Psychological test descriptions revised 6



 

North Tonawanda City School District

North Tonawanda, New York 14120-4097

 

1.1] (KBIT-2) Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test - Second Edition:  The KBIT-2 is an individually administered brief intelligence test for individuals aged 4 through 90 years. The KBIT-2 consists of two scales. The Crystallized (Verbal) Scale contains two item types:   Verbal Knowledge and Riddles, which measure receptive and expressive vocabulary.  The Fluid (Nonverbal) Scale is a Matrices subtest that measures nonverbal skills and problem solving abilities.

**Administration time: 15-30 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability.

 

1.2] (SB:V) The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale:  Fifth Edition:  This test is an individually administered measure of intellectual abilities for individuals aged 2 through 85+ years. The Fifth Edition includes comprehensive coverage of five factors--Fluid Reasoning, Knowledge, Quantitative Reasoning, Visual-Spatial Processing, and Working Memory—as well as the ability to compare verbal and nonverbal performance.   Fluid Reasoning is the ability to solve verbal and nonverbal problems using inductive or deductive reasoning.  Knowledge is a person’s accumulated fund of general information acquired at home, school, or work.  Quantitative Reasoning is an individual’s facility with numbers and numerical problem solving, whether with word problems or with pictured relationships.  Visual-Spatial Processing measures an individual’s ability to see patterns, relationships, spatial orientations, or the gestalt whole among diverse pieces of a visual display.  Working Memory is a class of memory processes in which diverse information stored in short-term memory is inspected, sorted, or transformed.  **Administration time: 15-75 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability.

 

1.3] (TONI-3) The Test of Nonverbal Intelligence – Third Edition: The Test of Nonverbal Intelligence Third Edition (TONI-3), was designed as an individually administered, language-free, motor and culture reduced measure of intellectual abilities that does not involve the use of words.  The tasks in this test require abstract/figural reasoning and problem solving. The test also requires minimal motor skills, as the individual responds through pointing.  It measures a single intelligent behavior, that is, a person’s ability to solve novel, abstract problems. It is to be used with individuals ranging in age from 6:0 through 89:11.  It consists of two equivalent forms each containing 45-items; either form can be administered.  The individual’s performance is summarized as an overall standard score.

**Administration time: 15-20 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability.

 

1.4] (WPPSI-III) Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – Third Edition:

This scale of intelligence is an individually administered clinical instrument for assessing the intellectual ability of children aged 2:6 through 7:3.  The WPPSI-III consists of a variety of subtests each measuring a different facet of intelligence.  There are four core subtests for children aged 2 years, 6 months through 3 years, 11 months. There are seven core subtests for children aged 4 years, 0 months through 7 years, 3 months. A child’s performance on these various measures is summarized into three composite scores: Verbal IQ (verbal reasoning skills), Performance IQ (nonverbal reasoning skills), and a Full Scale IQ. Two additional, optional composite areas include Processing Speed Quotient (measures speed of mental or graphomotor processing) and General Language Composite (receptive and expressive vocabulary knowledge). **Administration time: 40-60 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability.

 

1.5] (WISC-IV) Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition: The WISC-IV is an individually administered clinical instrument for assessing the general cognitive functioning of children aged 6:0 through 16:11.  It consists of 10 core subtests each measuring a different facet of intelligence. There are also five additional supplemental subtests, which can be used to substitute for the core tests if needed. A child’s performance on these various measures is summarized into five composite scores: Verbal Comprehension (measures verbal abilities utilizing reasoning, comprehension, and conceptualization), Perceptual Reasoning (measures perceptual reasoning and organization), Working Memory (measures attention, concentration, and working memory), Processing Speed (measures speed of mental or graphomotor  processing), and a Full Scale IQ (measures overall cognitive functioning).

