Psychoeducational Assessment Research Articles

Book Review: Psychoeducational assessment and report writing

Book Review: <i>Psychoeducational assessment and report writing</i>

A Global Perspective on Psycho-Educational Assessment

For psychologists in less developed countries, psycho-educational assessment is often challenging due to a lack of specialist training and a scarcity of appropriate, psychometrically robust instruments. This article focuses on school psychology and psycho-educational assessment in three countries: Bangladesh, China and Iran. Despite differences in demographic and cultural features, these countries share similar issues that restrict the practice of psycho-educational assessment. We conclude that it is important for psychologists in Western countries to support professional training and testing practices in less developed countries.

Editorial: A WISC is Never Enough!

Welcome to the first issue of our journal under the new title Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools. This issue is a special one on psycho-educational assessment. We have a range of interesting and stimulating articles on this topic, reflecting the important and substantial role that assessment plays in the work of many school psychologists and counsellors. Psycho-educational assessment includes areas such as behavioural, social-emotional and vocational assessment, although most referrals for assessment in schools are related to learning difficulties. The issue has a truly international flavour, with authors from Australia, Greece, China, Ireland, Bangladesh, Peru, Iran and the United States.

Effort-testing In Children Undergoing PsychoEducational Assessment Using The Medical Symptom Validity Test

Effort-testing In Children Undergoing PsychoEducational Assessment Using The Medical Symptom Validity Test

Creating a Safe Space: A Case Study of Complex Trauma and a Call for Proactive Comprehensive Psychoeducational Assessments and Reviews

This article advocates for proactive, dynamic and comprehensive psycho-educational assessments for children and young people who have a history of complex trauma, because of its known effects on development and learning. A case study is shared of a young woman with a history of complex trauma because of exposure to parental neglect, multiple foster care placements, and abuse while in the care system. Background information on the impact of both early developmental trauma and interruptions to attachment with an early caregiver on learning and development is discussed, along with the benefits of using dynamic assessment. In particular, the case will expose how delays in thorough, high quality psycho-educational assessment not only impacts on educational outcomes, but also care outcomes. It also illustrates the importance of including measures of social emotional functioning as part of psycho-educational assessments when, as in this case, a review of developmental and learning needs is required in preparation for transition to high school, to assist funding applications for additional support, and to contribute to case planning towards reunification with siblings. Best practice protocols are shared that promote both multi-professional and multi-dimensional assessment, including working between agencies, systems, group and individual assessment, and, most importantly, tools that facilitate both transformation of teaching practice and the voice of the young person; all serving to promote mental health and wellbeing.

Screening and Assessment of Specific Learning Disabilities in Higher Education Institutes in the Republic of Ireland

Students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Republic of Ireland are required to have a formal psycho-educational assessment from an educational psychologist to register with Disability Services in HEIs, to be eligible for support through the Fund for Students with Disabilities (FSD). Such assessments are expensive and often beyond the financial means of students and their families. However, there is a sustained demand from students experiencing academic difficulties for diagnostic assessment of SpLD (Association for Higher Education Access and Disability [AHEAD], 2012). This study describes the SpLD screening and assessment practices implemented by HEIs in Ireland (n = 14), finding that (a) there are no defined parameters for assessment of SpLD in higher education (HE), meaning that methods and accuracy of identification of positive indicators may vary across HEIs; and (b) the majority of HEIs screen for dyslexia only, with little or no recognition of the need to assess for comorbidity of learning disabilities. Findings support the requirement for a reliable and valid standardised assessment procedure for Irish HEIs, which would provide equitable access to an initial diagnosis. Finally, a screening model is proposed, which is currently provided by one HEI.

Making Sense of Inconsistencies in Psycho-Educational Assessment: A Case Report

The case is presented of an 8-year-old boy who was referred for psycho-educational assessment because of difficulties with writing. The article provides an example of the way in which a case unfolds as further assessment data become available, and describes a number of challenging aspects of the assessment process. In this case, dilemmas arose when test results were inconsistent at different time points, and when the results were inconsistent with clinical observations. The case report illustrates the ways in which practitioners can collaborate to make sense of such discrepancies, with each contributing a slightly different perspective or set of skills that, in combination, assist to better understand a child's difficulties.

Psycho-Educational Assessment of Specific Learning Disabilities: Views and Practices of Australian Psychologists and Guidance Counsellors

This article reports an investigation of the views and practices of 203 Australian psychologists and guidance counsellors with respect to psycho-educational assessment of students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs). Results from an online survey indicated that practitioners draw upon a wide range of theoretical perspectives when conceptualising and identifying SLDs, including both response to intervention and IQ-achievement discrepancy models. Intelligence tests (particularly the Wechsler scales) are commonly employed, with the main stated reasons for their use being ‘traditional’ perspectives (including IQ-achievement discrepancy based definitions of SLDs), to exclude a diagnosis of intellectual disability, and to guide further assessment and intervention. In contrast, participants reported using measures of academic achievement and tests of specific cognitive deficits known to predict SLDs (e.g., phonological awareness) relatively infrequently.

