The present research investigated the relationship between extra-curricular involvement (ECI) and self-regulated behaviours in 8 to 9 year old children, and identified sex, location, and socio-economic status (SES) differences in their ECI and self-regulatory behaviours. 550 children from 44 schools in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia completed the Child Self-Regulatory Process Inventory and questions about their ECI. Nearly 90% of students were involved in at least one extra-curricular activity with the mean number of activities being 1.27. Girls and urban children were significantly more involved in school-based extra-curricular activities than their male and rural counterparts; there were no significant differences among SES groups. Urban children and children in the high SES group reported significantly greater involvement for non-school based activities. For the three self-regulation strategies, girls scored significantly higher than boys. Moreover, children in the high ECI group reported significantly greater use of self-regulation strategies than children in the low ECI group and were more efficacious-persistent than children in both the low and medium ECI groups. implications of findings are discussed in light of the need for quality extra-curricular programs, especially in terms of emotional climate and self-directed activities.

School bonding has been identified as a protective factor for a broad range of adolescent outcomes, and it is thus important to identify factors that foster positive relationships with school. The ecological perspective suggests the importance of both individual and contextual antecedents across developmental periods, yet previous research has tended to examine only a narrow selection of school bonding correlates. This study sought to identify longitudinal influences on school bonding, examining the role of both individual and contextual factors over childhood and early adolescence. We draw on data from 1,308 participants (51% female) in the Australian Temperament Project, a large representative Australian sample that has followed the psychosocial development of participants from infancy to adulthood, and thus provides a rare opportunity to address this gap in the literature. Path analysis was conducted to examine individual and contextual predictors of school bonding at 15–16 years. The individual characteristics of higher academic achievement and sociability, and lower hyperactivity predicted school bonding. Contextual factors also made a significant contribution, including the parent–child relationships and maternal education. The results indicate that both individual and contextual factors make unique contributions to school bonding in adolescence, suggesting a number of potential targets for intervention.

Children with chronic illness often experience difficulties at school, yet little is known about the impact of the child's illness on siblings’ school experiences. This study investigated parents’ perceptions of siblings’ school experiences and school support. We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 27 parents of children with a chronic illness who had a sibling or siblings (4–25 years), representing the experiences of 31 siblings. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using content analysis. Parents believed that 14 of 31 (45.2%) siblings had school difficulties related to the ill child, such as increased anxiety or stress at school, lack of attention from teachers, and changes in behaviour as a result of increased carer responsibilities. Parents identified increased absenteeism due to the ill child's hospitalisation and the impact of parent absences on sibling school functioning. Parents described general and psychological support from the school, and the importance of monitoring the sibling at school and focusing on their unique needs. Overall, our findings suggest the need for a school-based sibling support model that combines psycho-education for siblings and school personnel, individualised sibling psychological support, and shared school and parent responsibility in normalising the sibling experience and providing consistent support.

Providers of alternative educational programs for adolescents who are not coping with mainstream secondary education have relied historically on behavioural and cognitive theories for intervention rationales. However, psychologists are increasingly turning to the motivational role of the self-system, particularly to the developmental and multidimensional construct of self-perception, for theoretical guidelines to educational practice. Self-verification, self-complexity, and self-handicapping are three theoretical constructs within a social psychological perspective that help to explain non-compliant and unusual adolescent behaviour and provide direction to service providers for its management.

The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) is a standardised assessment used to assess the developmental functioning of infants and young children from 1 month to 42 months of age (Bayley, 2006a). The Bayley scales are recognised internationally as one of the most comprehensive developmental assessment instruments (Sattler & Hoge, 2006) used to examine the major facets of a young child's development (Bayley, 2006a). The primary purpose of the Bayley-III is to identify children with developmental delay and to provide information for intervention implementation (Bayley, 2006a). The domains of early development covered increased from two to five including cognition, language, motor, social-emotional and adaptive behaviour with the publication of the third edition (Bayley, 2006a). While the original Bayley scales were predominately used by psychologists, publication of later editions led to accredited use, within the Australian and New Zealand context, by developmental paediatricians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech pathologists (Bayley, 1969; Bayley 1992; Pearson Clinical and Talent Assessment, 2009). Although the Bayley-III is more comprehensive and a broader range of professionals now use the scales little is known about the clinical application. The current study aimed to explore the use of the Bayley-III in practice and views on the current US norms. An online survey was conducted and the findings revealed that the majority of respondents were interested in Australian local norms; the predominant age range assessed was the 24- to 42-month-old group and the most common clinical group seen and assessed was children presenting with global developmental delay. While the majority of the respondents used the Bayley-III approximately once a month or more, at least one third used it less often. However anticipated use over the next 12 months indicated a notable increase from 30% currently using it once or twice weekly up to 65%.