**Administration time: 65-80 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability.

 

1.6] (WAIS-IV) Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth Edition: The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition is an individually administered clinical instrument for assessing the intellectual ability of children aged seventeen through adult.   The WAIS-IV consists of a variety of subtests each measuring a different facet of intelligence.  A child’s performance on these various measures is summarized into three composite scores: the Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ’s. Together, these IQ’s provide estimates of an individual’s intellectual abilities.  The Verbal IQ score is a measurement of acquired knowledge, verbal reasoning, and attention to verbal details.  The Performance IQ score is a measurement of fluid reasoning, spatial processing, attentiveness to detail, and visual-motor integration.  The Full Scale IQ is the aggregate score of the VIQ and PIQ scores and is usually considered to be the score that is most representative of g, or global intellectual functioning.  In addition, the WAIS-IV provides four optional factor-based index scores: Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, Working Memory and Processing Speed. Verbal Comprehension is a measure of verbal acquired knowledge and verbal reasoning.   Perceptual Organization is a measure of nonverbal, fluid reasoning, attentiveness to detail, and visual-motor integration.  Working Memory includes a range of tasks that require the examinee to attend to information, to hold briefly and process that information in memory, and then to formulate a response.  Processing Speed is a measure of the individual’s ability to process visual information quickly.  **Administration time: 50-75 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability. 

1.7] (CAS) Cognitive Assessment System: The CAS is an assessment battery designed to evaluate cognitive processing. The CAS was developed to integrate theoretical and applied areas of psychological knowledge using a theory of cognitive processing and tests designed to measure those processes. More specifically, the CAS was developed to evaluate Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, and Successive (PASS) cognitive processes of individuals between the ages of 5 and 17 years. The CAS is an individualized assessment that may be used for a variety of purposes including: diagnosis, eligibility, determination of discrepancies, reevaluation, and instructional planning.

The CAS is useful in identification of disorders of basic psychological processes, central to the definition of learning disability in the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA. It features an 8-subtest Basic Battery and a 12-subtest Standard Battery for flexible administration options. The CAS can also facilitate the identification of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury, Learning Disabilities, Mental Retardation, and Giftedness. Further, it is appropriate for culturally diverse groups, due to substantially smaller African American and White differences than traditional IQ tests.

**Administration time: 45-60 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability.

 

1.8] (WJ-COG III NU) Woodcock-Johnson: Tests of Cognitive Abilities – Third Edition - Norms Updated:  The WJ-III COG is an individually administered clinical instrument for assessing the general cognitive functioning of children aged 6:0 through 16:11.   The test yields standard scores for general intelligence, as well as the broad cognitive abilities: Verbal Ability (language development that includes the comprehension of individual words and relationships among words), Working Memory (how well the student can hold information in immediate awareness), Thinking Ability (measures different thinking processes that the student could use when information in short-term memory cannot be processed automatically), and Cognitive Efficiency (ability to process information automatically). Seven subtests are administered to compute a General Ability Intelligence standard score. The general, composite, and subtest standard scores have a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. The data gathered provides information about a student’s range of cognitive abilities in relation to his or her same-aged peers. Updated norms from 2007 are used.

**Administration time: 50-70 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability.

 

1.9] (DAS-2) Differential Ability Scales- 2:  The DAS-2 is an individually administered battery of cognitive and achievement tests for children and adolescents from ages 2 ½ years through 17 years.   The diverse nature and individual reliability of the core and diagnostic subtests make the DAS–2 a useful tool for profiling a child’s strengths and weaknesses. All 20 subtests involve activities that are appropriate to the developmental level of the child being evaluated. The subtests are grouped into the Early Years and School-Age cognitive batteries with subtests that are common to both batteries and those that are unique to each battery. The Early Years core battery includes verbal, nonverbal, and spatial reasoning subtests appropriate for ages 2:6 through 6:11. The battery is divided into two levels: children ages 2:6–3:5 and 3:6–6:11. The younger children are administered four core subtests to obtain the GCA composite score and children ages 3:6–6:11 take six core subtests which contribute to the GCA composite score. Although these subtests focus on ages 2:6-6:11, it can also be used to assess children ages 7:0–8:11 who are suspected of having cognitive delay. There are three optional diagnostic subtests: Recall of Objects Immediate and Delayed, Recall of Digits Forward, and Recognition of Pictures. There are also two optional diagnostic clusters: working memory and processing speed.

The School-Age core battery contains subtests that can be reliably used to assess children ages 7:0 through 17:11. These subtests measure verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, and spatial reasoning abilities. The subtests can also be used to assess children ages 5:0–6:11 who may be cognitively gifted. In addition, there are up to nine diagnostic subtests for this age group that feed into three possible diagnostic cluster scores: working memory, processing speed and, for the youngest ages, school readiness.    