Implications for Educational Classification and Psychological Diagnoses Using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Fourth Edition With Canadian Versus American Norms

Building on a recent work of Harrison, Armstrong, Harrison, Iverson and Lange which suggested that Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) scores might systematically overestimate the severity of intellectual impairments if Canadian norms are used, the present study examined differences between Canadian and American derived WAIS-IV scores from 861 postsecondary students attending school across the province of Ontario, Canada. This broader data set confirmed a trend whereby individuals’ raw scores systematically produced lower standardized scores through the use of Canadian as opposed to American norms. The differences do not appear to be due to cultural, educational, or population differences, as participants acted as their own controls. The ramifications of utilizing the different norms were examined with regard to psychoeducational assessments and educational placement decisions particularly with respect to the diagnoses of Learning Disability and Intellectual Disability.

What Comes Before Report Writing? Attending to Clinical Reasoning and Thinking Errors in School Psychology

Psychoeducational assessment involves collecting, organizing, and interpreting a large amount of data from various sources. Drawing upon psychological and medical literature, we review two main approaches to clinical reasoning (deductive and inductive) and how they synergistically guide diagnostic decision-making. In addition, we discuss how the use of both mental shortcuts (i.e., heuristics) and cognitive biases, which we collectively refer to as thinking errors, can lead to errors in judgment when analyzing data. In particular, we highlight where and how common thinking errors may interfere with school psychologists’ reasoning throughout the assessment process. Last, we make suggestions on how to reduce errors in judgment and improve clinical reasoning skills by focusing on training, supported clinical practice, and personal strategies.

Tell Me More About It: A Query into the Relations Between Intelligence Scores and Problem Behaviors Using the WISC-IV

Decades of research have demonstrated links between behavioral adjustment and cognitive ability. However, little attention has been given to examining the relations between behavioral adjustment and IQ utilizing the most recent edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (i.e., WISC-IV). The WISC has undergone substantial revisions designed to produce more reliable and valid intellectual profiles. The release of a new edition provides a unique opportunity to revisit questions about IQ profiles and behavior. Consequently, we compared the relations between behavior problems and the WISC-III or WISC-IV. All 290 child participants were referred by their parent for a psychoeducational assessment due to academic concerns. This was a diverse sample. The majority was from a low-income family. Eighty-eight completed the WISC-III; 202 completed the WISC-IV. We found a number of differences between the WISC-III and WISC-IV in their relation to behavior problems, including significant negative relations between WISC-III IQ scores and adjustment scores that did not hold up with the WISC-IV. This may suggest that the WISC-IV is better than its predecessors at estimating IQ independently of behavior problems, which is important when testing clinically referred children. We also discuss alternate explanations and additional factors to consider.

Self-Report Assessments of Emotional Competencies

This Special Issue of the Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment offers a critical appraisal of the validity, applied utility, and limitations of self-report assessments of emotional competencies. Using self-concept theory as an integrative theoretical framework, this introductory editorial highlights key methodological and validity issues raised in the contributing articles: (a) distinction between emotional competence self-perceptions and objectively measured abilities, (b) effects of response biases and respondents’ age on the psychometric properties of self-reports, (c) importance of adopting a multi-dimensional assessment strategy, and (d) various aspects of construct validity (conceptual definitions and paradigms, gender differences, relationships with basic personality, mechanisms and scope of prediction). The added value of conceptualizing emotional competence self-reports as self-concepts (as proposed in this article) is illustrated in the discussion of practical implications, outstanding questions, and directions for future research on the meaning and uses of these assessments.

Erratum

M. Zoghi &amp; M. Alivandivafa (2014). EFL Reading Anxiety Inventory (EFLRAI): Factorial Validity and Reliability. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 32: 318-329. Original DOI: 10.1177/0734282913513686 In the above article, there were errors in the author’s affiliation. The revised affiliations are shown below. Masoud Zoghi, Department of ELT, Ahar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahar, Iran Marziyeh Alivandivafa, Department of Psychology, East Azarbaijan Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

Neuroimaging and the school-based assessment of traumatic brain injury

Advanced neuroimaging contributes to a greater understanding of brain pathology following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and has the ability to guide neurorehabilitation decisions. When integrated with the school-based psychoeducational assessment of a child with a TBI, neuroimaging can provide a different perspective when interpreting educational and behavioral variables relevant to school-based neurorehabilitation. School psychologists conducting traditional psychoeducational assessments of children with TBI seldom obtain and integrate neuroimaging, despite its availability. This article presents contextual information on the medical assessment of TBI, major types of neuroimaging, and networks of the brain. A case study illustrates the value of incorporating neuroimaging into the standard school-based psychoeducational evaluations of children with traumatic brain injury.

