Based upon recent trends among college students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, an alternative model of assessment that transcends test-centered approaches is proposed. Differential diagnosis and comorbidity, medication management, and common maladaptive behavior patterns needing assessment, treatment, and prevention are discussed,…

Presents a comprehensive review of validity that includes an empirical evaluation of the actual and potential consequences of score interpretation and use, how those consequences come about, and what determines them. Six distinguishable aspects of construct validity are highlighted as a means of addressing central issues implicit in the notion of…

Thirty-one child forensic mental health professionals specializing in cases involving allegations of sexual abuse were surveyed to assess their normative evaluation and testimony practices with respect to clinical interviews and child psychosocial assessment. Survey questions covered the evaluation process and methods, the limits of expert…

The case against the use of psychometric assessment as the primary vehicle for diagnosing specific reading disability is presented; instead, the authors suggest that diagnosis should begin with remedial intervention. The child's response should be the most important piece of diagnostic information. Findings from a recent intervention study support…

Methodological issues related to administering suicidal screening measures to children and adolescents are examined. Risk and comparison groups were formed within a longitudinal investigation of offspring of depressed and well mothers. Assessments were made four times for two siblings from each family. Patterns of reporting are discussed.…

Uses Child Assessment Schedule and self-report measures to assess psychiatric status in a group of delinquents (N=72) adjudicated before a juvenile court. A significant difference was found between ethnic groups on self-report scores. Seventy percent of subjects received at least one psychiatric diagnosis. The most prevalent diagnoses were conduct…

A review of relevant literatures led to the construction of a self-report instrument designed to measure two subtypes of student engagement with school: cognitive and psychological engagement. The psychometric properties of this measure, the Student Engagement Instrument (SEI), were assessed based on responses of an ethnically and economically…

With the increased globalization of psychology and related fields, having reliable and valid measures that can be used in a number of languages and cultures is critical. Few guidelines or standards have been established in psychology for the translation and cultural adaptation of instruments. Usually little is reported in research publications…

In this rejoinder, the authors respond to the insightful commentary of Strohmer and Arm, Chwalisz, and Hilton, Harris, and Rice about the meta-analysis on statistical versus clinical prediction techniques for mental health judgments. The authors address issues including the availability of statistical prediction techniques for real-life psychology…

School refusal behavior is a difficult problem faced by many parents, educators, and mental health professionals. A functional model to guide classification, assessment, and treatment of this population has evolved in recent years. In this article, step-by-step recommendations are made for synthesizing assessment information from a particular case…

In this article, one of the authors was called to see an 18-year old boy named John, who had done poorly during his first year at college and was depressed. His parents feared that their son may be suicidal, a concern heightened by the recent news that one of their son's friends had committed suicide. Here, he interviews John about his…

Although school counselors have more contact with children and adolescents than most other human service professionals, they are frequently left out of discussions on diagnostic coding. Ways in which school counselors can use the codes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV) are explored in this text. The book…

This working bibliography was compiled as part of an extensive review of instruments used for assessing behavioral and emotional disorders in persons with mental retardation. The literature search went back to the early 1970s and included computer searches as well as survey responses from 50 prominent workers in the field, responses from…

Chapter 1 of this document defines school phobia as an exaggerated and irrational fear of attending school. In this chapter, school phobia is distinguished from truancy, the incidence and consequences of school phobia are discussed, characteristics of school phobia are described, and types of school phobia are identified. The chapter concludes…

The practicum examined a means of conducting psychoeducational evaluations of children suspected of educational handicaps while expanding the delivery services of school psychology to include consultation, program planning, research, evaluation, supervision, and interventions. Practicum activities included: (1) psychoeducational evaluations…