Both batteries yield a General Conceptual Ability score (GCA), which is a composite score focusing on reasoning and conceptual abilities. The cognitive portion of the DAS-2 (Cognitive Battery) provides a composite score reflecting conceptual and reasoning abilities, cluster scores measuring more specific ability areas, and individual subtest scores representing a range of diverse abilities. 

**Administration time: 30-65 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability.

1.10] (KABC-II) Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition: The KABC-II is designed to minimize verbal instructions and responses thereby providing in-depth data with less "filtering" due to language. Backed by extensive research, KABC-II test items contain little cultural content, so children of diverse backgrounds are assessed more fairly. As a result, the examiner can be confident of getting a true picture of a child’s abilities—even when language difficulties or cultural differences might affect test scores.

The KABC-II uses a dual theoretical foundation (the Luria neuropsychological model and the Cattell/Horn/Carroll (CHC) approach) which helps to obtain data needed for each individual. It also offers an Optional Knowledge/Crystallized Ability scale that can be used with all children. It is appropriate for ages 3 to 18. This allows the use of one test for preschool, elementary, and high school children which can be useful when examining a child’s ability over time.

**Administration time: 50-70 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability.

1.11] (KAIT) The Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test: The KAIT is a comprehensive measure of skills for using one’s brain to think and solve problems.  It includes separate Crystallized and Fluid Scales. The KAIT is intended as a comprehensive measure of intelligence that can be used for a variety of purposes as well as settings including: clinical, neuropsychological, psychoeducational, and vocational evaluations within school systems, clinics, residential treatment centers, hospitals, and private practices. It is appropriate for ages 11 to over 85 years. The KAIT consists of a Core Battery and an Extended battery with all test items evaluated for bias.

**Administration time: Core Battery= 1 hour; Extended Battery= 1.5 hours

 

1.12] (WNV) Wechsler Nonverbal Scale of Ability: The WNV is an individually administered test that measures the skills of using one’s brain to think and solve problems using pictures. It is especially designed for culturally and linguistically diverse groups and those with low incidence disorders. It can be used for ages 4:0 to 21:11.

The WNV is ideal for evaluating individuals who are not English-language proficient, or have other language considerations. When language poses a barrier to typical administration, or where traditional intellectual assessment results would be questionable due to language-related difficulties, the WNV is appropriate for all individuals. With the unique pictoral directions, there is no need to pantomime instructions.  The native language of the examinee is irrelevant to performance and the flexible standard administration allows the examiner to provide help to the examinee when appropriate. The WNV is suitable for use in schools with individuals from multiple language backgrounds and provides supplemental directions in several languages. Different sets of subtests are administered depending on the age of the examinee and there are 2 batteries: a Full and a Brief version. The WNV yields a single ability score.

**Administration time: Full Battery 45 minutes; Brief Version 15-20 minutes.

1.13] (UNIT) Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test: The Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) is a set of individually administered specialized tasks that measure skills of using one’s brain to think and solve problems using pictures. The UNIT is used for ages: 5-0 to 17-11 years Grades: K-12. Unique to the UNIT , both administration and item response formats are completely nonverbal. Test materials have been designed to be culturally and ethnically sensitive, making them ideal for use with students who may be disadvantaged by traditional language-dependent measures. The tasks measure a broad range of complex memory and reasoning abilities, including both verbal (symbolic) and nonverbal mediation. Examiners employ eight universal hand and body gestures to explain the tasks to examinees. Examiner demonstrations, sample items, corrective responses, transitional checkpoint items, and scored items that do not permit examiner feedback, aid the nonverbal administration process. Examiners may administer two, four, or all six subtests depending on the referral. The Abbreviated Battery consists of the first two subtests and is ideal for screening of cognitive functioning. The Standard Battery consists of the first four subtests and is suitable for eligibility and diagnostic decision making. The Extended Battery consists of all six subtests and provides the most in-depth diagnostic data of the three test batteries. Regardless of which battery is administered, the examinee will receive an equal number of reasoning, memory, symbolic, and non-symbolic tasks.

