Children's play: Piaget's views reconsidered

Piaget's theoretical contributions to the study of children's play are described. The Piagetian notions of play as representing pure assimilation and as serving a consolidative function are examined. Contemporary research in which these and other Piagetian premises have been studied empirically is reviewed.     

Piloting autism intervention research with teachers in mainstream classrooms

Although there is a recognised need for effective practices to support students on the autism spectrum in mainstream schools, there is a research to practice gap in the area of autism and education, whereby evidence-based intervention may take decades to translate into mainstream classroom practice. Thus, current recommendations are that, rather than presenting mainstream school teachers with interventions developed and tested in clinical or special education settings, a participatory research process should be used to facilitate implementation in real-world mainstream classrooms. This article reports on a case study that aimed to refine a structured teaching intervention package for use in mainstream classrooms, while at the same time tailoring research methods for evaluating the package in these settings. The outcomes of the project are presented with respect to (a) the development and refinement of the intervention package in consultation with a mainstream classroom teacher and (b) the lessons learned during the process that other clinical researchers, teachers, and clinicians could apply when implementing educational interventions in mainstream settings.     

Experiences with Counselor Training in Central Europe: Voices from Student Trainees

Globalization has led to an increase in United States-influenced counseling programs the world over; however, the extent to which these training models apply to other cultures is unclear. Using a sample of master’s-level counseling students studying in the Czech Republic (n?=?5), the authors conducted a phenomenological inquiry examining the experiences of European students trained in a program developed and supervised by faculty in the United States. Three themes (and potential barriers) related to English-language training programs in Central Europe included: cultural differences between faculty and students, complications related to the notion of professional identity, and concerns related to the utility of wellness-based principles in the Czech Republic. Implications for educators include cultural adaptation of training and course material as well as reframing illness perspectives through a wellness lens.     

"A burden in your heart": lessons of disclosure from female preadolescent and adolescent survivors of sexual abuse

OBJECTIVES: To enhance understanding of the sexual abuse disclosure process from the perspective of preteen and teenage survivors. To reconsider prominent models of the disclosure process in light of our findings. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from four focus groups in which 34 preadolescent and adolescent female survivors of sexual abuse had been asked about their treatment experiences. Girls often recounted disclosing their victimization to others. Using the disclosure segment as our unit of analysis, we isolated 106 for study. During analysis, we wrote narrative summaries of each segment's significance, grouped these conceptually, and examined their interconnectedness. When synthesized, individual experiences of disclosing contributed to understanding the overall disclosure process. RESULTS: Three phases were identified: Self, where children come to understand victimization internally; Confidant Selection-Reaction, where they select a time, place, and person to tell and then weather that person's reaction (supportive or hostile); and Consequences (good and bad) that continued to inform their on-going strategies of telling. The actions and reactions of adults were significant and informed the girls' decisions. CONCLUSIONS: We advocate integrating existing theories and research into a model which views the disclosure process from the child's perspective and includes pre-disclosure and a post-initial public disclosure stages. The model conceptualizes disclosure as an iterative process in which children interact with adults and incorporate responses into their on-going decisions about telling (recant, deny, affirm, etc.). The combined model should recognize the concerns and position of adults as well as the perspective and logic of youth.