Baltimore City Association of School Psychologists

Volume 5, Issue 1 Fall 2013

initiatives provide me with a solid framework for what is expected of me as President. I have already asked Pam many questions and am sure I will continue to seek her guidance, as needed, throughout the year. Nadine Warrick, Brad Petry and Abby Courtright are also an energetic, hard working and just plain fun group of people and I am lucky to have them on the BCASP board with me. Our gatherings have already been both productive and enjoyable, and I am glad to have the support of these four people. Their energy is infectious and motivating! In the last two years, the BCASP President has also taken on the role of the local MSPA Representative. While I was not eager to add another meeting to my busy schedule, it has been an interesting learning experience to see how our state organization operates. MSPA also provides a number of opportunities for members to advocate for our students and promote the importance of our field on state level. Courtnay Oatts from the MSPA & BCASP Legislative Committee helped coordinate an Annual Grassroots and Advocacy Training earlier this month. I am also pleased to see that Baltimore City is well represented among the active members of the MSPA Board. The MSPA Fall Conference last Friday, October 18, related to the DSM-V and Disruptive Behavior Disorders was also an engaging and informative experience about changes in our field. As the local MSPA representative, I would like to encourage our BCASP members to join MSPA and see what our state organization has to offer (mspaonline.org). Our major event this time of year is our Fifth Annual Fall Fundraiser, scheduled for Friday, November 15th at 6:30pm at Of Love & Regret (ofloveandregret.com) in the Brewers Hill neighborhood. This is an excellent venue with delicious food and specialty drinks. This year, proceeds will benefit Project Mickey (projectmickey.org), which is a humane education program that promotes safe and positive behavior by children towards animals. The program currently operates in two of our Baltimore City schools and provides students with opportunities to have safe interactions with prescreened animals and work on expanding their vocabulary for expressing feelings. One our school psychologists, Heidi Trasatti, helps run Project Mickey and we are glad to sponsor this wonderful and worthy charity. As a dog lover and educator, I think we have found a great cause to support this year. Like most of you all, I have had a very busy start to the school year. The students we serve are a needy and challenging group, and some days the demands of our job can be exhausting and overwhelming. However, your work is appreciated, worthwhile and makes a positive impact on our students and community. You also have the support of your colleagues and local professional organization! Have a positive and productive school year everyone! Check out our website (bcasp.net) and Twitter page: @BCASP2013. Samuel D. Chavez, Nationally Certified School Psychologist

Presidents Pen
Hello BCASP members and welcome to the 2013-14 school year! After being involved with our professional organization for a number of years as a member and Treasurer, I am excited to take on the leadership role of President this year. In my nine years working in Baltimore City Schools, I have seen BCASP grow in numbers and community involvement. According to my records, our membership has grown from 22 members in 2006-07 to 75 in 2012-13! This year, we already have 74 members and we are well on our way to our goal of 80 members or more, which would constitute more than half of our school psychology staff! BCASP has also participated in activities such as the Habitat for Humanity and our annual Fall Fundraiser, and continues to develop our new and informative newsletter. Additionally, BCASP is sponsoring a professional development opportunity this year, made available through an MSPA training grant. Lastly, our BCASP sponsored happy hours are always a fun way to network, socialize and get to know colleagues outside of the school/PD setting. In short, there are a number of benefits to joining our local professional organization, as well as a number of opportunities for our members to give back to the Baltimore City community. A major strength of BCASP is our current board members and our past leadership framework. Pam CocolBrown, Jessica Munch, Kate Shoemaker and Sharon Gorenstein are fantastic predecessors as BCASPs most recent Presidents. They have truly helped raise the bar and reach of our organization. Their leadership and

Inside this issue:

Johns Hopkins STARS Program Breaking the Behavior Barrier Practical Apps For School Psychologists A Lesson in Tolerance

2 5 8 12

November Calendar Life Journey Online Mentoring BCASP Executive Board MSPA Fall Conference Recap

3 6 10 13

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Baltimore City Association of School Psychologists