This paper briefly describes four essential elements of interviews involving children, where the primary goal is to obtain detailed and accurate information about an event (e.g., an alleged incident of sexual abuse). These elements include (a) the establishment of a good rapport with the child, (b) a clear description of the purpose and ground-rules of the interview, (c) objectivity and open-mindness, and (d) effective questioning skills. A rationale for the importance of each of these elements and practical recommendations are offered.

This study investigates the main English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning difficulties Jordanian English-major undergraduates encounter from their perspective. For this purpose a questionnaire was developed and administered to 270 (50 male and 220 female) participants. The study addressed the four basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). The independent variables included gender, grade point average (GPA), and academic major. Ordered according to their difficulty, the skills were speaking, reading, writing and listening respectively. Some specific language learning problems are also discussed. Appropriate conclusions and recommendations are provided accordingly.

After defining psychological processing and providing descriptions of 10 interrelated neuropsychological processes, the author proposes an integrated model for identifying an individual's pattern of psychological processing strengths, weaknesses, and deficits when conducting a specific learning disability (SLD) assessment. The model incorporates approaches from other pattern of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) models, while adding three requirements designed to reduce psychometric concerns about the identification procedures. Details for analysing cross-battery data and recommendations for applying processing deficits to SLD determination are included. In support of the model, the article reviews research that links psychological processing deficits with specific learning disabilities. The article concludes with a brief overview of evidence-based interventions for psychological processing deficits.

In Australia, compared to the United States and Britain, guidance officers havea relatively undeveloped and insecure professional identity. They are an emerging professional group with an uncertain allegiance to both teaching and psychology. While their role has many shared characteristics with that of their overseas counterparts (school psychologists and educational psychologists), compared to these groups, requirements for postgraduate training are limited and formal registration and certification vary from state to state. Moreover, until recently, there was neither a national professional organization, nor a journal to represent their interests. It is therefore not surprising that, despite considerable criticism of the guidance officer role, there has been little published about its future. While some of the broader issues affecting the profession have been raised recently by Haskell (1984) and Rice (1984), for the most part discussion has focussed on issues like training and certification (e.g., Keats, 1985), testing (e.g., de Lemos, 1985) and counselling (e.g., Frydenberg, Lee & Mckenzie, 1985; McMullen, 1984) in a relatively parochial and uncritical manner.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between personal responsibility, emotional intelligence and self-esteem in adolescents and young adults and explore the psychometric properties of the Personal Responsibility Questionnaire. One hundred and fifty high school students and 186 university students completed self-report questionnaires examining personal responsibility, emotional intelligence and self-esteem. Results revealed that older students reported higher levels of personal responsibility, emotional intelligence and self-esteem than the Year 11 students. The Personal Responsibility Questionnaire was found to significantly correlate with emotional intelligence and self-esteem suggesting strong construct validity.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of the Curriculum Based Measurement of Spelling (CBM-S) and direct spelling instruction on students’ achievement in spelling. A total sample of 95 third-grade students participated in the study. This article presents a comparison study of three classrooms: CBM-S and direct spelling instruction, CBM-S with no direct spelling instruction, and a control group that used the traditional way of spelling assessment. The intervention was implemented for 18 weeks. The results indicated that students achieved the greatest gains in spelling when both direct spelling instruction and the CBM-S were applied.

In considering specific aspects of the transition from primary school to high school, children's expectations were sought prior to their making the transition. This paper examines the expectations 335 students had of five aspects of high school, elicited by means of a questionnaire. The five aspects were: (a) the high school building; (b) the rules and discipline at high school; (c) the work; (d) the teachers; and (e) the other, older, students. The attitudes and expectations were found to reflect the degree of contact the students had had with the high school, itself dependent on the policy of the high school with respect to induction programs for in-coming students. A call is made for greater liaison between educational institutions, in the form of greater continuity and sequencing of curricula and transition programs in order to allay the expressed anxieties and to dispel any misconceptions.

Learning difficulties affect up to 20 percent of school-aged children. While many children “grow out” of their disability, a significant proportion experience ongoing problems which can hinder academic, social, and emotional development.

Neuropsychological models suggest that these children may suffer from subtle deficits in memory and organizational abilities, which make them vulnerable within a classroom environment. Understanding the specific neuropsychological strengths and weaknesses of children with learning difficulties may provide information regarding the most appropriate form of intervention and the likelihood of its success.

In recent study at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, 160 learning disabled children were evaluated. Findings from the group suggested a high frequency of general health problems as well as mild episodes of central nervous system dysfunction. Neuropsychological data showed that the sample, as a whole, performed within the average range on standardized intellectual measures, but achieved poor results on measures of new learning and executive function. Furthermore, data supported the presence of a number of patterns of learning disability, including linguistic deficit, non-verbal deficit, and information processing deficit. These subtypes are discussed with reference to educational characteristics, and models of intervention are suggested.

