Newbery books represent quality literature that has a profound social-emotional impact on its readers, yet these books have not been systematically evaluated for their portrayal of characters with disabilities. Thirty-one Newbery Award and Honor books from 1975-2009 were identified and portrayed 41 main or supporting characters with disabilities. These books were evaluated using the Rating Scale for Quality Characterizations of Individuals with Disabilities in Children's Literature. Results indicate the representation of Newbery characters with disabilities is not proportionate to the current US. population of students with disabilities. Further, racial representation portrayed in these books is not representative of the diverse students receiving special education services. Trend analyses indicate that overall the portrayal of characters with disabilities is increasingly positive. School personnel are encouraged to select appropriate books for their instructional or bibliotherapeutic purposes. Authors are encouraged to include dynamic, exemplary, and memorable characters who are representative of today's school population of students with disabilities.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neurobiological condition affecting 1 of every 200 school-age children. OCD greatly affects students’ academic, behavioral, and social functioning, and it can lead to additional problem such as depression. To effectively collaborate with other individuals providing appropriate support to students with OCD, teachers need to understand this disorder, particularly its manifestations in school settings. This article addresses typical manifestations of OCD in school settings and provides general and specific accommodations for teachers to implement in their classrooms.

Brigham Young University Abstract: Because characters with developmental disabilities (DD) in children's books are often the first images many children encounter, their accurate and multidimensional portrayal is critical. Therefore, the depictions of characters with DD in 41 children's books were analyzed. These books were eligible for the biennial Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award, and were published between 2004 and 2007. Data were analyzed for four main themes, namely characterization, relationships, changes in characters, and special topics. Trends across this and two previous studies (Dyches, Prater, & Cramer, 2001; Dyches & Prater, 2005) include a growing number of books published annually, increasing numbers of characters with DD who are culturally diverse, more positive portrayals, characters who are being more self-determined, engaging in more caregiving and teaching roles, and enjoying more inclusionary recreational activities. Recommendations for future authors and educational service providers are provided. Many children's books include characters with disabilities. Each of the 13 disabilities recog-

PORTRAYAL OF CHARACTERS WITH DISABILITIES IN NEWBERY BOOKS Melissa Leininger Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education Educational Specialist in School Psychology Newbery books represent quality literature that is likely to be used for bibliotherapy, yet these books have not been systematically evaluated for their portrayal of characters with disabilities. Thirty Newbery Award and Honor books from 1975–2008 were identified that contained 40 characters with disabilities. These books were evaluated using a rating scale that combines literary standards and standards relating to individuals with disabilities. The types of disabilities and personal characteristics such as gender, age, and race were documented and the personal portrayal of characters with disabilities and exemplary practices in these books were evaluated. This information was compared to the current school special education population. The most commonly found disabilities were orthopedic impairment, emotional disturbance, and mental retardation. The majority of characters were portrayed realistically and positively and the personal portrayal and depiction of exemplary practices and social interactions with others has improved over time. When comparing school age characters to students receiving special education services today, though, some discrepancies arise. While the most commonly portrayed disabilities for school-age characters in Newbery books were mental retardation, orthopedic impairment, autism, and multiple disabilities, the most common disabilities of students receiving special education services are specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, mental retardation, and other health impairment. Also, White school-age characters with disabilities were overrepresented while Black characters and Hispanic characters were underrepresented and other ethnicities were not represented at all. This study is relevant to parents, teachers, librarians, and school psychologists who are interested in selecting appropriate books to encourage understanding and acceptance of students with disabilities.