Neurobehavioral assessment of children and adolescents attending a developmental disabilities clinic.

Although the risk of the eventual development of tardive dyskinesia and other persistent adverse effects of neuroleptics is high, among adults with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities, neuroleptics may ameliorate dyskinesias, aggression, and inattention. The effects of traditional neuroleptics on a comparable population of children and adolescents with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities are unknown. The objective of this study was to develop an assessment battery to describe the effects of traditional neuroleptics on the behavior and movements of a small sample of children and adolescents with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities.

Clomipramine ameliorates adventitious movements and compulsions in prepubertal boys with autistic disorder and severe mental retardation.

In an open, nonblind clinical trial, clomipramine reduced adventitious movements and compulsions in five previously medicated prepubertal boys with autistic disorder and severe mental retardation. Poorly adapted rating scales, interrater variability, subject heterogeneity, different treatment histories, and environmental stresses confounded the assessment of treatment effects.

Changes in the treatment of abused children: a retrospective review of a practice.

Using the population of sexually abused children from three periods of my practice, I have described changes in my practice of play therapy over the past 30 years. These changes have come about in part due to the pioneering work of psychiatrists specializing in studies of development in children not designated as emotionally disturbed or mentally ill (Chess and Thomas, 1986; Greenspan, 1981; Winnicott, 1953, 1965, 1971) as well those who have described treatment techniques and theoretical constructs of the experience of traumatized children (Finkelhor and Browne, 1985; Terr, 1991). Because of these convincing works, I have been able to shorten treatment, and shift my goals from direct efforts at unconscious conflict resolution to the more indirect but more effective method of re-establishing maturational tracks through involvement of families, dialogue with children in multiple play techniques as well as words, and to plan ahead for these traumatized children.