1.

Introduction and reminders about assignments

a. Will not accept late work
b. Include a citation for the cultural variable
c. DSM was written by white males so it needs to be contextualized
d. The WHO tracks global health and determines the ICD codes for mental health
diagnoses
e. Learning disabilities are different between countries so we need a pan-human
perspective
f. The codification of mental illness helps us diagnose and treat – but there is a dark side if
you get it wrong
g. NASP communique has an article about school psychologists diagnosing by Nathaniel
Jones
h. Include Davis chapter case conceptualization
i. Make sure to edit for spelling, grammar, and flow
j. Purpose of elevator speech: communicate to parents in friendly language what a
disorder is – let it flow like verbal speech
k. Purpose of case conceptualization: need to advocate for a student with other
professionals – don’t include test results just what’s necessary
2. Personality disorders (PD)
a. Class discussion – personality disorders are often difficult to diagnose and treat, are
separated into 3 clusters, and often exaggerated in media
b. Osmosis video
c. Our society often supports and encourages people with these disorders (e.g., executives
with narcissistic PD)
3. PD Assignment – varied based on chosen diagnoses
a. Elevator speeches
b. ISBE – emotional disturbance
c. Cultural barrier – may marginalize groups who have gone through traumatic situations
and their reality may be different than our own
i. Good to consult with others (e.g. social worker)
d. Video – clinical psychologist discusses differentiating PD
i. “The 4 Most Misunderstood Personality Disorders & How to Spot Them”
e. DBT is often the most useful approach for early childhood trauma
f. BP anecdote – working in a unit with a child with borderline personality disorder
i. Good at “splitting” – creating conflict by turning others against each other
ii. Close the split by creating cohesion – check with others for what they said which
demonstrates the usefulness of being cohesive
iii. They grew up with chaos in early childhood and want to live in it
iv. In schools – everyone’s attention is on one student and there’s low team work,
then can treat once identified
g. Narcissistic anecdote – often make others feel inferior so not well-liked by staff
i. Behind the narcissism is a frightened child who feels unworthy
ii. Usually born to highly educated parents – a cerebral way to manage chaos
 h. If you meet an antisocial pd – walk the other way as they do not feel the way that others
do and there is no effective treatment
i. Narcissistic PD and antisocial PD overlap a lot – however - narcissists are more likely to
follow social norms than antisocial
4. Reactive attachment disorder (RAD)
a. Often identified around 3rd grade
b. Child seems intelligent and knows how to act appropriately but ends up not caring
about others and are ruthless
c. Video
d. Children with RAD may not feel comfortable when people get close
e. Parents are often burned out after taking care of them following adoption as kids with
RAD often “run the family” and can be manipulative
f. Kids with RAD can be triggered by situations and it is highly upsetting for them
g. Student shared story of a prior case of a child with RAD – student moved around a lot,
even for treatment, which can make recovery more difficult
h. Based on post-institutionalized children (orphanages with low caregiver ratios) because
children from those places would often present with RAD symptoms
i. Attachment therapy is helpful – such as theraplay – because it establishes an
attachment with a caregiver
j. Case conceptualization share-outs
k. It’s important to interpret the test results because they are inanimate objects that don’t
“say” anything
5. Substance use disorder
a. Osmosis video
b. Discussion of common drug use at school
c. Could be helpful to attend a meeting like Alcoholics Anonymous to gain insight
d. Often a “dual diagnosis” because they are self-mediating due to some kind of issue
causing pain
e. Substance use is not an ISBE disability category
f. Ask students questions about their substance use (checklist is in files)
g. Could be another disability that is driving the substance abuse
h. Everyone uses substances to cope sometimes, but we need to recognize when it gets
out of hand
i. Not all clinicians have specific training, so we need to verify if they have the proper
training
j. Reviewed checklist – may need to read it to child because of their reading level
k. Consider the affect of legalization will have
l. Consistently using any substance will negatively affect the brain
i. Chronic cannabis use damages the hippocampus
m. Many countries drank beer when there was no clean water
n. Pan-human neurological issues and many social/political issues depending on where you
live
o. Males tend to have alcohol use disorder more often than females