Applying The Results Of Neuropsychological And Psychological Assessments

Neuropsychological and psychological evaluations in school settings are often rich in detail about a child’s cognitive, academic and emotional functions, and come with specific recommendations to support the child’s performance in school. However, there is often a gap between the assessment results and the implementation of the recommendations, since learning specialists and teachers frequently do not have the means to both interpret and implement the recommendations. This manual presents clear and specific guidelines for school counselors and teachers to decode and put into practice evaluation findings. The book begins by describing various functional domains that are assessed in a neuropsychological evaluation, and then notes how to recognize behavior and learning styles impacted by difficulty in one of more of the domains. Furthermore, it outlines activities that could be used in the classroom or other environments to support a child’s weaknesses, develop new skills, or appear to particular strengths. Finally, ready-to-use worksheets and activities are offered. This is an essential tool for school psychologists, special education teachers, and learning specialists and counselors.

The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two disability programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), for disabled individuals, and their dependent family members, who have worked and contributed to the Social Security trust funds, and Supplemental Security Income (SSSI), which is a means-tested program based on income and financial assets for adults aged 65 years or older and disabled adults and children. Both programs require that claimants have a disability and meet specific medical criteria in order to qualify for benefits. SSA establishes the presence of a medically-determined impairment in individuals with mental disorders other than intellectual disability through the use of standard diagnostic criteria, which include symptoms and signs. These impairments are established largely on reports of signs and symptoms of impairment and functional limitation. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination considers the use of psychological tests in evaluating disability claims submitted to the SSA. This report critically reviews selected psychological tests, including symptom validity tests, that could contribute to SSA disability determinations. The report discusses the possible uses of such tests and their contribution to disability determinations. Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination discusses testing norms, qualifications for administration of tests, administration of tests, and reporting results. The recommendations of this report will help SSA improve the consistency and accuracy of disability determination in certain cases.

Neuropsychological assessment is a difficult and complicated process. Often, experienced clinicians as well as trainees and students gloss over fundamental problems or fail to consider potential sources of error. Since formal test data on the surface appear unambiguous and objective, they may fall into the habit of overemphasizing tests and their scores and underemphasizing all the factors that affect the validity, reliability, and interpretability of test data. But interpretation is far from straightforward, and a pragmatic application of assessment results requires attention to a multitude of issues. This long-awaited, updated, and greatly expanded second edition of the Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, like the first, focuses on the clinical practice of neuropsychology. Orienting readers to the entire multitude of issues, it guides them step by step through evaluation and helps them avoid common misconceptions, mistakes, and methodological pitfalls. It is divided into three sections: fundamental elements of the assessment process; special issues, settings, and populations; and new approaches and methodologies. The authors, all of whom are actively engaged in the clinical practice of neuropsychological assessment, as well as in teaching and research, do an outstanding job of integrating the academic and the practical. The Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition will be welcomed as a text for graduate courses but also as an invaluable hands-on handbook for interns, postdoctoral fellows, and experienced neuropsychologists alike. No other book offers its combination of breadth across batteries and approaches, depth, and practicality.

Integrating Neuropsychological and Psychological Assessments is a resource for neuropsychologists, psychologists, teachers and parents who wish to address both the neurologically- and emotionally-based difficulties with which their children are presenting. In addition to a thorough description of neuropsychological and psychological assessment tools, this book also provides professionals with a unified approach to using the results from assessments to understand and integrate cognitive, behavioral, social and emotional functioning in school-age children. It posits that to educate and treat children who are struggling in school due to unique cognitive or emotional vulnerabilities, the whole child must be considered to decipher their needs and implement interventions. Cultivating a therapeutic relationship that integrates the emotional and relational functioning of the child enhances both their learning and ability to successfully navigate the world.

Neuropsychological assessment is a difficult and complicated process. Often, experienced clinicians as well as trainees and students gloss over fundamental problems or fail to consider potential sources of error. Since formal test data on the surface appear unambiguous and objective, they may fall into the habit of overemphasizing tests and their scores and underemphasizing all the factors that affect the validity, reliability, and interpretability of test data. But interpretation is far from straightforward, and a pragmatic application of assessment results requires attention to a multitude of issues. This long-awaited, updated, and greatly expanded second edition of the Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, like the first, focuses on the clinical practice of neuropsychology. Orienting readers to the entire multitude of issues, it guides them step by step through evaluation and helps them avoid common misconceptions, mistakes, and methodological pitfalls. It is divided into three sections: fundamental elements of the assessment process; special issues, settings, and populations; and new approaches and methodologies. The authors, all of whom are actively engaged in the clinical practice of neuropsychological assessment, as well as in teaching and research, do an outstanding job of integrating the academic and the practical. The Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition will be welcomed as a text for graduate courses but also as an invaluable hands-on handbook for interns, postdoctoral fellows, and experienced neuropsychologists alike. No other book offers its combination of breadth across batteries and approaches, depth, and practicality.