 

UNIT interpretation lends itself to a broad range of complex memory and reasoning abilities, including both verbal (symbolic) and nonverbal mediation. Memory subtests measure recall of content, location, and sequence. Reasoning subtests measure pattern processing, problem solving, understanding of relationships, and planning abilities.

**Administration Time: 10-15 minutes for Abbreviated Battery; 30 minutes for Standard Battery; 45 minutes for Extended Battery.

 

1.14] (WCST) Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: The WCST is used primarily to assess perseveration and abstract thinking but has also gained increasing popularity as a neuropsychological instrument. It is considered a measure of executive function because of its reported sensitivity to frontal lobe dysfunction. As such, the WCST allows the clinician to assess the following "frontal" lobe functions: strategic planning, organized searching, utilizing environmental feedback to shift cognitive sets, directing behavior toward achieving a goal, and modulating impulsive responding. The four stimulus cards incorporate three stimulus parameters. Unlike other measures of abstraction, the WCST provides objective measures of overall success and identifies particular sources of difficulty on the task. When used with more comprehensive ability testing, the WCST is helpful in discriminating frontal from non-frontal lesions.

The WCST is appropriate for individuals 6.5-89 years.

**Administration time: 20-30 minutes.

1.15] (NEPSY-II) Developmental Neuropsychological Test for Children, Second Edition: The NEPSY, Second Edition (NEPSY–II) is the revision of the NEPSY (Korkman, Kirk, & Kemp,

1998), a comprehensive instrument designed to assess neuropsychological development in

preschool and school-age children. The name NEPSY is formed from the word neuropsychology, taking NE from neuro and PSY from psychology. Results obtained from a NEPSY–II assessment inform diagnoses and aid in intervention planning for a variety of childhood disorders. In particular, the NEPSY–II provides the clinician with insight regarding academic, social, and behavioral difficulties. A comprehensive understanding of a child’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses can facilitate the development of appropriate Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and guide placement and intervention decisions. The NEPSY–II consists of a series of neuropsychological subtests that can be used in various combinations according to the needs of the child and the experience of the examiner. A broad range of subtests is included to assess neuropsychological development across six functional domains: Attention and Executive Functioning, Language, Memory and Learning, Sensorimotor, Social Perception, and Visuospatial Processing. The NEPSY-II is for individuals from 3 through 16 years old.

**Administration time: 2 to 3 hours for full assessment of school aged children.

1.16] (CVLT–C) California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version: The CVLT-C is an assessment tool that can be used in a variety of settings to identify learning and memory difficulties, to isolate deficient learning strategies, and to assist in designing remediation programs. The CVLT–C evaluates children and adolescents who have learning and memory impairments that may have resulted from traumatic brain injury or are evidenced by mild to severe learning disabilities, attention-deficit disorders, intellectual disability, psychiatric problems, or other neurological disorders. It measures multiple aspects of how verbal learning occurs, or fails to occur, as well as the amount of verbal material learned.

**Administration time: 15-20 minutes plus a 20 minute interval to accommodate the delayed recall measure.

 

2.1] (ABES-R2) Adaptive Behavior Evaluation Scale-Revised Second Edition:  The ABES-R2 is based on the definition of adaptive skills adopted by the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR, 2000). The ABES-R2 represents the 10 adaptive skill areas of Communication Skills, Self-Care, Home Living, Social Skills, Community Use, Self-Direction, Health and Safety, Functional Academics, Leisure, and Work Skills (AAMR, 2000).  The ABES-R2 provides separate norms for male and female students 4 through 18 years of age (available forms are for ages 4-12 years or 13-18 years). The School Version for ages 4-12 includes 55 items while the form for ages 13-18 contains 103 items. The Home Version represents behaviors exhibited in and around the home environment to be completed by a parent/guardian. The form for ages 4-12 includes 63 items, the form for ages 13-18 contains 103 items. Reported standard scores and percentiles are for the Adaptive Skills Quotient and three Domain Quotients (i.e., Conceptual Skills, Social Skills, and Practical Skills), as well as, standard scaled scores for the 10 skill areas.