Johns Hopkins University: STARS Study

Written By: Abby Courtright, MA., Ed.S., NCSP

What is the STARS program? Dr. Golda Ginsberg, a clinical psychologist, from Johns Hopkins University spoke about the STARS program beginning in August 2012 and again at our first meeting of the current school year. The amount of information discussed during professional development workshops can be overwhelming, so BCASP felt it was important to further explain what the STARS program is and why participation in it is an exciting opportunity for school psychologists in our district. STARS stands for School-Based Treatment of Anxiety Research Study and is being run through Johns Hopkins University, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The STARS program is investigating the efficacy of different types of treatment used with children who struggle with anxiety. As part of the STARS team, you receive ongoing training and supervision in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and compensation for participating in clinical supervision and treating cases. Clinicians who participate will be part of the largest school-based clinical trial for youth with anxiety disorders. How is it organized?

As part of the STARS team, you receive ongoing training and supervision in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and compensation for participating in clinical supervision and treating cases.

The STARS program is interested in learning how students with anxiety benefit from CBT compared to usual clinical care. Half of the clinicians in the study are given extensive training in CBT strategies as well as a tool kit with 12 CBT lessons and materials. The other half of the clinicians are given the CBT training after they treat eight students. No matter what group you are assigned, at some point, you will be given extensive FREE training in CBT. School psychologists are randomly chosen to offer services in the control group or treatment group and asked to identify students in their school who have symptoms of anxiety. Once students are identified, a treatment plan is developed based on the group you have been assigned. Clinicians receive support in their treatment of these students in both the control and experimental group. What do I need to do once enrolled and assigned to a group? When you have agreed to participate in the STARS program, permission from the school principal is needed, and then students need to be identified. Teachers have been very responsive in making appropriate referrals because STARS provides a thorough handout detailing characteristics of a student with anxiety. Students can be in general or special education and/or on your caseload. STARS ask that clinicians informally assess students by completing a SCARED survey to see if the referred student is a match for the study. School based clinicians are responsible for calling parents/guardians to share information about the study and ask permission for JHU to contact them further. STARS representatives will come to your school, meet with the student, and complete a thorough assessment and diagnosis. Once this step is finished, you are able to begin work with your selected students. I have a student to work with! Now what? All sessions are tape recorded and uploaded to a drop box account. A STARS team member will review the recording and offer feedback on your sessions. These consultations can be over the phone or in person. You are compensated financially for your time spent

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NOVEMBER 2013
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4 BCASP Fall Newsletter Distribution 11 School

6 New PRIDE Manual Training 13 Awareness

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15 16 Systemic PD BCASP Charity Event 22 1st & 2nd Year Staff Meeting 23

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28 No School Thanksgiving

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STARS Program Continued...

consulting! Identified students receive twelve sessions and the appropriate paperwork must be completed following each meeting. When the twelve sessions are concluded, a member of the STARS team will come back to your school and administer a follow up assessment of the student to determine the effectiveness of intervention. How do I enroll? The STARS study continues to seek clinicians for participation in the study. You can contact the program at STARS@jhmi.edu to indicate your interest. The STARS team is very responsive and will answer your questions. This study offers a great opportunity to strengthen your CBT counseling skills and participate in excellent, ongoing training from Johns Hopkins. School psychologists who participated in the study last school year, from both the control and CBT groups, offered positive feedback about their participation.

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Baltimore City Association of School Psychologists

Breaking the Behavior Barrier

Written By: Erin OKeeffe

Breaking the Behavior Barrier is a reoccurring column that highlights intervention ideas to help teachers improve classroom behavior management so the focus can be kept on learning. Intervention: Secret Superhero Materials Needed: class, box of prizes Container with a lid, one popsicle stick for each child in the