A concise, up-to-date review of school neuropsychological assessment that covers effective treatment planning The third edition of Essentials of School Neuropsychological Assessment offers a practical and concise overview of neuropsychological practice in schools and other pediatric clinical settings and clearly explains how to identify the need for testing. The book shows how to collect a neurodevelopmental history, choose appropriate assessment instruments, effectively evaluate students, and accurately interpret results. The third edition has been revised and updated to include the most recent advances in the field such as major neuropsychological test batteries for children, including NEPSY-II, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition integrated, and Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. In addition, the new edition contains updated online tools, including sample case studies, searchable databases of neuropsychological tests classified by processing area and conceptual model, a neuropsychological processing concerns checklist in both English and Spanish, and sample report shells with tables. Like all the volumes in the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, this book is designed to help busy practitioners and school psychologists quickly acquire the knowledge and skills they need to make optimal use of major psychological assessment instruments. Each concise chapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts, bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as test questions that help you gauge and reinforce your grasp of the information covered. Essentials of School Neuropsychological Assessment, Third Edition contains unmatched guidance and direction for school psychologists and other mental health professionals who serve educators, school children, and their families.

For the practicing neuropsychologist or researcher, keeping up with the sheer number of newly published or updated tests is a challenge, as is evaluating the utility and psychometric properties of neuropsychological tests in a clinical context. The goal of the third edition of A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests, a well-established neuropsychology reference text, is twofold. First, the Compendium is intended to serve as a guidebook that provides a comprehensive overview of the essential aspects of neuropsychological assessment practice. Second, it is intended as a comprehensive sourcebook of critical reviews of major neuropsychological assessment tools for the use by practicing clinicians and researchers. Written in a comprehensive, easy-to-read reference format, and based on exhaustive review of research literature in neuropsychology, neurology, psychology, and related disciplines, the book covers topics such as basic aspects of neuropsychological assessment as well as the theoretical background, norms, and the utility, reliability, and validity of neuropsychological tests. For this third edition, all chapters have been extensively revised and updated. The text has been considerably expanded to provide a comprehensive yet practical overview of the state of the field. Two new chapters have been added: "Psychometrics in Neuropsychological Assessment" and "Norms in Psychological Assessment." The first two chapters present basic psychometric concepts and principles. Chapters three and four consider practical aspects of the history-taking interview and the assessment process itself. Chapter five provides guidelines on report-writing and chapters six through sixteen consist of detailed, critical reviews of neuropsychological tests, and address the topics of intelligence, achievement, executive function, attention, memory, language, visual perception, somatosensory olfactory function, mood/personality, and response bias. A unique feature is the inclusion of tables that summarize salient features of tests within each domain so that readers can easily compare measures. Additional tables within each test review summarize important features of each test, highlight aspects of each normative dataset, and provide an overview of psychometric properties. Of interest to neuropsychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and educational and clinical psychologists working with adults as well as pediatric populations, this volume will aid practitioners in selecting appropriate testing measures for their patients, and will provide them with the knowledge needed to make empirically supported interpretations of test results.

Clinical neuropsychology has become a field of major prominence dur ing the past several years, as well as a field of great complexity. As a result of the extensive amount of activity that neuropsychology has experienced recently, two major developments have emerged. First, several approaches have evolved regarding comprehensive neuro psychological assessment. There are presently several standard test bat teries in common use, as well as an approach to assessment that does not make use of standard batteries, but rather fits the evaluation accom plished to the particular diagnostic problems presented by the indi vidual patient. Second, a great deal of specialization has emerged, with assessment procedures developed for evaluation of specific types of neuropsychological deficit. The purpose of this volume is to review these developments, particularly with reference to their implications for application in clinical settings. The history of this book's development is of particular interest. Some years ago, the Veterans Administration became concerned with developing an optimal method of neuropsychological assessment for its many health-care related facilities. Initially, the problem was con ceptualized in terms of whether the VA should encourage wider use of the long-established Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery (HRB) or promote more extensive use of the recently developed Luria Nebraska Neuropsychological Test Battery (LNNB). A conference was funded to bring together authorities in clinical neuropsychology to dis cuss this matter and present a series of papers to invited psychologists from various VA facilities.