**Administration time: School Version 20-25 minutes; Home Version 20-25 minutes.

2.2] (ABAS-II) Adaptive Behavior Assessment System – Second Edition:

The ABAS-II is based on the definition of adaptive skills adopted by the American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR, 2000). The ABAS-II represents the 10 adaptive skill areas of Communication Skills, Self-Care, Home Living, Social Skills, Community Use, Self-Direction, Health and Safety, Functional Academics, Leisure, and Work Skills (AAMR, 2000). The average range for standard scores on this test is 90-109, and the average for scaled scores is 8-12.

 

 

3.1] (BYIESI) Beck Youth Inventories of Emotional & Social Impairment:  The Beck Youth Inventories of Emotional and Social Impairment are five self-report inventories that assess the symptoms of depression, anxiety, anger, disruptive behavior, and self-concept.  This measure is used to identify children ages 7 through 14 years needing referral for more extensive assessment and services. 

**Administration time: 5 to 10 minutes per inventory.   

3.2] (BASC-2) Behavior Assessment System for Children – Second Edition:  The BASC-2 is a multimethod approach to evaluating the behavior and self-perceptions of children.  The BASC-2 is a comprehensive set of rating scales and forms including the Teacher Rating Scales (TRS), Parent Rating Scales (PRS), Self-Report of Personality (SRP), Student Observation System (SOS), and Structured Developmental History (SDH). Together, they help the examiner understand the behaviors and emotions of children and adolescents. The Teacher Rating Scales (TRS) and Parent Rating Scales (PRS) are designed for individuals age 2 through 21.  The Self-Report of Personality (SRP) is designed for individuals aged 8 through college age.  The Structured Developmental History (SDH), a 12-page history and background survey, helps gather crucial information for the diagnostic and treatment process. The SDH provides a thorough review of social, psychological, developmental, educational, and medical information about a child.   Using the Student Observation System (SOS), the examiner can code and record direct observations of a child’s behavior in diverse settings. Using momentary time sampling—during 3-second intervals spaced 30 seconds apart for 15 minutes—it is possible to objectively rate a wide range of behaviors. The SOS assesses both adaptive and maladaptive behaviors, from positive peer interaction to repetitive motor movements.

**Administration time: Teacher/Parent Scales 10-20 minutes; Self Report 30 minutes.

3.3] (ADDES- 3) Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale – Third Edition:  The ADDES-3 was designed to provide a measure of attention and hyperactivity-impulsivity characteristics. The assessment can be used in conjunction with additional information in diagnosing ADHD. There is a home and school version of the rating scales, in which the former contains 46-items and the later 60-items that correlate to the criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association (1994). Each item is rated on the frequency of occurrence. The scale is used for children aged 4 years through 18 years. The children are compared to others of their own age group and gender. Subscale standard scores in the areas of attention and hyperactive-impulsive, an overall quotient score and percentile are reported.

**Administration time: 20-minutes.

 

3.4] (SEI) Self-Esteem Index: The SEI is a multidimensional, norm-referenced measure of the way that individuals aged 7-0 through 18-11 years perceive and value themselves. There are four scales on the SEI: Academic Competence, Family Acceptance, Peer Popularity, and Personal Security. The Academic Competence Scale measures self-esteem in academic and intellectual pursuits.   Self esteem within the family and home are reflected in the Family Acceptance Scale, while self esteem in social situations and interpersonal relationships with peers is measured by the Peer Popularity Scale.  The Personal Security Scale is an assessment of a person’s feelings about his/her physical and psychological well-being.  Overall the Self-Esteem Quotient measures self-esteem.

**Administration time: 30 minutes.

 

3.5] (HTP/DAP) House-Tree-Person and Draw-A-Person: A Quantitative Scoring System: Using a Quantitative Scoring System provides background on projective drawing interpretation and insight into the House-Tree-Person (HTP) and Draw-A-Person (DAP) techniques. The test administrator asks the child (ages 7-11 years) to complete the two or three drawings, which are then scored for the presence or absence of particular characteristics. The DAP provides a measure of intellectual ability through human figure drawing. Test administration involves the administrator requesting children to complete the individual drawings on separate pieces of paper. Children are asked to draw a man, a woman, and themselves. No further instructions are given and the child is free to make the drawing in whichever way he/she would like. There is no right or wrong type of drawing, although the child must make a drawing of a whole person each time - i.e. head to feet, not just the face.

