Need more detailed description to help. Also pictures would be excellent. But here's a wild guess. Perhaps aphids?

Thanks for all everyone's feedback, The only recent change I can think of is possibly less light since my daughter has been shutting the window blind due to monitor glare the past couple months. It is probably small for it's age due in part to me ignoring it. It has been small, but healthy for most of its life. I hardly ever water it, but have watered it a couple times recently, since I read that the curling leaves might be caused by a lack of water. It seemed to perk up a bit for a few days after watering, but ultimately, more and more leaves keep curling up and browning. Very sad. Can I take a "cut" and save part for a later planting??? I have no idea what I am doing here. :-) I saw this link where someone has one living in water alone. Looks just like mine did when it was healthy. http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Schefflera_vq2032.htm

Yes you are catching on. The plant still need more sun, and less water, for insurance cut off a stem that is getting roots and plant it. You must realize these are winter growers and not summer growers, mine flower in December and start to grow after the flowers dry up, starting about January, they need air circulation, and cool air, they need soil that drains rapidly, they don't like living in an apartment with a heater going. They are east African plants, and are domant when it is very hot. I have 24 different, so have a little experence. Pirate Girl lives in New York she may have a lot to add to this. I can see that the leaf nodes are still far apart this tells me more sun is needed and less water. Don't treat like it is your pet. Don't water it from the top, water from the bottom, don't mist the plant. No peat moss in the mix, red wood med. size would do much better. I don't normally respond to 'Crassula Ovata' problems any more because it just gets out of hand. Good Luck I hope you will enjoy your plant and stops giving you all of this trouble. The black spots are caused by cultural problems. Gasteria species also haved this problem. Norma

Yes, the most common cause of purple leaves and stems is lack of P, but fertilizing the plants directly via the roots isn't going to help. What you need to do is to spray the foliage, which avoids root uptake, which is the problem. You can use dilute blue stuff, like MG or Peters and the like or use a few drops of liquid concentrated fish or seaweed emulsion in some water. I don't do anything b'c I know that the plants will grow out of it, but for many, just the sight of those purple plants is cause for concern. Spraying the foliage works, and it will green up the plants, but only b/c you're bypassing root uptake, which is the major problem and it's worse if the temps are too low and temps alone can also do it. Carolyn