Three Tests to Screen Possible Neurological Problems of Andy Davis

This week, you were introduced to the following branches of psychology:

Clinical psychology.

Counseling psychology.

Neuropsychology.

While these three specialty areas share overlap with goals for clients and the tools they employ in the process of assessment, they each have a unique set of content knowledge and skills that are acquired by professionals through training. Because of this, they provide differentiated roles and services. As a result of this differentiation, the referring concern and the needs of an individual will likely indicate which professional ad branch may be best suited to complete the assessment.

In Weeks 6 through 9, you studied different applications of tests and measurements in a variety of settings and specialty areas. Regardless of the specialization, it is likely that at some time, a psychologist will have a client with one of the referral concerns including possible neurological problems. This week, you read about psychologists using a standard battery to gather information on an individual from a variety of tests and instruments as a means of screening for a neurological deficit. A minimum amount of testing for an adequate neuropsychological screening includes the following:

Intelligence test.

Personality test.

Perceptual, motor, or memory test.

In this discussion, you will refer to the following case study to answer the questions in Part 1 and Part 2 of this activity. In this study, you are taking the role of a psychologist. Andy was referred to you as a patient.

Case Study

Details:

Name: Andrew "Andy" Davis.

Age: 6 years, 0 months.

Mother: Emily Davis, single parent.

Sibling: Molly.

Recent changes: Relocation to a smaller house, father abandoned family.

Referral concerns (reported by mother): Frequent intense imaginative play, significantly reduced social interactions, talks to self in his room, destroys toys (for example, rips arms of dolls), falls frequently, and concerns that he fell downstairs (with no open head injury) at the new house (that is, Andy reported falling down and off staircase railing).

Part 1

Based on this referral information, what would be the three tests you would include in a standard battery for screening purposes that include neurological concerns?

You may use, as a guide, the same test list that was provided to you in Week 2. You are allowed to choose tests outside of those on the list. This task will allow you to review tests covered in earlier weeks of this course, as well as some that are introduced this week. However, remember to address a minimum of three recommended areas of assessment for a screening of this type. Be sure to take into consideration the age range appropriate for the tests and instruments you select. Then, provide an explanation for using each instrument and how it connects to your working hypothesis on Andy and his mother's concerns.

Part 2

You complete your evaluation using the three (or more) tests in your standard battery and obtain signs signaling that a more thorough neuropsychological evaluation is recommended. Subsequently, Andy is referred to Dr. Woody Pride, a neuropsychologist. Dr. Pride decides to administer Andy the Brief Neuropsychological Cognitive Examination (BNCE) since it can be administered in one sitting and reports that it minimizes reading skills to complete it.

Based on this information from Dr. Pride, and after conducting your own research on this test selection, determine if this is an appropriate test to obtain additional data on Andy regarding neuropsychological concerns. If it is appropriate, then state that and provide your rationale for supporting this as a test selection. If it is not appropriate, then state that and provide your rationale for rejecting this as a test selection. Finally, regardless if you find the BNCE appropriate or not for Andy and the referring concerns, identify a second neuropsychological test that would be highly recommended for its use with Andy (you may select one from the list provided you in Week 2, or another neuropsychological test battery).

As a test user, identify any APA ethical standards regarding assessment practices (standards 9.01-9.11), which are implicated in this case study of Andy Davis.