Patti L. Harrison

A Survey of Tests Used for Adult Assessment

A survey of test usage for adult assessment was responded to by 402 professionals. Based on the responses of 313 individuals who assess adults, the following instruments were the most popular in each domain: WAIS-R or WAIS (intelligence), WRAT-R or WRAT (achievement), MMPI (personality), Vineland (adaptive behavior), and Strong-Campbell (vocational interest). There was a tendency for the most popular instruments to be seen as providing the information of greatest importance, although Draw-A-Person was a clear exception to that finding. Other questions in the survey explored the respondents! perceptions of the strong and weak aspects of intelligence tests, the purposes for which intelligence tests are used, and the domains that are in greatest need of new instruments.

The relation between adaptive behavior and intelligence: Testing alternative explanations ☆

Abstract Adaptive behavior has become an increasingly important component of the assessment of children referred for learning and behavioral problems in educational settings. Yet the construct of adaptive behavior remains ill defined, and fundamental questions about the nature of adaptive behavior remain unanswered. As a result, measures of adaptive behavior are often problematic. Among the most important of these fundamental questions is the nature of the underlying relation between adaptive behavior and intelligence. The present study used confirmatory factor analysis and 556 school-age children from the overlap of the standardization sample of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children to test three models of the relation between adaptive behavior and intelligence: as identical underlying constructs, as completely unrelated constructs, or as separate but related constructs. The model specifying adaptive behavior and intelligence as separate but related constructs proved significantly better than either competing model. Similar results were obtained for preschool children and low-ability school-age children, further suggesting that adaptive behavior and intelligence should be considered as separate but related constructs. Two plausible models to further explain the nature of this relation are presented.

Ascertaining teachers’ perceptions of working with adolescents diagnosed with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder

There are few studies that have directly examined teachers’ perceptions of children with ADHD, particularly children in the adolescent age range. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of general‐education ninth through twelfth grade teachers regarding working with adolescent students with ADHD. Sorted responses from a sample of 100 general‐education high school teachers were analysed and then represented visually using a concept‐mapping technique. The final concept map suggests that teachers perceive adolescents with ADHD along two dichotomies of thematic clusters on an orthogonal axis. Clusters at the top area of the concept map suggest perceptions related to high confidence and willingness, while clusters at the bottom suggest perceptions related to uneasiness and frustration. Clusters along the left side of the concept map suggest perceptions related to behaviour issues, while clusters along the right side suggest perceptions related to classroom teaching issues. Central to the vertical and horizontal dichotomies is a solitary central dimension, which highlights training as an important component of teachers’ perceptions of adolescents with ADHD.

Race, Gender, and Maternal Education Differences on Three Measures of the Early Screening Profiles

The records of 979 preschool children were used to determine if differences in early childhood development can be accounted for by differences in performance on three measures of the Early Screening Profiles. A 2 × 2 × 3 (Race × Gender × Maternal education) MANOVA design was used for analysis with Cognitive/Language, Self-Help/Social, and Motor Profile standard scores as the three dependent variables. No statistically significant multivariate three-way or two-way interactions were observed. Univariate follow-ups to statistically significant main effects for race and maternal education that yielded statistically significant F values (a = .01) produced the following: (a) children classified as white scored significantly higher than children classified as black on both the Cognitive and Motor Profiles; (b) children for whom mothers reported high or medium levels of formal education scored higher than children for whom mothers reported low levels of formal education on the Cognitive Profile; and (c) children for whom mothers reported medium levels of formal education scored significantly higher than children for whom mothers reported low levels of formal education on the Motor Profile.

The 2002 Conference on the Future of School Psychology: Implications for Consultation, Intervention, and Prevention Services.

In November 2002, the multisite Conference on the Future of School Psychology was sponsored by major professional associations of school psychologists. Conference goals included achieving consensus on current and future demands for school, conceptualizing the practice of school psychology in the face of diminishing numbers and increasing demand for services, and developing an agenda to use school psychology resources to maximize the benefits to the children and schools. Consultation, intervention, and prevention were major themes in all conference activities. The present article provides an overview of the conference and a summary of issues and outcomes from the conference that relate to educational and psychological consultation services.

Assessment of Mental Retardation

Publisher Summary The diagnosis of mental retardation can have a profound impact on a persons life. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) distinguishes four categories of mental retardation based on degrees of severity: mild mental retardation, moderate mental retardation, severe mental retardation, and profound mental retardation. The diagnosis of mental retardation requires documentation that an individual displays diminished levels of intelligence as well as significant deficits in adaptive behavior during the developmental period. Adaptive behavior generally refers to a persons ability to meet the standards of personal behavior and independence expected from peers of their age within their culture. Measures of adaptive behavior typically ask respondents who know the person well to indicate whether the person displays important behaviors associated with a variety of adaptive behaviors. Individuals with mental retardation differ in their adaptive skill strengths and deficits and, except for those with severe and profound levels, are unlikely to show significant deficits in all areas of functioning.

Scientific practitioner: Adaptive behavior: Research to practice

Abstract Adaptive behavior measures have become an integral part of the assessment of handicapped children, and much research has implications for the appropriate use of these measures. This article explores relevant research and applies the research to the interpretation of assessment results for a 12-year-old boy. Issues in adaptive behavior assessment and guidelines for practitioners are presented in order to provide an empirical rationale for test interpretation.

Assessment Practices for Children with Severe Mental Retardation

Potential limitations in assessment practices with children who have severe mental retardation have been identified in the literature. The purpose of the study was to investigate the extent to which practicing school psychologists use alternative methods as opposed to standardized/norm-referenced measures in the assessment of children suspected or identified as having moderate to severe/profound mental retardation. As part of a larger survey, assessment practices of school psychologists with children functioning in the more severe level of mental retardation were reported by 202 school psychologists. Results suggest that school psychologists use norm-referenced measures at all grade/age levels. Various other types of methods were also noted by 0.5 to 35.8% of the respondents, with the highest frequency of alternative approaches employed at the preschool level. Implications for assessment practices with children with moderate to severe/profound mental retardation and for the training of school psychologists in alternative methods of evaluation consistent with the need to link assessment to intervention are discussed.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the K-ABC with Gifted Referrals.

An important area of inquiry in the assessment of intelligence lies in the area of giftedness. If proper educational decisions are to be made for children referred for gifted services, it is imperative that educational and psychological service providers understand factors influencing the response patterns of children with high levels of academic aptitude. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate four models of intellectual abilities using confirmatory factor analytic methods and data obtained on a sample of 197 children referred for services in an experimental gifted program. Although all four models provided results indicative of a plausible fit, a model posited on a revised version of Horn and Cattells theory of fluid-crystallized abilities provided the broadest understanding of the cognitive functioning of children referred for gifted services.

Adaptive Behaviors and Skills: An Introduction

Publisher Summary Adaptive behavior refers to the ways individuals meet their personal needs as well as deal with the natural and social demands in their environments. One may think of adaptive behavior as a constellation of skills that allow a person to function effectively every day at home, school, work, and in the community. An understanding of the importance of adaptive behavior requires some knowledge of its history and evolution, including its close association with assessment and identification of individuals with mental retardation. This chapter provides a historical background for adaptive behavior and its use, traces changes in the definitions of adaptive behavior, reviews the development of tests of adaptive behavior, and discusses age and demographic differences in adaptive behavior. The background information is provided by drawing on information from events in Europe and the United States. The various ways in which information from the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-II (ABAS-II) may be used are also discussed.