Grade Levels: Elementary School Purpose: This is a simple classroom-wide intervention that can be used to encourage all students to be on their best behavior on a daily basis. It is designed to be engaging for children without overtly calling out those students who frequently need to improve their behavior. Steps for Implementation: Decorate the container and label it with the words Secret Superhero (see below for idea on how to decorate it with a superhero theme.) Then, write each students name on a popsicle stick and place them in the closed container. To make it easier, the popsicle sticks can be painted half blue and half red (or whatever colors match the superheros theme) so the chosen students stick can be turned upside down and it will be evident which student was picked that day. Introduce the new system by explaining to students that a Secret Superhero will be picked each day. That student will be watched all day for signs that they are following all the rules and expectations of the classroom. Teachers should be clear with students about what behaviors will be important for them to show such as completing all work, participating in class, being kind to peers, etc. Each morning, pick a different name and without telling the students who it is, remind them that the Secret Superhero is being watched throughout the day. At the end of the day, the Secret Superhero is revealed. If he or she has followed the rules with minimal redirection, this student earns a prize for the day. If the student did not follow the rules, no one gets a prize. Instead, tell the class that the Secret Superhero needs to work harder next time without revealing the students name. This way the students know they all need to keep working hard to earn the prize. Ideas for decorating the Secret Superhero container: Remove any labels from the container and wash it thoroughly.

Each morning, pick a different name and without telling the students who it is, remind them that the Secret Superhero is being watched throughout the day.

Use spray paint to paint the inside of the container. Make sure the paint is recommended for the type of material you are using (plastic, etc). Place the container upside down and let dry while excess paint drips out. Cut a piece of felt to use as a cape for the container and attach it with a pipe cleaner when dry. Add superhero stickers to the outside of the container.

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Online Mentoring Program Through LifeJourney

Written By: Ann Carberry, PhD

LifeJourney is an online career simulation experience that empowers students and individuals to test drive future career opportunities to gain exposure to skills they will need to achieve the future about which they have been dreaming. The platform was launched during the Cyber Maryland Conference in Baltimore on October 89, 2013. This launch will be called LifeJourney Ideation Days. Select Baltimore public and private schools are currently planning and coordinating to participate in Ideation Days; however, more are welcome, so pass the word to your teachers, s t u d e n t s a n d administrators. Go to www.lifejourney.us for more information, including videos that describe the goals and operation of LifeJourney. This is a wonderful opportunity for adolescents to prepare themselves for real jobs that are actually available in our area including digital identity specialists, digital forensic analysts, IT administrators, data scientists, and more. More than 19,000 STEM-related jobs nationwide are in need of being filled in cyber-related areas alone. Our students

need these opportunities to inspire them and provide practical skills and encouragement needed to realize that they can work toward a real career that they will enjoy. Schools are encouraged to participate in LifeJourney Ideation Days and introduce classes to the learning platform. Students will be encouraged to try out some careers in search of their passion and then pursue them by being exposed to the necessary skills for that career. They will have an interactive way to experience a day in the life of actual technologists from leading companies around the nation. Their mentor will provide a corporate role model and an interactive way to experience their future. Though LifeJourney, students can try over 100 career experiences in real companies like Lockheed Martin. They will be able to experience interesting and fulfilling careers which utilize a STEAM skillset (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). These companies provide staff who serve as mentors for the students who are using LifeJourney to explore what specific jobs require and be exposed to

the needed skills. A LifeJourney mentor is a subject matter expert working for a leading company or organization who becomes a national role model for a career by enabling students to live a day in the life of that career. The LifeJourney platform was designed to enable a single mentor from each participating company to reach out and interact with millions of students across the nation, thus providing the first massively-scalable mentoring system. Mentors need only spend about an hour each month to tune the expert knowledge base to meet the students evolving needs in a given career experience. Students will also have the opportunity to use the Clearable app on Facebook to analyze their social media in order to determine if their activity may affect their future career opportunities that require a Top Secret Clearance. The student is guided by the LifeJourney mentor toward achieving good results in Clearable. Please pass the word and encourage everyone to check out the LifeJourney website and get involved in helping students to access this wonderful opportunity!

The LifeJourney platform was designed to enable a single mentor to reach out and interact with millions of students across the nation, providing the first massivelyscalable mentoring system.

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Baltimore City Association of School Psychologists

Sleep: A Variable You Might Want to Consider When Choosing Academic Performance and Interventions
Written By: Twila Beck, M.A./C.A.S.

Oftentimes, a basic question that addresses the students sleeping patterns may be overlooked and never addressed.

