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Background: Conceptualizations of health have expanded to include indicators of adolescents' physical and mental wellness, rather than solely the absence of diseases or disorders. Although extensive research has identified links between mental and physical wellness, few studies have investigated the relationship between health promotion and happiness, particularly in adolescent populations who may be at particular risk for engaging in health-compromising behaviors, such as alcohol consumption. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between 12 health-promoting behaviors and subjective well-being in a sample of 450 high school students from 2 states. Participants reported on their diet, physical activity, sleep hygiene habits, as well as abstinence from tobacco and alcohol products, and completed a multidimensional assessment of subjective well-being. Results: Findings demonstrated that 7 of the 12 health-promoting behaviors were significantly correlated with adolescents' subjective well-being. A sizeable portion of the variance in adolescents' subjective well-being (39.8%) was accounted for by the linear combination of the 12 health-promoting behaviors of interest. Increased physical activity, sleep hygiene cognitive/emotional factors, and bedtime routine all were identified as unique predictors of subjective well-being. Conclusions: These findings bring attention to the salience of daily physical activity and sleep hygiene and their associations with adolescents' happiness.

Collaboration between school and community service providers allows for positive outcomes for students across academic and social-emotional functioning. The emergence of the subspecialty field of pediatric school psychology highlights the need for consultation and collaboration between school professionals and medical providers and opens the opportunity for such a successful partnership to address the educational needs of children with medical conditions (Power, DuPaul, Shapiro, & Parish, 1995). This article opens with a case study that highlights a growing school-community partnership and the student-focused benefits for such collaborative efforts. The sections following provide additional information regarding the benefits of school-community partnerships, barriers to collaboration between service providers, how to overcome barriers to collaboration, recommendations to consider when establishing such a partnership, and implications for school psychologists.

Adolescents spend approximately one-third of their day at school. With the growing prevalence of adolescent asthma, 1 in every 10 adolescents copes with asthma throughout the day, including in the school environment. Yet, little is known about the school experiences of adolescent students with asthma. Guided by the social-ecological model, this study aimed to explore the links between asthma and school experiences in middle and high school as perceived by students with asthma. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 adolescents with asthma aged 12 to 17 who attended middle or high school around the mid-west area of Florida. Students shared insights on their school experiences and academic performance. Data were analyzed and interpreted using thematic analysis. Four overarching and intertwined themes shaped the school experiences of students with asthma: 1. Asthma control and management; 2. Social support; 3. Asthma knowledge and awareness; and 4. Accommodation of health and academic needs. Study findings suggest addressing the school disparities of adolescent students with asthma through a comprehensive, multi-level approach. Schools should create asthma education opportunities, improve the school system and environmental accommodations, enhance asthma control, and increase continuous social support by peers and school personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent involvement (PI) during preschool has been linked with strong pre-literacy skills, acquisition of mathematical skills, well-developed social skills, and positive attitudes toward school. Parents' active involvement in their children's learning is a recommended strategy in engaging families in children's education experiences. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the impact of a parent-directed early literacy intervention on three dimensions of PI--home-based, school-based, and home-school conferencing (HSC)--among Head Start parents and their preschool-aged children. Twenty-four preschool children (and their parents) were randomly assigned to an intervention or active control group. PI was assessed at the beginning and end of the intervention. Results of a series of two-way repeated measures analyses of variance indicated significant improvements in home-based PI among parents in the intervention group, but no differences in school-based or HSC types of PI. Parents' prior experience with their children's preschool education did not moderate the impact of the intervention on PI. These findings provide support for the effectiveness of this parent-directed early literacy intervention as a strategy to increase home-based PI activities among families in Head Start.

Concussions are a major public health concern in the United States, especially among children and adolescents. Although there is a growing body of literature regarding the underlying physiologic processes that occur after a concussion, there is no consensus regarding the risk factors for a concussion or the reasons for significant differences in recovery. There is a paucity of research on the educational outcomes of students who sustain concussions because much of the current literature is based on adults and/or athletes. Researchers and practitioners are beginning to focus on youth with concussions with the goal of reducing incidence through prevention and facilitating recovery through accurate assessment and effective treatment. School psychologists can play a key role in prevention, assessment, and intervention through the implementation of a school-based concussion protocol. Effective communication between stakeholders is an essential component to this protocol, and is critical to the support and management of students who have sustained a concussion. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the current literature on concussions in youth and present a school-based protocol that includes a stepwise progression for assisting a student to "return to learn" (Baker et al., 2014), integrated within a problem-solving model. The importance of effective interdisciplinary communication is emphasized throughout, and suggestions to enhance communication across stakeholders are presented.

There is a critical need to increase communication and collaboration across the educational and medical systems on behalf of students with paediatric health issues. The purpose of the current study was to investigate school psychologists' perceptions of their communication and collaboration practices with paediatric professionals (e.g. paediatricians). Three hundred and forty school psychologists completed a survey that assessed their communication and collaboration practices with paediatric professionals, professional development in paediatric health issues and use of e-Health technology on behalf of students with medical problems. School psychologists reported communicating with paediatric professionals a few times per year (60.6%), collaborating a few times per year (34%) and receiving between one and five hours of professional development on paediatric health issues per year (50.8%). Only a small number of school psychologists used e-Health. Of those respondents, all indicated that it was beneficial to some extent to their practice. The major finding of this study was that interdisciplinary communication and collaboration practices were relatively infrequent. Results from this study can help inform strategies for increased collaboration, pre-service and ongoing training, and future research.

