The Encyclopedia of Clinical Child and Pediatric children, adolescents, and their families with a focus on Psychology is intended to be an authoritative and com­ understanding, preventing, diagnosing and treating psychological, cognitive, emotional, developmental, prehensive resource that provides up-to-date informa­ tion on a broad array of problems and issues related to behavioral, and family problems of children. Of partic­ children, adolescents, and their families as defined by ular importance to clinical child psychologists is an the fields of clinical child and pediatric psychology. It is understanding of the basic psychological needs of children and the social contexts that influence child designed to be of particular interest and use to layper­ sons, parents and grandparents, and undergraduate and development and adjustment. Thus, typical and atypical graduate students in training, as well as diverse medical development and the impact of life stresses are of and mental health professionals who live with and/or concern for the clinical child psychologist. work with young persons but who have limited infor­ The specialty of pediatric psychology, like clinical mation on a particular topics. Inasmuch as the scope of child psychology, is interested in the psychological needs clinical child and pediatric psychology is extensive, a of children but the focus is on the psychosocial aspects range of topics is included that cover typical and atyp­ of illness.