Abiola Dipeolu

College Students with ADHD: Prescriptive Concepts for Best Practices in Career Development.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the second most endorsed disability among college populations today, totaling approximately 11%. ADHD causes significant problems in education and social and occupational functioning of college students as well as in their postcollege work environment. Although the literature is replete with information guiding service providers working with students in other areas, very few studies exists to help career counselors who work with college students with ADHD. This article attempts to fill the gap by highlighting (a) college and postcollege work implications of ADHD characteristics and (b) effective interventions that counselors can implement to buttress the career planning process and postcollege occupational success for students with ADHD.

Career Instruments and High School Students with Learning Disabilities: Support for the Utility of Three Vocational Measures.

Conventional wisdom in the area of assessment strongly supports the notion that instruments used for vocational or career decision-making purposes should possess sound psychometric properties. This study is a preliminary attempt to examine the reliability and validity of three important career decision-making measures administered to high school students with learning disabilities (LD). Data were obtained from 86 high school students with LD. Correlations were found between the scales in the predicted directions. Modest evidence for construct validity was found. Results found reliability ranging from low (.50) to high (.96). Some significant differences in response patterns were found in t-test comparisons. Specific recommendations for career counseling are discussed, including implications for the assessment process and interventions.

Enhancing ADHD and LD Diagnostic Accuracy Using Career Instruments

Individuals diagnosed with mental health disorders may have work-related difficulties that impact functioning in all life domains. With limited research on the integration of career and mental health counseling, authors used a discriminant function analysis to assess the predictability of accurately identifying diagnostic categories among 258 adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities (LDs) through the use of constructs derived from three career development inventories. Results showed that using an appropriate interpretive T-score from individuals with the same diagnosis enhanced the ability to discriminate between diagnoses of LD and ADHD in young adults. Implications for the practice of career counseling and development are provided.

Moderated Mediation in Career Development Research

With its growing appeal, an increasing number of counseling-related research studies have embraced moderated mediation as a method of inquiry. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to some and a refresher to others the concept of moderated mediation and how it can be applied in career development research. We also provide a specific example of how moderated mediation can be tested using the Mplus software program.

A Concept Map of Campers’ Perceptions of Camp Experience: Implications for the Practice of Family Counseling

Camp programs are a popular medium for providing children and adolescents with opportunities for growth and development. Specialized camps may provide powerful contextual support for campers with disabilities and families with limited resources, but knowledge of what constitutes an effective camp experience is limited. Further, family counseling practice principles seem relevant to camp programming, but research is absent in this area. Present study applied concept mapping to capture the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of 173 campers’ experiences to examine its implications for the practice of family counseling. Seven thematic concepts emerged consistent with previous research confirming the positive and transformative nature of camp. The current study advances the knowledge base of camp programming for family counselors and helps improve future family counseling practice and research.

A Qualitative Analysis of Parents With Children Diagnosed With Reading Disabilities Insights for Working With Families

Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine parents with children diagnosed with reading disability (RD). A phenomenological theoretical tradition was used to explore the meaning, structure, and essence of the shared experiences of these individuals. Results generated a deeper understanding of the lived experiences and challenges of families with children diagnosed with RD. Themes produced a need for a systemic model of home, school, and community collaboration, which may improve interaction and communication among all parties. Implications for research and working with families with children diagnosed with RD are discussed.

Infusing Ethics in Psychopharmacology Course Design

Creatively infusing ethics in psychopharmacology course design can better prepare future counselors to work with the complexities of holistic client concerns in a modern context. The authors provide a sample course design from a psychopharmacology course within a counselor education program targeting counselors-in-training to increase counseling ethics and values awareness. Implications for future mental health and school counselors are provided.