When attending IEP or SST meetings, there are many questions from s chool p sychologis ts , speech and language pathologists, IEP chairs, parents, administrators, and the teaching staff that revolve around the central question of, Why is this student not progressing behaviorally or academically? Next, the general educator may describe behaviors that the student exhibits alluding to anger and/or aggression, difficulty retaining information, difficulty reading, and trouble with problem-solving tasks. Traditional strategies implemented to increase these skills may include working in small groups, one-to-one tutoring, and monitoring progress. Consequently, if the student did not make progress, testing is usually recommended.

Oftentimes, however, a basic question that addresses the students sleeping patterns may be overlooked and never addressed. An article by Curcio, Ferrara, and DeGennaro (2006) explains that students who have inadequate sleeping patterns (i.e. going to bed late, getting up too early, or not getting into a deep sleep) are more likely to demonstrate difficulty with thinking patterns that take place in the pre-frontal cortex. These thinking patterns include, attention, decision -making, and creative thinking. Furthermore, some students may demonstrate emotional and social problems influenced by limited sleep. When considering the implementation of the Core Curriculum, students are now expected to perform tasks that require complex prob-

lem-solving skills on a daily basis. As school psychologists, we can intervene appropriately by asking about sleep patterns when gathered around the IEP or SST table. The purpose of this article is not to indicate that sleeping patterns are the root of all academic problems. Rather, it is to remind us that sleep quality may be one of the many factors contributing to students falling behind academically. It is worth noting that once sleeping patterns improve, learning capacity and academic performance have the potential to improve (Curcio, Ferrara, & DeGennaro, 2006). Therefore, if lack of sleep is the main reason that a student is not making academic progress, more consistent, adequate sleeping patterns

Reference: Curcio, G., Ferrara, M., &DeGennaro, L. (2006). Sleep loss, learning capacity, and

Professional Development Committee: 2013-2014 Goals

1. 2. Successfully re-apply for the MSPA PD Grant. We will need the help of the membership to decide upon a professional development need. Develop a better, more collaborative relationship with the IT Committee so that PD Opportunities can be available to membership via the website, Facebook, and Twitter. We also want to ensure up-to-date information. Develop a support system for AU course development. Propose and develop a BCASP membership PD scholarship. This would include developing an application process that specifically looked at justification. The winner would be obligated to write about PD experience for the Newsletter. To have a successful PD Opportunity based on our award from the last MSPA PD Grant! If you have suggestions for a location to hold the PD, please let us know!!

3. 4.

5.

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Class Dojo: Classroom Behavior Management Made Easy!

Written By: Sarah Amburn, M.A., C.A.S.

How many times have you received a referral for a behavior problem for one student, only to find after observing the class that classroom management as a whole appears to be the biggest factor? One of my favorite classroom management tools I recommend to teachers is Class Dojo, an online behavior management tool that improves student behavior while collecting accurate data. Class Dojo is easy, effective, and best of all, FREE! Teachers can log onto www.classdojo.com and upload their class roster onto an interactive board that gives each student their own avatar. During class, with one click of a button on their smart board, computer, smart phone, or tablet, teachers can reward students for positive behaviors. Class Dojo comes set up with a list behaviors as well as an option to add additional behaviors. Points are totaled each day and stored online for easy data collection over weeks, months, or the entire school year. Additionally, parents can log in and view their childs behavior through a parent portal, making home school communication easier. Teachers can generate class or individual student reports that help students

visually reflect on their behavior. As we know, research suggests immediate and frequent feedback for positive behavior helps to improve student and classroom performance (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers, & Sugai, 2008). Behavioral expectations are also reinforced through the use of this program as it allows students to compete with one another to earn the most positive behavior points. Teachers also get a view of class behavior trends without lugging around the dreaded clipboard and individual behavior data charts. While Class Dojo does give the option to track negative behavior, users agree that reinforcing positive behavior can be most effective in shaping behavior. Class Dojo emphasizes managing student behavior efficiently without interfering with instruction. Teachers can record behavior without interrupting learning by simply clicking a button. In observing classrooms which use class Dojo on a consistent basis, teachers find it easiest to use their smart phone along with displaying their students avatars on their smart board or projector. A

