Includes glossary, references and index.

Content: Introduction: Defining disordered behavior -- How common are childhood disorders? -- Some historical influences -- Children as special clients -- The development context: What is development? -- An overview of normal development -- How development occurs: the transactional model -- Behavioral disorders: risk, vulnerability, protection -- Predicting behavior disorders: change and continuity -- Perspectives and modes of treatment: Taking different perspectives -- The biological view -- The psychodynamic view -- The behavioral / social learning view -- Other important perspectives -- Modes of treatment -- Research:its role and methods: The nature of science -- Basic methods of research -- Longitudinal and cross- sectional strategies -- Ethical issues -- Classification and assessment: Classification and diagnosis -- Assessment -- Internalizing problems: anxiety disorders: A description of anxiety disorders -- Classification of anxiety disorders -- Fears and phobias -- School refusal -- The overanxious child -- Obsessive-compulsive disorder -- Internalizing problems: depression and peer relations: Childhood depression -- Problems of peer relationships -- Conduct disorders: Prevalence -- Classification -- Developmental course -- Causes and correlates of conduct disorders -- Conduct-disordered behaviors and treatments -- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: Criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Primary behavior problems -- Secondary behavior problems -- Issues in classification -- Prevalence -- Etiology -- Developmental course and prognosis -- Identifying the ADHD child -- Treatment -- Mental retardation: How is mental retardation defined? -- The nature of measurement of intelligence -- Adaptive behavior -- Levels of retardation -- Prevalence -- Etiology -- Learning and cognition -- Social deficits and behavior problems -- Family reactions and influences -- Placement, treatment, and education -- Learning disabilities: Definition -- Prevalence -- Academic performance -- Cognitive deficits -- Social and motivational factors -- Motivation -- Etiology -- Development course and outcome -- Assessing the learning disabled child -- Treatment approaches -- Educational efforts and policy -- Fundamental issues about LD -- Autism and childhood schizophrenia: The problem of definition -- Autism -- Childhoold schizophrenia -- Disorders of basic physical functions: Disorders of eating -- Disorders of elimination -- Sleep disorders -- Psychological factors affecting physical conditions: A changing perspective -- Asthma: psychological causes and the role of family -- Psychological consequences of chronic illness -- Psychological influences on medical treatment -- Evolving concerns for the child: Importance of prevention and early intervention -- Families of transition -- Current and future challenges.