A random sample of members of the National Association of School Psychologists was surveyed to examine the assessment activity of practicing school psychologists. Test-usage estimates and importance ratings for well-established standardized instruments, newly revised or released instruments, and informal procedures such as interview and curriculum-based assessment were examined. Estimates of time involved in various service delivery activities also were obtained. Results indicated that assessment activities still account for about 50% of the practice hours of school psychologists, followed by consultation (20%) and treatment (19%). School psychologists reported frequent use of intellectual, behavior-social-emotional, achievement, and perceptual assessment methods, but were less likely to be involved in vocational or preschool assessment. Familiar instruments, such as the Wechsler scales, the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-educational Battery-Revised, the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised, the Bender-Visual Motor Gestalt, the Beery Developmental Test of Motor Integration, and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, were the most used tests. However, in the social-emotional domain, direct assessment methods, such as interview and observation, were more frequently used and rated as more important than standardized measures. These results, and the limitations of the study, are discussed.

Children served by school psychologists are frequently impacted by natural disasters. In the United States, tornadoes are a particular threat but have been studied very little. The current investigation developed a scale for assessing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children in Kindergarten to Grade 6 impacted by a severe tornado. Six factors were found: Avoidance, Re-experiencing, Interpersonal Alienation, Interference with Daily Functioning, Physical Symptoms/Anxiety, and Foreshortened Future. Prevalence rates for PTSD symptomology ranged from 34 to 44% for factor scores and 41% for meeting all three Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, fourth edition-text revision (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria; 40% indicated no symptoms. Children's fear during the tornado and damage to their school were related to many factor scores.

Worldwide children are impacted by natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, landslides and sandstorms, winter and severe storms, heat waves, volcanoes and tsunamis. School psychologists should understand natural disaster effects, such as economic loss, relocation and health concerns and mental health issues. While most children are able to cope, a significant minority develops severe symptoms and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). School psychologists should gain trauma mental health training through the American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the International School Psychology Association. They can also be involved in school and community prevention, mitigation and educational programming. This article presents an overview for school psychologists of the literature on children in natural disasters.

The internal structure of the NEPSY, a developmental neuropsychological instrument, was investigated with exploratory principal axis factor analyses using the correlation matrix for the 5- to 12-year-old children of the standardization sample. Additionally, a review of the psychometric properties of the NEPSY was conducted. The concurrence of multiple criteria indicated that a one-factor solution best describes the NEPSY (5-12) core domain structure. The five core domains specified in the test manual may significantly overdefine the NEPSY structure. Estimates of the unique variance accounted for by NEPSY subtests were also calculated. Most of the subtests have adequate or moderate specificity. Three subtests met the criteria for ample or excellent specificity. The subtest data should not be interpreted as if they reflect unique neuropsychological processing skills. Practitioners should be cautious in interpreting the core domain and subtest profiles of children's performance on the NEPSY. Further research of the utility of the NEPSY is needed.

The Teacher Rating of Academic Achievement Motivation (TRAAM) is a scale in development designed to measure children's academic motivation and to be used in a multifactored assessment. This study examined construct and criterion-related validity of the TRAAM with an elementary school sample. Gender and grade differences in academic motivation also were examined. Construct validity was established by investigating the relationship of the TRAAM with the Scale of Instrinsic vs. Extrinsic Orientation in the Classroom (SIEOC), the Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (CAIMI), and the Social Skills Rating System Teacher version, elementary level (SSRS-T). Criterion-related validity of the scale was demonstrated by using the TRAAM factors and Total Score, the SIEOC and CAIMI subscales, and the SSRS-T Social Skills subscales and Academic Competence domain to predict problem behaviors and academic achievement. A discussion of the TRAAM's limitations concludes the article.