**Administration time: Approximately 30 minutes.

 

3.6] (P-H) The Piers-Harris: The P-H is often referred to as "The Way I Feel About Myself" and is a brief, self-report measure designed to help assess self-concept in children and adolescents. Self-concept, as assessed by this instrument, is defined as a relatively stable set of self-attitudes reflecting both a description and an evaluation of one’s own behavior and attributes. The Piers-Harris consists of an 80 item questionnaire that gives statements that tell about how some people feel about themselves and asks the child/adolescent to answer whether the statement applies to them by responding "yes" or "no". The results are reported using a standard scoring system where the typical score falls between a T-score of 40 to 60. Scores higher than a 60 suggest very favorable self-assessment, while scores lower than 40 indicate unfavorable evaluation of the self, and should be of concern. Low scores can also reflect highly critical self-judgments. Cluster scores are reported for behavior, intellectual and school status, physical appearance, anxiety, popularity, and happiness and satisfaction. An overall total score is also computed.

 

3.7] (MMPI-A) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent: An empirically based measure of adolescent psychopathology, the MMPI-A test contains adolescent-specific scales, and other unique features designed to make the instrument especially appropriate for today’s youth. Offering reports tailored to particular settings, the MMPI-A test helps provide relevant information to aid in problem identification, diagnosis, and treatment planning for youth (ages 14–18).School psychologists can use this self-report inventory to help support diagnosis and treatment planning in a variety of settings as well as identify the root causes of potential problems early on. The MMPI-A consists of 478 statements that are posed as true or false.

**Administration time: 45-60 minutes.

 

3.8] (MAPI) Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory: The MAPI is designed as an objective personality measure for adolescents ages 13 to 18 years. It includes 8 personality-style dimensions. The inventory comprises eight scales measuring personality styles based on Millon’s theory of personality types. The four scales are designed to tap subjects’ expressed concerns, such as peer security and acceptance of sexual maturation. The remaining four scales assess subjects’ actual behavior. The MAPI yields normative scores that are adjusted for personality-trait-prevalence data on each of the personality styles, expressed concerns, and behavioral correlate scales. A narrative report interprets scores on each of the three sets of scales, identifies noteworthy responses to individual items, lists applicable DSM-IV-R diagnoses, and discusses therapeutic implications for use in treatment planning.

**Administration time: varies by individual and estimates unavailable from Inventory publisher.

 

3.9] (CARE) Child and Adolescent Risk Evaluation: The CARE uses research on the risk and protective factors associated with youth violence while providing insights into the functioning of youth at risk for violent behavior. The CARE assessment also provides information that can be used as a case management planning tool which assists the school psychologist in developing treatment plans to meet the youth’s needs. The scores derived help to gauge the nature of potential problem behaviors and to identify appropriate interventions. The risk factors of Youth Characteristics, Peer Pressures, School and Education criteria, Family characteristics, and Protective/Positive factors are evaluated.

**Administration time: Varies by individual.

3.10] (DBD) Disruptive Behavior Disorder Parent/Teacher Rating Scale: The DBD is used to evaluate symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), or Conduct Disorder (CD) as set forth in the criteria of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The DBD parent/teacher Rating Scale is a questionnaire that consists of 45 items.

3.11] (ASRS) Autism Spectrum Rating Scales: The ASRS is designed to measure behaviors of children and youth aged 2 through 18 years, reported by parents and/or teachers that are associated with the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The ASRS includes items related to Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, as set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association-4th Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). Average for this rating scale is 50, with a standard deviation of 10. Scores considered in the Slightly Elevated range are from 60 to 64, Elevated scores range from 65 to 69, and scores that are 70 and above are considered to be in the Very Elevated range.

3.12] (GADS) Gilliam Asperger's Disorder Scale: The GADS is used for the assessment of individuals ages 3 through 22 who present unique behavioral problems. Its purpose is to help professionals identify Asperger’s Disorder characteristics within the school and home settings. The GADS provides information about four categories of behavior – social interaction, restricted patterns of behavior, cognitive patterns, and pragmatic skills.

