IQ Final General Assessment Process

What is psychological assessment?

A structured process of using multiple techniques, including standardized tests, clinical interviews, and observations, to evaluate an individual's mental health, behavioral patterns, and cognitive functioning.

Five components of a comprehensive integrated assessment

Records review, Collateral Information, Clinical Interview, MSE/Behavioral Observations, Testing.

Factors to consider for referral question appropriateness

Clarity of the question, scope, tools and time available, ethical considerations, if there's a more important question.

What is informed consent?

Consent that protects client autonomy, ensures understanding of the assessment's purpose and procedures, and meets ethical and legal transparency requirements.

Components of informed consent

Clients must be informed why the assessment is conducted and understand how their information will be used, stored, and shared.

Benefits of using psychological measures

Provides a structured way to assess specific constructs, comparison with a norm group, and research-based clinical cut-off scores.

Role of behavioral observations in test validity

Used to inform the validity statement and add context to scores based on factors like effort and engagement.

What is a collateral contact?

Any person other than the client who provides relevant information about the client’s functioning.

Importance of collateral interviews

They provide additional perspectives that help verify or expand upon the client's self-report, improving accuracy and reliability.

Factors affecting assessment report style/length/structure

Setting, type of report, referral question, and supervisor preference.

Important considerations for assessment report writing

Reports should be clear, concise, formal, and include behavioral descriptions without buzzwords.

What is a validity statement?

A brief statement that describes whether test results are valid and the rationale behind it.

What is assessment feedback?

Involves clients in the process, builds transparency, informs them about results, and is important for future steps.

When is feedback not required?

Feedback is not provided in settings where it is not allowed, such as certain forensic settings.

Difference between traditional and collaborative assessment approaches

Traditional assessment involves the clinician as the expert, whereas collaborative assessment involves the client in the process.

Pros of traditional assessment approach

Efficient, structured, clinician maintains control, useful for legal or medical evaluations.

Cons of traditional assessment approach

Client may feel passive, low engagement, and potential for misunderstanding.

Pros of collaborative assessment approach

Higher engagement, improves accuracy, and offers therapeutic benefits.

Cons of collaborative assessment approach

More time-consuming, less suitable for strict objectivity, and risk of client influence.

Why can't one test score determine a diagnosis?

A single score can be impacted by culture, language, anxiety, effort, or testing conditions.

Considerations specific to children in assessment

Developmental level, attention, rapport, engagement, behavior management, and environmental setup.