Medical technology continues to improve, increasing life expectancies and capabilities of children with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Pediatric health issues have an impact on children's academic, emotional, behavioral, and social functioning. This article reviews a consultative Biopsychoeducational Model, based on a problem-solving process, for working with children affected by health issues within the school setting. Facilitated by the school psychologist, this model promotes communication and collaboration among family members, educators, and medical professionals. The goal is to aid in the often complex assessment of strengths and weaknesses of children with health issues and to help design and evaluate effective interventions for these children. Potential roadblocks in implementation and possible solutions are discussed. (Contains 1 figure.)

The multifaceted effect of chronic illness in children has created a need for pediatricians and school personnel, specifically school psychologists, to engage in collaborative problem solving. However, the extent to which this collaboration actually occurs in practice is unknown. A survey was developed and administered to a national sample of members of the American Academy of Pediatrics to assess their type and frequency of communication and collaboration with school personnel, preferred methods of communication, primary school contact person, and their perceptions of the barriers to and benefits of collaborating with school personnel. Results of this survey yield strategies for school psychologists to facilitate communication and collaboration with pediatricians to assist in meeting the needs of children with pediatric health issues. (Contains 3 tables.)

Approximately 20%-25% of the pediatric population will likely develop a sleep disorder sometime during childhood or adolescence. Studies have shown that untreated sleep disorders can negatively affect cognitive abilities, and academic and behavior performance. The Sleep Disorders Inventory for Students (SDIS) is a screening instrument designed to be used by school psychologists to determine if problems related to sleep may be affecting a student's educational performance. The SDIS was validated on 821 students in the southeastern United States and seven sleep centers nationally. This study presents the development of both forms of the SDIS, the SDIS-Children's Form and the SDIS-Adolescent Form, as well as the empirical data to support the reliability of the scores and the validity of the inferences. Practical implications for the use of the SDIS are discussed, and suggestions for future research related to the screening of pediatric sleep disorders are presented. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)

Investigates the utility of oral reading rate as a metric in monitoring students' progress over time within a literature-based curriculum. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) probes were administered to 2nd- and 5th-grade students to monitor their progress in reading. Results suggest that the CBM oral reading rate is an effective metric for use with students involved in a literature-based curriculum. (Author/MKA)

Describes a school-based collaborative consultation model that was designed and field-tested to increase the core knowledge of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and to improve effective intervention skills of junior-high-school staff. Evaluation by personnel in 57 participating school districts indicated the model was successful in increasing knowledge and improving services. (Author/CR)

School psychologists with specialized training and experience in the medical and psychosocial aspects of child and adolescent development are poised to become active partners on the integrated health care team, given that more than 20% of children are classified as having special health care needs. Specialty training in pediatric school psychology along with traditional training in education and psychology, prepares school psychologists to work collaboratively with pediatricians and other health care professionals to ensure that children and youth receive the help they need for optimal functioning. This paper describes an innovative training model developed by a school psychology training program and a medical school that can be used as a guide for training programs as they prepare school psychologists to assume this critical role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated a behavioral parent training curriculum designed to teach caregivers a problem-solving approach to understand and address their children's challenging behaviors. Participants included 399 caregivers of children between the ages of 18 months to 6 years, II months. Participants' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of their children's behavior were evaluated using a pre/post knowledge test, rating scales of child problem behavior, and weekly progress monitoring forms for caregiver behavior at home. Upon completion of the parent training program, significant increases in caregiver knowledge and significant decreases in caregivers' perceptions of the severity of child problem behaviors were demonstrated. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the program on an evaluation survey. Findings support the potential effectiveness of this parent training program to address the challenging behaviors of young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: During the past 3 decades, the number of overweight adolescents increased while adolescent engagement in physical activity decreased. We investigated the prevalence of overweight and physical activity levels among economically disadvantaged and minority middle- and high-school students in a school district in Florida. In particular, data on physical activity levels of middle-school students are limited and needed for prevention and intervention planning. In addition, because of state education policies, students in Florida are less likely than students nationally to enroll in physical education, placing them at a higher risk for decreased physical activity levels., Methods: We used multivariate methodology to analyze physical activity levels among 526 students from 3 middle and 2 high schools in southwest Florida., Results: Forty percent of students met criteria for overweight or obesity. Overall, less than 45% of students reported engaging in daily physical activity. Boys reported higher levels of physical activity than did girls, and a decline in physical activity levels was observed between grades 6 and 9, especially among minority girls (ie, African American and Latino). Lack of time was identified as the greatest barrier to engaging in physical activity., Conclusion: This study documents health disparities among minority students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in an urban school district. Participation in daily physical activity was below recommended guidelines across grades. We found numerous barriers to engaging in physical activity, which will enable local education agencies to evaluate their current physical activity policies and identify alternative physical activities for these youth.