Search

When visual impairments (VI) and learning disabilities (LD) coexist, it is common for one (i.e., typically LD) to go unidentified. Some school districts may be reluctant to identify students with both VI and LD, potentially causing students to miss out on much-needed services. Child study teams can find support to address this dual diagnosis using a response to intervention (RTI) framework. This article provides guidance and tools for using an RTI framework in the accurate identification of LD in students with VI.

The coexistence of visual impairments and learning disabilities presents unique challenges. It is imperative that teachers be apprised of the characteristics of this population as well as instructional strategies targeted at meeting their unique needs. The authors highlight typical patterns of performance and provide suggestions for effective intervention.

Trauma exposure has been associated with panic symptoms in adult samples, but little is known about the relationship between trauma and panic in children. Anxiety sensitivity (AS), or the fear of anxiety-related bodily sensations, may help explain the relationship between trauma and panic. To examine relationships among trauma, anxiety sensitivity, and panic symptoms, data were collected from youth in the New Orleans area 5-8 months after Hurricane Katrina (N = 302) and again 17-18 months after the hurricane (N = 110). At time one (T1), AS predicted panic symptoms beyond hurricane exposure. At time two (T2), AS measured at time two (T2) predicted panic symptoms beyond AS measured at T1. Clinical implications of the present findings are discussed.

A number of factors are believed to confer risk for anxiety development in children; however, cultural variation of purported risk factors remains unclear. We examined relations between controlling and rejecting parenting styles, parental modeling of anxious behaviors, child interpretive biases, and child anxiety in a mixed clinically anxious (n = 27) and non-clinical (n = 20) sample of Latino children and at least one of their parents. Families completed discussion-based tasks and questionnaires in a lab setting. Results indicated that child anxiety was: linked with parental control and child interpretative biases; associated with parental modeling of anxious behaviors at a trend level; and not associated with low parental acceptance. Findings that controlling parenting and child interpretive biases were associated with anxiety extend current theories of anxiety development to the Latino population. We speculate that strong family ties may buffer Latino children from detrimental effects of perceived low parental acceptance.

This article reviews the literature on how culture influences anxiety in Latino youth. First, a review of cross-cultural variations in prevalence and measurement is presented. Then, the article focuses on how culture impacts the meaning and expression of anxiety. Specifically, we discuss the meaning and expression of anxiety, the impact of culture on anxiety at a societal level and through its effect on family and cognitive processes, and the influence of immigration and acculturation on anxiety. Finally, we propose recommendations on how to advance the literature in this area building on existing knowledge.