results suggest that science instruction may promote students' developing content-area literacy growth and may be more effective when it is implemented taking individual student differences into account.
ABSTRACT Many students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are identified by the medical community ... more ABSTRACT Many students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are identified by the medical community each year and many more experience head injuries that are not examined by medical personnel. School psychologists and allied consultants have important liaison roles to identify and assist these students post-injury. In this study, 75 school psychologists (the profession in the United States analogous to educational psychologists in the UK) were surveyed about their experiences meeting the needs of students after brain injury and asked to characterise barriers to service delivery in the schools. Qualitative analysis of respondents’ descriptions of barriers suggested that school psychologists encounter substantial problems in: communication about the injury; lack of knowledge and training among school personnel; lack of resources available to assist students; perceived lack of importance of TBI by school personnel; procedural impediments; and problematic placement options for students with TBI. Results of this study highlight the potential for improving systemic approaches to meeting the needs of students with TBI.
ABSTRACT Student veterans represent a unique population on college campuses. Not only are they tr... more ABSTRACT Student veterans represent a unique population on college campuses. Not only are they transitioning back to civilian life but also into a new role as college student. This paper describes the attempts of one university to aid in that transition through the means of expressive arts. A detailed description of the Paper Peace and glass pouring workshops and accompanying pictures is provided in this paper. In addition, reflections on the workshops and plans for future workshops are described.
ABSTRACT In this paper we compare grief work and continuing bond models of grief to determine if ... more ABSTRACT In this paper we compare grief work and continuing bond models of grief to determine if one explains the data better than the other. Sixty individuals in active grief completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to rate their grief status, perceived similarity to the deceased along 7 dimensions, and closeness of relationship to the deceased. A matched control group was also asked to rate the closeness of relationship and perceived similarity to a living person of the same relationship as the deceased to the griever. In line with grief work, we found that perceived similarity was directly related to severity of grief and that perceived closeness of relationship declined over time. In support of continuing bonds, however, perceived similarity did not decline over time, nor was overall perception of similarity among grievers different from their matched controls.
Traumatic brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children and adolescen... more Traumatic brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children and adolescents each year in the United States. Children who survive these injuries often suffer from a range of impairments including intellectual, academic, behavioral, affective, and social problems, but they often become mired in a slow-moving process while waiting for educational resources. This case study explores one
ABSTRACT Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in a range of social, emotional, neurological, c... more ABSTRACT Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in a range of social, emotional, neurological, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes. If these outcomes are significant, family members and the individual who has sustained the TBI may struggle with accepting the effects of these deficits. They may grieve over disrupted family relationships, roles, and routines which can become a factor within the school setting. School psychologists are in a unique position to provide appropriate, short-term, school-based, TBI-related psychological grief counseling and support services designed to assist affected children in adjusting and succeeding in the school setting post-TBI. This paper will discuss evidenced-based strategies adapted from allied disciplines (e.g., education, medicine) that can enhance school psychologists’ ability to effectively address grief associated with TBI. Specifically, interventions designed to address the unique factors associated with ambiguous loss will be discussed.
The researchers examined the educational outcomes of three groups of college students who receive... more The researchers examined the educational outcomes of three groups of college students who received an evaluation due to academic difficulties: those diagnosed with a learning disability (LD) who subsequently registered for services through the university student disability resource center; those diagnosed with an LD who did not register for services; and those who were evaluated, but did not receive a diagnosis. The purpose of the study was to determine if accommodations and services provided by the disability resource center had a positive academic impact on students with LD in regards to their GPA and re-enrollment status after two semesters post-evaluation. No differences in post-evaluation GPA were found between the groups. However, both LD groups demonstrated within-group improvements in their GPA following the date of their evaluation, whereas students without an LD showed no improvement. Finally, students who were not diagnosed with LD were more likely to drop out of school t...