teacher can silently award Bobby for sitting quietly with one click on his or her smart phone. This simultaneously syncs with the Class Dojo application projected from the teachers computer to display an icon awarding Bobby a point. The display tells what student has been awarded a point and what positive behavior they displayed. Multiple students can even be awarded points at the same time. Class Dojo includes additional tools for teachers, such as a visual timer and a random student selector to generate groups. Class Dojo is a great resource to share with teachers who are looking for a classwide behavior management system or help managing behavior of a few students in their classroom. Class Dojo also wins teacher buy-in since it is free, requires no permanent products to be kept, and analyzes and tracks its own data. Not only can Class Dojo be used in the classroom, but it can also be a great tool for school psychologists and counselors to use during group counseling sessions. I use Class Dojo in a group I run for students with goals in behavior management. This allows me to reinforce expectations and norms without constantly stopping my lesson to correct behavior.

References: Class Twist INC. (2013) About class dojo . Retrieved from http://www.classdojo.com/about Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., &Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based practices in classroom management: Considerations for research to practice. Education and Treatment of Children, 31(3), 351-

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Baltimore City Association of School Psychologists

Practical Apps for School Psychologists

Written By: Jennifer McCloskey Ganz, NCSP

After years of refusing to board the Tablet Express, you suddenly realize that you may be more in need of a BIP than the eight-year-old student who was recently added to your caseload. It is time to admit that coding 15-second intervals while simultaneously scribbling hand-written notes about an aggressive child with an abundance of energy is not an easy task. Reflecting on a recent conversation with a school psychology intern, it dawns on you that hand-held technology may actually be an asset to your field. At the end of the day, you visit your neighborhood Apple store to purchase a shiny new iPad. After dinner, you kick up your feet and press the button that should instantly propel you into the 21st century. You grin from ear-to-ear as the screen magically appears. As you stare at the funny-looking contraption before you, the warm and fuzzy feeling quickly fades. In a matter of seconds, your smile is replaced by a look of sheer panic. Now what? Take a deep breath and relax. There is no need to embark on this technological journey alone. Take your first steps by reading below about multiple apps that are easy and practical for any modern school psychologist.

123TokenMe (123Apps4Me) Free! Designed to replace a token board or

visual reward system, this virtual positive reinforcement system made for an iPhone or iPad is perfect for any young student who needs an individualized behavior plan. Though there are multiple applications available with similar functions, this one is fun because it allows you to add a picture of the student and choose realistic graphics such as chocolate chip cookies to represent tokens. There is also a large selection of pictures to represent rewards everything from snack foods to tennis shoes (that could be used to represent a movement break). Additional features include a timer and data-tracking system. To learn more about how this application might be useful in your daily practice, go to http://123apps4me.com/123tokenme

All About You, All About Me Fun Deck (Super Duper Publications)
$2.99 Super Duper Publications has many great tools for school psychologists, speech therapists, and other clinicians. This award-winning app is made for the iPhone and iPad, and can be used with individuals or groups for rapport building, social skills practice, and improving listening skills. The clinician customizes the activity by entering each students name and choosing from 56 possible questions to be included. Questions range from basic to open -ended and can be modified for children of various ages and developmental levels. Once the game begins, students wait for a name to appear on the screen indicating whose turn it is to answer the question displayed. Pictures and the option of hearing the question read aloud even make the activity applicable to non-readers. To check out this application and other useful tool, visit http:// www.superduperinc.com/apps

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Practical Apps for School Psychologists, Continued

BehaviorLENS (SuperPsyched LLC) $29.99 created by school psychologists, this application seems like a dream come true! It allows the evaluator to choose between using interval recording, frequency count, duration, or the ABC method when conducting observations. Interested in comparing observations made in multiple settings? No problem. You can even generate detailed reports with graphs that can be saved as PDF files and sent as email attachments. Once you use this tool once, you will never consider making hand-written observation notes again! For more information, go to http:// www.behaviorlensapp.com

Breathe2Relax (The National Center for Telehealth and Technology) Free!

This user-friendly app is designed to teach people of all ages how to develop basic breathing strategies to promote relaxation. A video demonstration introduces the concept of belly breathing, and the user can also read about how stress negatively impacts different body functions. The main breathing cycle exercise can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing time given for inhaling and exhaling. Calming music and visuals to accompany the exercise can also be customized by the user. You can even chart your stress level before and after completing the exercise and the data will be compiled into a graph. The best thing about this app is that using it will benefit both you and your students!

