Abstract
In designing and implementing effective mental health services for children, the ability to identify deviant behavior patterns in school children and to determine the number of children who fall into these areas is crucial. By means of a preliminary survey which identified such children, we were able to perform a study of problem students who fell into three categories, unusually aggressive children, children with learning difficulties, and shy-withdrawn children. After our preliminary survey, more intensive examinations were carried out using a teacher's rating scale (KDS™-14). On the basis of these data we have a fairly accurate picture of the over-all incidence of certain behaviors occurring in the population of a school system. These procedures suggest that it may be possible to screen school populations to identify those children who might need professional intervention.