Demystifying the DSM

Book excerpt: Featuring a unique clinical and educational approach, Demystifying the DSM: A Tool for School Counseling Students and Practitioners introduces readers to common diagnoses among children and youth. The text also provides counseling students and practitioners with a baseline knowledge of the cognitive and behavioral effects of common diagnoses on the academic, social, and emotional development of children in K-12 settings. The text recognizes that school counselors do not diagnose, but are charged with working with students within the school environment, so understanding common diagnoses for children and youth is a critical component of job effectiveness. Each diagnosis addressed was selected in consultation with experienced practicing school counselors. The chapters cover autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, PTSD, self-harm, grief and bereavement, among other common diagnoses. Each of the 17 chapters includes case examples with related questions, as well as strategies for working with children and youth with the particular cognitive or behavioral disorder addressed. Demystifying the DSM is well suited for courses and programs in counseling, school counseling, and special education, as well as teacher education and school psychology.