description): Low-income, minority children have disproportionately high rates of emergency department (ED) care for asthma compared to other children. Lack of access to asthma care, under-treatment of asthma and poor adherence to asthma control measures have been implicated as contributing factors in this excess morbidity. The investigators hypothesize that improving patients' practical knowledge of asthma will enhance asthma management self-efficacy. The investigators further hypothesize that patients' with greater self-efficacy will be more effective in managing asthma and thus in reducing asthma morbidity among this group of high-risk children. To test these hypotheses, the investigators will develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a theory driven Problem-Solving Intervention in reducing asthma morbidity (i.e., ED and clinic use for acute asthma, asthma symptoms, school days missed, restricted activity). They will use a social learning model to teach Asthma Problem Solving Skills to a group of high ED users. The Arkansas Children's Asthma Center (ACAC) will serve as the recruitment site. Families of asthmatic children ages 5-12 years (N=60) with two or more ED visits or at least one hospitalization for asthma in the past 12 months will be randomized to a Problem Solving Intervention group or a usual care control group. Baseline measures will be collected after obtaining consent. The intervention will consist of four, one-hour sessions. Follow-up measures will be collected by telephone from families at 6 and 12 months. The primary outcome measures will be school absences, symptoms profile, quality of life, ED and clinic utilization for acute asthma, and scores on the Assessment of Asthma Practical Knowledge Scale and the Asthma Self-Efficacy Questionnaire.
