Why the neighbor should first have her son evaluated by a clinical psychologist
Psychological assessments involve a planned use of interviews and psychometric assessments to answer specific questions in a referral. Instead of rushing to the pediatrician to get treatment for Ritalin, taking the child to a clinical psychologist is important for teasing out diverse diagnoses that can clarify symptoms based on coping mechanisms and personality. From the symptoms observed, it can be easier to identify the right therapist who can help the child and the kind of therapy he deserves. For instance, a clinical therapist would first help define the current situation that the child undergoing and use data about personal history to comprehensively assess the patient. The results of the tests would act as both a lens and a lever that would provide the right points of view regarding relevant issues while at the same time, detailing what the therapy should focus on the most (Anonymous, 2015). Typically, the clinical psychologist can perform both intelligence and neuropsychological functioning tests on the child to determine if his executive function, memory, and attention are at the right mental state (Doyle, 2016). This may determine the reasoning capacity of the child in regards to how he thinks in his academic work. A clinical psychologist can provide accurate face-valid symptom measures and omnibus measures that depict the combined personality aspects, coping styles, and psychopathology, which collectively describe the child’s pure personality (Doyle, 2016). Using diverse measures in psychological assessment helps in addressing multiple time demands and financial costs.
From the foregoing, clinical psychiatrists can check and challenge their own diagnoses and provide the right treatment-related patient issues. Therefore, seeing the psychologist first could have helped in finding and clarifying the intensity of the intervention that is most appropriate for the child’s mental conditions. As a result, it is easier to take the best clinical intervention based on the insights from the psychological assessments. For instance, it can be easier to develop a collaborative formulation and the best treatment plans for the child to improve treatment outcomes. Visiting a clinical psychologist is an aspect of interdisciplinary and collaborative work that can help the mother to avoid possible isolation associated with presenting the child in private practice. It is equally enjoyable and helps in interacting with people who can advise on distress and possible difficult issues affecting the child in his academic work and thoughts.
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Additionally, presenting the patient to the clinical psychologist would engage and empower him since it is a form of communicating genuine respect for her son. This would make the 9-year old son feel that he is not just a subject of an assessment. For example, testing provides a sense of legitimacy to the psychological assessment process (Anonymous, 2015). Also, the child will build a positive rapport with the clinical officer due to a joint understanding of instructions and the decisions made, which are in the best interests of both the psychologist and the patient. This implies that the clinical interventions and treatments will be taken based on mutual consent. Finally, it is noteworthy that the therapeutic assessments will positively impact the clinical outcomes of the child as compared to when he is directly referred to a pediatrician.
Notably, the assertions for taking the child to a clinical psychologist are based on specific referral triggers rather than just mere thoughts with baseless allegations. For instance, the son has a history of pre-treatment evaluations, which were conducted by his teacher. However, these were unsuccessful and the child still presents complex behavioral relationships that the teacher cannot understand better (Doyle, 2016). Also, treatment can stall and the psychological assessment can be the best option to resort to when there is need to determine the specific factors leading to negative outcomes. Similarly, the questions of fitness involved in psychological assessments are crucial in making decisions regarding the child’s psychological functioning. Therefore, the clinician can provide objective evidence when making decisions on the best treatment options for behavioral and academic challenges.
Indeed, professionals with immense experience have ascertained that it is right to use psychological assessments in such situations and this has proved extremely positive. This is because the clinical psychologist brings insights, clarity of focus, and gives patients the opportunity to express themselves and engage with the medical practitioner (Doyle, 2016). Being in touch with psychiatrists helps in managing therapeutic tasks and working towards a common set of goals with the parent of the child. It is, therefore, easier to represent some case examples and clinical arguments before parents to help them care for their children when nurturing to become the desired kinds of people in school and in their immediate environments.
Types of assessment tools the psychologist might use in his or her evaluation and how these tools would help in guiding diagnosis and treatment
There are several assessment tools that a clinical psychologist may use during the evaluation process. Such include the son’s family background, interests in school and other academic fields, development, and behavioral patterns. Also, coping, family mental health, and how the child responds to pain are vital tools that can help the clinical psychologist to make sound judgments regarding his new behaviors and academic challenges in school. Scholarly interests, for instance, are help know what subjects the child enjoys the most, his hobbies, and part-time activities and how they impact his behavior (Shenfield, 2019). These inform goal-oriented actions that aid in the overall diagnostic processes. The psychologist can as well use development to determine the child’s sleeping patterns, social issues he is facing, and any major illness and past hospitalization and how such influence his life negatively.
References
Anonymous. (2015). Psychological Testing in the Service of Disability Determination. Chapter 3: Overview of Psychological Testing. Bethesda: The National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK305233/
Doyle, T. (August 10, 2016). The Benefits of Psychological Assessments and When to Use Them. [Last Updated: June 11, 2017]. Psych Scene. Retrieved from https://psychscenehub.com/psychinsights/psychological-assessment-introduction/
Shenfield, T. (2019). Psychological Assessments. Dr. Tali Shenfield and Advanced Psychology Services. Retrieved from https://www.psy-ed.com/psychological-assessments/