Feel Electric (Sesame Street) Free! Dont let the fact that Sesame Street
produced this app fool you into thinking that it will only be useful with young children! This fun and interactive tool for the iPhone and iPad can be used with students in the elementary grades and even early middle grades (depending on developmental level). In this app, the high-energy cast of The Electric Company (PBS) uses positive games and activities to teach children how to express their feelings using words and how to identify a persons current emotion based on their facial expression. This app does not have a website to visit, but you can download it for free and then take a few minutes to check it out!

Moody Monster Manor HD (Alex Toys) Free! If you use the term feeling
or emotion to begin a search in the Apple Store, you will discover that there are multiple apps centered on this critical concept in child development. It is important that you review several options before deciding which tool(s) will be most beneficial to you and your students. Upon first reviewing Moody Monster Manor HD, a colorful app created to help young children identify emotions, you may be a bit skeptical. However, after watching the response of an energetic eight-year-old with Autism who repeatedly played the games on this app during a recent session, I became a true fan. Students are introduced to a cast of monsters including Scared Sam, Embarrassed Erma, and Happy Harry. Children are able to expand on their understanding of emotions by playing games that allow them to do things such as identify facial features to match different emotions and create monsters with a variety of different facial expressions. This is another application without an accompanying website, but downloading it will only take a few seconds. Enjoy your visit to Monster Manor!

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Baltimore City Association of School Psychologists

Meet the BCASP Executive Board for the 2013-2014 School Year!
Sam Chavez, President
I am originally from West Texas and am in my ninth year as a school psychologist in BCPS. I graduated from Towson University in 2002 and completed Towsons Honors Clinical Psychology Program. During that time, I received undergraduate internship experience in an after school program and a school based mental health program in Baltimore City. This experience led to my interest in school psychology and I then completed my graduate training at Towsons School Psychology program in 2005. After completing my practicum and internship experience in Harford County, I began my career in Baltimore City. I currently work at The Reach Partnership School (#341) and Benjamin Franklin High School @ Masonville Cove (#239). I have been at BFHS since my first year and have seen this school transition from a middle school to a community high school. My experiences in Baltimore City include working with a PRIDE program, Life Skills Programs, and the Nonpublic assessment team, which have exposed me to a diverse group of students, families, personalities and learning styles. My placements have always been in the middle and high school settings, and I like conversing and building rapport with these older students. However, working with younger students is also a fun change of pace when I'm given the opportunity.

Pamela A. Cocol-Brown, Past President

I graduated from the University at Buffalo with a double degree in Psychology and Health and Human Services. I worked for several years in the education industry both in Buffalo and Chicago before beginning graduate school in School Psychology at Towson University in 2006. I completed my internship in the Howard County Public School System and began working for Baltimore City in 2009. I currently work at Cecil Elementary, a prekindergarten through fifth grade school and am a part of the Assessment Team. I have previously worked at Glenmount Elementary/ Middle School, William Pinderhughes Elementary/ Middle School and was a member of the Counseling Team. I also serve as a mentor to new employees and have supervised practicum students. Current professional interests include assessment techniques, CBT counseling, and preschool interventions. I have been an active member of BCASP since I began working for City Schools, serving as Social Committee Chair prior to being nominated for President. I currently serve as BCASP Past President and am a member of the Information Management, Professional Development, and Social Committees, and was the former Design and Layout Editor of the BCASP newsletter. Additionally, I am an active member of MSPA and NASP having presented at conferences and have been published in both the Protocol and Communique.