GUIDELINES FOR EVALUATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF ELECTRONIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

The article highlights the causes of insufficient effective use of electronic learning resources and sets out the guidelines on ways to solve the aforementioned problems. The set of didactic, methodical, psychological, pedagogical, design and ergonomic quality requirements is considered for evaluation, selection and application of information and communication technologies in the educational process. The most appropriate mechanisms for the ICT introduction into the learning process are disclosed as it should meet the specific learning needs of the student and the objectives of the educational process. The guidance for psycho-educational assessment of quality of electronic educational resources is provided. It is argued that the effectiveness of the ICT use is to be improved by means of quality evaluation mechanisms involved into the educational process.

A Canada-Wide Examination of the Criteria Employed for Learning Disability Documentation in English Speaking Postsecondary Institutions

An examination was conducted to address issues concerning the assessment of students with learning disabilities (LD) in English speaking Canadian postsecondary institutions. These issues concern the nature of appropriate and evidence-based assessment and whether there is fair access to academic accommodations for students with LD. Access to academic accommodations is granted when an acceptable psycho-educational assessment provides an LD diagnosis, but what “acceptable” means appears very inconsistent across settings. This examination has ascertained that there is still no commonly accepted and empirically based procedure for the assessment of LD. Instead, a confusing variety of assessment practices exist, resulting in Canadian postsecondary accommodations practices being opaque and, therefore, discriminatory and vulnerable to legal challenges.

Development and application of the CAT-RPM report for strengths-based case management of at-risk youth in schools

The Contextualised Assessment Tool for Risk and Protection Management (CAT-RPM) has been established as a valid and reliable tool for differentiating groups across age, sex and behaviour and assisting young people to find their strengths [Bower, J., A. Carroll, and A. Ashman. 2014. “The Development and Validation of the Contextualised Assessment Tool for Risk and Protection Management (CAT-RPM).” Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment. doi:10.1177/0734282913497782]. The aims of this article are (i) to report the calculations used in the CAT-RPM report to separate out risk and protection scores; and (ii) to explore the application of the CAT-RPM report in an inclusive school setting to promote strengths and reduce risk for unique individuals. Three examples will be used to demonstrate how data, collected with the CAT-RPM, can be used to identify the combination of risk and protection using the CAT-RPM report. A fourth more detailed example will explore one potential application of the CAT-RPM report in a strengths-based approach to assist one young person to find her strongest contexts and fortify strengths to move towards personal, social and emotional well-being.

Use of a Diagnostic Errors Framework to Classify Mistakes in an Assessment of a Bilingual Child.

This study applies a diagnostic errors framework to identify and classify mistakes that were made in a psychoeducational assessment of a bilingual student who was misidentified as a person with autism. Findings of diagnostic errors were categorized under four domains — faulty knowledge, faulty data gathering, faulty data processing, and faulty verification. This article contributes to the literature by applying a model to understanding the mistakes that could occur during an assessment of special education eligibility. It concludes with considerations for practice and research.

A BRITISH GUIDE FOR PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT

Book Review| April 01 2014 A BRITISH GUIDE FOR PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT Educational Testing: A Competence-Based Approach. By James Boyle and Stephen Fisher. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. 226 pp. Paper, $51.95. H. Carl Haywood H. Carl Haywood Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google The American Journal of Psychology (2014) 127 (1): 132–133. https://doi.org/10.5406/amerjpsyc.127.1.0132 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Twitter Permissions Search Site Citation H. Carl Haywood; A BRITISH GUIDE FOR PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT. The American Journal of Psychology 1 January 2014; 127 (1): 132–133. doi: https://doi.org/10.5406/amerjpsyc.127.1.0132 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All Scholarly Publishing CollectiveUniversity of Illinois PressThe American Journal of Psychology Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. Copyright 2014 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois2014 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Use of a Diagnostic Errors Framework to Classify Mistakes in an Assessment of a Bilingual Child

This study applies a diagnostic errors framework to identify and classify mistakes that were made in a psychoeducational assessment of a bilingual student who was misidentified as a person with autism. Findings of diagnostic errors were categorized under four domains — faulty knowledge, faulty data gathering, faulty data processing, and faulty verification. This article contributes to the literature by applying a model to understanding the mistakes that could occur during an assessment of special education eligibility. It concludes with considerations for practice and research.