3.13] (CMOCS) Children's Measure of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms:  The CMOCS is a self-report scale of obsessions, compulsions, and related problem behaviors, as well as pervasive thought patterns, in children and adolescents. The items ask about relatively common obsessions and compulsions among those with such experiences. The CMOCS was developed for use with individuals between the ages of 8 and 19 years. Average for this rating scale is 50, with a standard deviation of 10. Scores considered in the High range are from 60 to 69, and scores that are 70 and above are considered to be in the Extremely High range.

 

4.1]  (WIAT III) The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – Third Edition: The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – Third Edition (WIAT-III) is a comprehensive individually administered battery for assessing the achievement of children who are in Grades K through 12 (5:0 to 19:11).   It assesses skills in the broad areas of Reading (word reading, reading comprehension and pseudoword decoding subtests), Written Language (spelling and written expression subtests), Mathematics (numerical operations and math reasoning subtests) and Oral Language (listening comprehension and oral expression subtests). Standard scores and percentiles are reported for each of the four broad areas, subtests and an overall achievement score.

**Administration time: 45-120 minutes depending on the student’s age.

 

4.2] (WJ-III, NU) Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement – Third Edition - Norms Updated: The WJ-III ACH is a comprehensive individually administered battery of achievement tests for individuals aged 2 to 90+.  The WJ-III is designed to measure actual levels of academic performance in Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Each of these three areas consists of a basic skills subtest, fluency subtest, and applications subtest.  

**Administration time: 55 to 65 minutes depending on the student’s age.

 

4.3] (AIMSweb) Screening and Progress Monitoring Tool for Reading, Writing, and Math: measures three of the five big ideas in reading: phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and fluency with connected text.  It was developed for the purpose of assessing and monitoring the progress of a student’s basic early literacy skills.   Each of the AIMSweb screening measures (i.e., Letter Naming Fluency, Letter Sound Fluency, Phoneme Segmentation Fluency, and Nonsense Word Fluency) has been found to be predictive of later reading success. For each of the measures, specific benchmarks are established in order to assess the discrepancy of the student’s performance and set goals for performance level.

Letter Naming Fluency measures a child’s ability to identify randomly mixed capital and lower case letters of the alphabet. The score is reported as the number of correctly identified letters in a minute.

Letter Sound Fluency measures a child’s ability to produce individual letter sounds within 1 minute.

Phoneme Segmentation Fluency assesses whether a child can segment each sound in an orally presented word.  The score is reported as the number of correctly produced phonemes in a minute.

Nonsense Word Fluency tests if a child has letter-sound correspondence and his/her ability to blend letters together to form unfamiliar “nonsense” words.  The score is reported as the number of correctly identified sounds in a minute.

 

4.4] (GDRT- 2) Gray Diagnostic Reading Test- Second Edition: The GDRT-2 assesses students who have difficulty reading continuous print and who require an evaluation of specific abilities and weaknesses. Two parallel forms are provided to allow the examination of a student's reading progress over time. The GDRT-2 has four core subtests, each of which measures a significant reading skill: Letter/Word Identification, Phonetic Analysis, Reading Vocabulary, and Meaningful Reading. The three supplemental subtests--Listening Vocabulary, Rapid Naming, and Phonological Awareness--measure skills that play an important role in the diagnosis or teaching of developmental readers or children with dyslexia.

4.5] (PAL-II) The Process Assessment of the Learner – Diagnostic Assessment for Reading and Writing, Second Edition: The PAL-II RW uses a variety of tasks to assess a child’s development of reading and writing processes. The PAL-II RW can be used as a screener by identifying students at risk for reading/writing problems; to monitor students by tracking progress in early intervention and prevention programs; and diagnose by evaluating the nature of reading/writing–related processing problems. The PAL-II RW appears to be a good attempt  at measuring the emerging skills needed for the complicated tasks of reading and writing.  As a diagnostic tool for early grade school children, it appears to be quite useful.

**Administration time: 45 to 60 minutes depending on level and subtests administered.

4.6] (PAL-II) The Process Assessment of the Learner – Diagnostic Assessment for Math, Second Edition: The PAL-II Math Assessment is designed for measuring the development of math processes. The PAL-II Math Assessment can be used as a screener by identifying students at risk for math problems; to monitor students by tracking progress in early intervention and prevention programs; and diagnose by evaluating the nature of math–related processing problems. The scaled score average range is from 8 – 12.