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Nadine Warrick, President Elect

I have worked as a school psychologist with BCPS for the past five years, four of which were dedicated to performing the duties of a traditional school psychologist. Over the past few years I have worked in the Early Learning Office in the Infants and Toddlers Unit. It was within this unit where I experienced firsthand the positive interactions and successes that can be achieved when agencies work collaboratively. In 2011, I completed my School Administration certificate which primarily focuses on Special Education. During this time, I have been a member of BCASP and have been heavily involved in organizing charity events including Habitat for Humanity projects. This year I am working as a Team Lead on a newly established group that focuses on collaborative efforts with school psychologists and speech-language pathologists. Our team is working to launch a comprehensive model of service that focuses on prevention with our early learner population. Our primary future goal includes expanding our initiatives across all grade levels and schools in an effort to establish a full-spectrum model of service delivery for all school

Abby Courtright, Treasurer

I have been working as a school psychologist in the Baltimore City schools for the past seven years. Most of my time at BCPS has been spent in the middle and high school grade levels. I particularly enjoy counseling students and working with them towards positive behavior change. I have worked in my schools to reduce gang activity, develop student conflict resolution skills, and increase communication skills to reduce aggressive behaviors. Additionally, I am participating in the STARS project for a second year and am currently working on developing AU courses for psychologists and special educators. Last school year, I worked with my high school staff to be involved with the FBA/BIP intensive training to facilitate more effective BIPs and consistent positive behavior change in our students. Over the summers, I have worked in a variety of different therapeutic settings with teens with the goal of strengthening my therapeutic skill set and gaining experiences with different student populations. I am honored to be a member of the BCASP board and look forward to all the exciting events that are in the works for the new year. I am particularly excited for the Habitat for Humanity build and our charity fundraiser!

Bradley Petry, Secretary

I have worked as a school psychologist in BCPS for eight years. I recently earned my PsyD from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. I was also selected as the MSPA 2012 Outstanding Practitioner of the Year. I have had many different experiences and opportunities in my career. Ive been a school-based school psychologist in both elementary and middle schools, Ive been a member of the testing team, Ive been a representative of the Central Student Support Team (CSST), Ive worked in a comprehensive school for medically-fragile and multiply -handicapped children, and Ive mentored, supervised, and have been able to work very closely with the intern and novice school psychologist training programs. In the past I have served as Treasurer of BCASP, Chair of the Nominations Committee, and Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee. This year I am serving as a Lead School Psychologist on the newly-established PIEL Team. This group of school psychologists and speechlanguage pathologists are working to establish a comprehensive model of service focusing on preventative and early intervening services. We are beginning in select schools with prekindergarten and kindergarten classes. We look forward to expanding to more schools and higher grades in an effort to establish a full-spectrum model of service delivery for all Baltimore City School Psychologists in the next several years. This year I am also serving as the Secretary for both BCASP and MSPA, and continuing to serve as Co-Chair for the BCASP Professional Development Committee.

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Baltimore City Association of School Psychologists

Chrysanthemum: A Lesson in Tolerance

Written By: Lisa Austin, M.S., Ed.S, NCSP

When gender identity and differences lead to intolerance and even bullying in young children, students and staff can always use support in leading discussion that focus on respecting diversity. Here is a series of discussion guiding questions that can be used with the story Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes:

How did Chrysanthemum feel going to her first day of school? Why (Specifically looking for the positive affirmations given to her by her parents)? When did Chrysanthemum start feeling differently? (Roll Call) What was it about Mrs. Chuds taking roll that made Chrysanthemum feel sad? (Other students making fun of her name, something she always loved and was proud of) Why did the children make fun of Chrysanthemum? (Specifically looking for them to recognize that there was nothing WRONG with her name, just that it was different) Is there anything wrong with being different? Who can tell me a way that they are different from everyone else in this room? Every day when Chrysanthemum went home, her parents reminded her how lovely and special she is and tried to make her feel better with her favorite things. Was that enough to make her feel good when she went back to school? Why not? (Looking for recognition that the mean things kids say to each other every day, add up. That no matter how much love/support someone may get at home or from other people, being mean and bullying adds up and has a REALLY negative effect on how people feel every day). Name some negative things Chrysanthemum thought about herself/happened to Chrysanthemum as a result of the teasing: Had a dream that her name was Jane Nightmare that she was a flower (if they can get that into it, talk about the dream and what it means that they picked and picked and picked until nothing was left but a stemthat might be too deep for 1st graders?) Some of you identified ways that you were different from everyone else. These differences, do you have any control over them? (Looking for them to recognize that someones name, how they look or how they walk/talk is not something they have control over). How would you feel if someone picked on you and made you feel bad for those differences? The bullies that were making fun of Chrysanthemum - pick some words to describe them. Would you guys like it if people described you the way you just described Victoria, Rita or Jo? Why or why not? Who finally made Chrysanthemum feel better? How? (Looking for recognition that it just took one person to appreciate and relate to what makes Chrysanthemum different. One person to change the way EVERYONE treated her. ONE positive person to make Chrysanthemum feel better and make a bigger change) What are some words that would describe Ms. Twinkle? Would you like to be described like Ms. Twinkle? If you could choose between The Bullies or Ms. Delphinium Twinkle, who would you rather be described like/similar to? Why? You can CHOOSE to be more like Ms. Twinkle than like The Bullies. What can you do at school to be more like Ms. Twinkle and less like The Bullies? What should you do if you seeing someone being less like Ms. Twinkle and more like The Bullies?