ABSTRACT Facilitation of posttraumatic growth (PTG) is an encouraging area of research, yet littl... more ABSTRACT Facilitation of posttraumatic growth (PTG) is an encouraging area of research, yet little is known about the relationship between mindfulness and PTG. While recent studies support the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions with trauma-exposed populations and further findings link mindfulness with a variety of PTG outcomes, how these multidimensional constructs relate remains unclear. As such, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mindfulness, specifically exploring differences between contemplative practitioners and nonpractitioners. Nonpractitioners (n = 248) and practitioners (n = 65) completed self-report measures of mindfulness, PTG, and trauma history online. Canonical correlation analyses indicate that contemplative practitioners reported higher levels of trait mindfulness and PTG as well as a stronger relationship between mindfulness and PTG in comparison with noncontemplative respondents. Results further indicate that the mindfulness dimensions were uniquely associated with PTG across the two groups. In summation, contemplative practitioners and nonpractitioners engaged different elements of mindfulness with respect to PTG and the mindfulness dimensions addressing behavioral regulation and evaluation appeared to be most closely associated with PTG. A hypothesized developmental trajectory in the relationship between mindfulness and PTG is discussed.
ABSTRACT AbstractThe associations among second- and third-grade students' content-area kn... more ABSTRACT AbstractThe associations among second- and third-grade students' content-area knowledge, vocabulary, and reading gains and the science instruction they received were examined in this exploratory longitudinal study. We also asked whether there were child characteristics instruction interaction effects on students' content-area literacy. Second graders (n = 88) were followed into third grade (n = 73). Classrooms were observed all day in the fall, winter, and spring, and amounts and types of science instruction and language arts instruction were recorded. Results revealed that specific types of science instruction were related to second- and third-grade students' gains in content-area literacy skills and that the relation of science instruction to outcomes depended on students' fall content-area knowledge, vocabulary, and reading skills. These results suggest that science instruction may promote students' developing content-area literacy growth and may be more effective when it is implemented taking individual student differences into account.
ABSTRACT Many students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are identified by the medical community ... more ABSTRACT Many students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are identified by the medical community each year and many more experience head injuries that are not examined by medical personnel. School psychologists and allied consultants have important liaison roles to identify and assist these students post-injury. In this study, 75 school psychologists (the profession in the United States analogous to educational psychologists in the UK) were surveyed about their experiences meeting the needs of students after brain injury and asked to characterise barriers to service delivery in the schools. Qualitative analysis of respondents’ descriptions of barriers suggested that school psychologists encounter substantial problems in: communication about the injury; lack of knowledge and training among school personnel; lack of resources available to assist students; perceived lack of importance of TBI by school personnel; procedural impediments; and problematic placement options for students with TBI. Results of this study highlight the potential for improving systemic approaches to meeting the needs of students with TBI.
ABSTRACT Student veterans represent a unique population on college campuses. Not only are they tr... more ABSTRACT Student veterans represent a unique population on college campuses. Not only are they transitioning back to civilian life but also into a new role as college student. This paper describes the attempts of one university to aid in that transition through the means of expressive arts. A detailed description of the Paper Peace and glass pouring workshops and accompanying pictures is provided in this paper. In addition, reflections on the workshops and plans for future workshops are described.
ABSTRACT In this paper we compare grief work and continuing bond models of grief to determine if ... more ABSTRACT In this paper we compare grief work and continuing bond models of grief to determine if one explains the data better than the other. Sixty individuals in active grief completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to rate their grief status, perceived similarity to the deceased along 7 dimensions, and closeness of relationship to the deceased. A matched control group was also asked to rate the closeness of relationship and perceived similarity to a living person of the same relationship as the deceased to the griever. In line with grief work, we found that perceived similarity was directly related to severity of grief and that perceived closeness of relationship declined over time. In support of continuing bonds, however, perceived similarity did not decline over time, nor was overall perception of similarity among grievers different from their matched controls.
Traumatic brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children and adolescen... more Traumatic brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability for children and adolescents each year in the United States. Children who survive these injuries often suffer from a range of impairments including intellectual, academic, behavioral, affective, and social problems, but they often become mired in a slow-moving process while waiting for educational resources. This case study explores one
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