A longitudinal study of early emotional development is in progress in Sydney, and preliminary results from the first three years of the study are reported. Antenatal assessment of parental personality, interpersonal relationships, and parental expectations identified different habitual ways of managing negative affect. Thus far, postnatal assessment of a subsample of the infants has differentiated emotion regulation at 4 months and empathy and mother-infant attachment quality at 12 months. Coping styles to manage emotionallly distressing or challenging situations showed individual differerences. Some 4-month-old infants used an immature strategy to cope with the stress of a non-responsive mother in the Still-Face Procedure, withdrawing and engaging in arousal-containing behaviours. At 12 months of age, these infants also tended to respond with immature personal distress reactions to a videotape of a distressed peer and to demonstrate insecure attachment. Assessment of coping behaviour at 30 months in a semistructured play situation aims to determine whether earlier continuity of withdrawal and emotionall containment versus engagement and emotional coping is maintained.

The final session of the Scientific Retreat on ADHD held by the CEDP at The University of Melbourne on September 1, 1995 was a roundtable discussion aimedat arriving at a consensus statement on issues related to ADHD in Australia. Dr Russell Barkley actedas devil's advocate and facilitator. Discussion was lively and wide ranging, but agreement was not always easy to achieve. Discussion topics ranged across its legitimate status as a disorder, its comorbid risks, its genetic and environmental aetiology, its prevalence and associated gender criteria, its multiprofessional diagnosis and psychological and behavioural assessment, treatment efficacy, andimportant Australian issues still to be addressed. Some major areas of agreement between the delegates, emerging trends, and foci of further investigation have been synthesised from a transcript of the final session.

Psychologists working with families experiencing serious parent adolescent conflict often find themselves being asked about community views regarding the ages at which adolescents ought be permitted to engage in a range of behaviours. Given the general lack of normative data in this regard, the current study has attempted to provide some. Data from two studies involving families of children attending a total of 17 Victorian schools are reported, and discussion is given to the use that might be made of such data by psychologists working with families experiencing parental adolescent conflict.

Australian studies of teacher-rated levels of behaviour problems in schools are reviewed. Survey methodology and instrumentation affects incidence. The significance of these results is discussed in the light of two major considerations: the nature of “problem” and who defines it, and the need for a developmental perspective when interpreting data relating to childhood behaviour. The implications of teacher perceptions for system resource planning, referral and interagency networking, and intervention priority are considered,

Beyond the basic information provided in foundation texts and test manuals, there is a notable scarcity of professional literature addressing complex issues and dilemmas in assessment. At times, psychologists need to make decisions based on their professional experience or personal preferences, and it is possible that some of these decisions are made without adequate justification or reflection. Intern psychologists may be confused by the differing advice they are given by university staff, supervisors and experienced practitioners. Our aim in this project was to identify specific issues in psychoeducational assessment that need clarity, guidance and reflection, not only during postgraduate training, but also across the professional lifespan. Focus groups with educational and developmental psychology interns revealed confusion about aspects of test administration and interpretation, as well as a number of challenging professional issues. The findings have implications for trainers and supervisors, as well as for experienced practitioners.

This study evaluated a training program in conflict resolution based on the Conflict Resolution Model (Littlefield, Love, Peck, & Wertheim, 1993). Forty-eight participants were recruited from a secondary school in Hobart and allocated to a trained or untrained condition. Trained participants received twelve hours of conflict resolution training over a 3-week period. During the assessment phase, participants were tested in one of three dyad types (trained-trained, trained-untrained, or untrained-untrained) and interacted to make a joint recommendation on an issue about which they held opposing views. The interactions were audiotaped and rated by two raters on four process measures and an outcome measure. Skills of porticipants were also assessed with a questionnaire. Significant increases were found for the trained participants on all measures. These results support the use of the Conflict Resolution Model for training programs.

The validity of standardised ossessment instruments and their normative data is a significant issue in school psychology. Consequently, this study of 515 coeducational Queensland Year 5 students investigated the generalisability and robustness of the norms of two contemporary self-concept instruments, the Self-Description Questionnaire-I (SDQ-I; Marsh, 1988) and the Perception of Ability Scale for Students (PASS; Boersma & Chapman, 1992). Both tests have received praise for their theoretical construct but have been criticised for the regionalisation of their norming populations.The results of this study demonstrated that the Queensland students had higher mean PASS self-concept scores than the North American students used in the norming of all the PASS scales. For the SDQ- I, a similar distribution pattern was shown for Queensland students and SDQ-I norming sample, with the exception of small variability with Reading and Mothematics self-concepts scales. Issues associated with interpreting and reporting of assessment results and with the assessment responsibilities of educational psychologists and counsellors are discussed.