Unit 9 Discussion 1 In this unit, you are introduced to the clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and neuropsychology branches of psychology

Unit 9 Discussion 1
In this unit, you are introduced to the clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and
neuropsychology branches of psychology. While these three specialty areas share overlap with
goals for clients and the tools they employ in the process of assessment, they each have unique
content knowledge and skill they acquired through training and provide differentiated roles and
services. Subsequently, the referring concern and the needs of an individual will likely indicate
which professional may be best suited to complete the assessment.
In Units 6 through 9, you have 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. In this unit, 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 an intelligence test, a personality test, and a 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.

Andy was referred to you, a psychologist.
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 down stairs (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 Unit 2. You are allowed to choose tests outside of those
on the list. This task will allow you to review tests covered in earlier units of this course, as well
as some that are introduced in this unit. However, remember to address a minimum of three
recommended areas of assessment for a screening of this type. Be sure to take into consideration
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) published by
WPS 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 Unit 2, or another neuropsychological test battery).
As a test user, identify any AERA standards regarding The Rights and Responsibilities of Test
Users, which are implicated in this case study of Andy Davis.