Benjamin Lahey - Böcker

The present volume has been prepared during the International Year of the Child. Designation of a special year devoted to children underscores the widespread recognition of the importance of scientific advances and humane concern over the welfare of children. Clinical child psychology, the topic of the present serial publication, is especially important in recognition of the year of the child. Clinical child psychology at once combines areas of basic and applied research. The subject matter is concerned with understanding the nature of child development and the many influences upon which such development depends. Moreover, the clinical orientation emphasizes the extension of this research to top­ ics that directly affect the welfare of children and adolescents. Advances in Clinical Child Psychology publishes scholarly reviews and evaluations of many different areas of research and application. In the current volume, the third in the series, a variety of topics are addressed. These include the development of social behavior, the emergence and modification of sex-typed behavior, family systems, self-help proce­ dures to train parents, assessment of intelligence, childhood obesity, the development and treatment of asthma, pediatric psychology, treatment of severely disturbed children, language development, and education of disadvantaged elementary school students.

Advances in Clinical Child Psychology is. a serial publication designed to bring together original summaries of the most important new develop­ ments in the field of clinical child psychology and its related disciplines. Each chapter is written by a key figure in an innovative area of research or by an individual who is particularly well qualified to comment on a topic of major contemporary importance. These chapters provide con­ venient, concise explorations of empirical and clinical advances in the field. In Volume 6, the chapters reflect the changing nature of research on the disorders of children. Since the beginning of this series, increasing amounts of innovative and promising research have focused on the classification, etiology, and development of childhood psychopathol­ ogy. This volume contains chapters on the classification of autism, the nature of sexual abuse, the development of social deficiencies and affec­ tion, and the important variables of maternal depression, infant-child interactions, sibling interactions, and early temperament. This volume also highlights another significant trend in clinical child psychology-its increasing rapprochement with developmental psychology. A chapter on the importance of cognitive development in dictating child interview strategies is an important example of this trend. We appreciate the roles played by the advisory editors in suggesting excellent topics and thoughtfully editing the chapters. As always, our strongest thanks go to the volume's authors for their outstanding contributions.