Psychological Assessment of Children: Best Practices for School and Clinical Settings

Psychological Assessment of Children, Second Edition offers comprehensive coverage of the most effective approaches to the psychological and educational assessment of children in clinical and school settings. Completely revised and updated, this widely acclaimed resource provides practical, step-by-step guidance on measuring children's adaptive behavior, intelligence, motor skills, neurological functioning, cognitive abilities, vocational aptitudes, interests, and more.

Drawing on the firsthand experiences of leading experts, this book reflects the state-of-the-art thinking in the field of assessment, and helps practitioners determine when and how to use the wide variety of tools at their disposal. It presents the central issues and best practices for the full range of assessment strategies. Its broad scope includes all the major tests used with children, including the WISC-III, the Woodcock-Johnson Revised, Bender Gestalt, Halstead-Reitan, and Luria-Nebraska, as well as invaluable information on conducting clinical interviews and performing informal assessments.

This new edition reflects the latest developments in the field and offers new chapters on perceptual-motor skills, social skills, autistic disorders, mental retardation, and curriculum-based assessment. Careful attention is also given to cultural issues in assessment and to the assessment of special populations.

Each chapter offers an in-depth, practical discussion of an assessment instrument, a presentation of the best practices for administration and interpretation of the instrument, and a detailed case study, illustrating real-world applications of the assessment technique. In addition, each chapter presents a thorough explanation of how to interpret and integrate test results. Readers will appreciate the numerous time-saving resources, including quick-reference tables and charts, that support the text.

Psychological Assessment of Children, Second Edition is an indispensable guide for school, educational, and developmental psychologists; clinical child psychologists; educational diagnosticians; graduate students; and other professionals involved with psychological assessment.

Comprehensive, authoritative, and up-to-date, Psychological Assessment of Children, Second Edition offers step-by-step guidance on the most effective approaches to the psychological and educational assessment of children. Written by leading authorities, this indispensable resource covers all the major assessment tools, including the WISC-III, the Woodcock-Johnson Revised, Bender Gestalt, Halstead-Reitan, and Luria-Nebraska; it provides invaluable information on conducting clinical interviews and performing informal assessment. This Second Edition includes new material on curriculum-based assessment and on the assessment of perceptual-motor skills, social skills, autistic disorders, and mental retardation.

Praise for the previous edition . . .

"Provides important information regarding the best practices in assessment procedures."--Contemporary Psychology

"Assessment and diagnostic practices have undergone dramatic changes. [This book] presents the current wisdom and projected trends of this rapidly evolving field."--Intervention

"An instructive, even-handed book that will orient the reader to the theories, issues, and practicalities. . .[of] the assessment process."

About the editor

H. BOONEY VANCE, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University.