Reference: Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum. Illus. Kevin Henkes. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1991.

Volume 5, Issue 1

Page 13

MSPA Fall Conference Recap

Written By: Susana Castillo, M.A./C.A.S.

On October 18, 2013, the Maryland School Psychologists Association (MSPA) hosted Dr. Michael J. Labellarte, Sr. and Dr. Duane Michael Isava. The topic of the event was DSM-5 and Aggressive, Impulsive, and Disruptive Behavior. The following is a synopsis of key points and discussions covered during this presentation: The morning session began with a comprehensive overview of the DSM-5. Dr. Labellarte discussed important updates that have been made to the DSM-5. Though there were fewer drastic changes in the manual than many expected, one concern that came up is how more strict criteria could lead to underdiagnosing, especially for those students who are borderline for meeting criteria. One change that many of us have already been applying relates to Intellectual Disability: the language of Mental Retardation (MR) has been removed and is now replaced with Intellectual Disability (Intellectual Developmental Disorder). Severity of the impairment - mild, moderate, severe, or profound - is now based on adaptive functioning rather than IQ score. Another pertinent change relates to Autism: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a DSM-5 condition that now reflects four previously separate disorders (Autism, Aspergers Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified) that is now identified as a single condition with different levels of symptom severity in two core domains.

While other changes to the manual have been made, highlights include:

New depressive disorders, including Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Two Criterion A symptoms are required for any diagnosis of schizophrenia The chapter related to Anxiety Disorders no longer includes ObsessiveC o m p u l s i v e D i s or d e r (which is included within the Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders section) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder are now included with the trauma- and stressor-related disorders ADHD can now officially be co-morbid with ASD

The afternoon session covered aggressive, impulsive, and disruptive behaviors in youth. The development and natural course of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) was discussed. One thing to keep in mind for children with behavioral disorders is that more often than not, co-morbid disorders amplify each other rather than simply co-exist or get covered-up. Furthermore, Dr. Labellarte noted:

ODD predicts CD in males but is less common in females CD predicts behavior problems ODD predicts early adulthood emotional disorders

Also stressed was how, with technology so heavily influencing youth, we must not ignore the roles that pop culture and cyberspace play in influencing behaviors. One misconception clarified is that kids with high self-esteem are actually more apt to be aggressive and impulsive than those with low self-esteem. Dr. Isava briefly presented on behavior modification of self-control and executive function through the use of social-emotional learning. Social-emotional learning is instructional programming that teaches social/emotional skills. Put more simply, social -emotional learning is teaching in the moment. Specifically, he presented the evidenced based program Strong Start as the basis for many of his interventions. Strong Start is a program that approaches treatment in a multi-modal way, valuing temperament and personality traits, and using multiple learning modalities. The program targets behaviors with the use of reward systems, using I-statements, parent training therapy, and self-regulation. After discussing this presentation with colleagues who also attended, it became clear to me that this information was immediately relevant to daily practice of school psychologists in the field. I found that Dr. Labellartes presentation was most helpful in that much of this information can be applied to support improved functioning in the school setting.

Though there were fewer drastic changes in the manual than many expected, one concern that came up is how more strict criteria could lead to underdiagnosing, especially for those students who are borderline for meeting criteria.

Thank you for reading!

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