4.7] (TEMA-3) The Test of Early Mathematics – Third Edition: The TEMA-3 measures the mathematics performance of children between the ages of 3:0 and 8:11. It is also helpful with older children who have learning problems in mathematics. It can be used as a norm-referenced measure or as a diagnostic instrument to determine specific strengths and weaknesses. The TEMA-3 is an excellent way to measure progress in math, evaluate programs, screen for readiness, discover the bases for poor school performance in math, and identify gifted students, as well as guide instruction and remediation. The test measures both informal and formal concepts and skills in the following domains: numbering skills, number-comparison facility, numeral literacy, mastery of number facts, calculation skills, and understanding of concepts. It has two parallel forms each containing 72 items. A book of remedial techniques (Assessment Probes and Instructional Activities) is also provided for improving the skills in the areas assessed by the test.

 

4.8] (TERA-3) The Test of Early Reading Ability-Third Edition: This test assesses a child's mastery of early developing reading skills, rather than assessing a child's "readiness" for reading. It is considered a unique measure of the actual reading skills of young children appropriate for ages 3:6 to 8:6.

**Administration Time: 30 minutes.

 

4.9] (OWLS) Oral and Written Language Scales: The OWLS are a theoretically based, individually administered assessment of receptive and expressive (both oral and written) language for children and young adults aged 3 through 21 years (5 through 21 years for Written Expression). OWLS consist of three co-normed scales: Listening Comprehension, Oral Expression, and Written Expression. 

• Oral Language Scales: The Listening Comprehension (LC) scale is designed to measure the understanding of spoken language. The Oral Expression (OE) scale is designed to measure the understanding and use of spoken language. Tasks in LC address the lexical (vocabulary), syntactic (grammar), and supralinguistic (higher order thinking) skills. Tasks in OE address lexical, syntactic, supralinguistic, and pragmatic, or functional language, skills. Test results may be used to determine broad levels of language skills as well as specific performance in the areas of listening and speaking.

• Written Expression Scale: The Written Expression Scale is designed to measure the ability to communicate meaningfully using written linguistic forms. Writing skills are measured in the following three areas: Conventions (the ability to apply rules of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, etc.); Linguistics (the ability to use language forms such as modifiers, phrases, verb forms, complex sentences, etc.); and Content (the ability to communicate meaningfully through appropriate subject matter, coherence, word choice, etc.). The items are administered by age-appropriate item sets rather than by basal and ceiling rules to provide a broad sample of writing performance.

 

The primary use/purpose of the OWLS is to provide speech/language pathologists, school psychologists, educational diagnosticians, early childhood specialists etc. a measure of language knowledge and processing skills in individuals aged preschool through young adult. **Administration time: LC scale approximately 5-15 minutes; OE scale approximately 10 to 25 minutes; Written Expression Scale approximately 10 to 40 minutes. All administration times are dependent upon the examinee's age.

 

5.1] (TOMAL-2) Test of Memory and Learning – Second Edition: The TOMAL-2 is a comprehensive memory assessment for children, adolescents, and adults ages 5 years through 59 years 11 months. The standard battery for the TOMAL-2 consists of 8 core subtests, 6 supplementary subtests, and 2 delayed recall tasks that evaluate general and specific memory functions.

**Administration time: approximately 45-60 minutes.

 

5.2] (WRAML-2) Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Leaning – Second Edition: The major use for the WRAML-2 is clinical in terms of providing incremental information in making an individual diagnosis. The WRAML-2 is a carefully standardized psychometric instrument which allows the examiner to evaluate an individual's memory functioning. The WRAML-2 allows for the evaluation of both immediate and delayed memory ability, as well as the acquisition of new learning. The WRAML-2 is normed for children, adolescents, and adults, ages 5-90 years.

The WRAML-2 Core Battery is composed of two Verbal, two Visual, and two Attention/Concentration subtests, yielding a Verbal Memory Index, a Visual Memory Index, and an Attention/Concentration Index. Together, these subtests yield a General Memory Index. A Working Memory Index is also available.

 

The WRAML-2 is used to evaluate learning and school–related problems.  It is helpful in evaluating the effects of a language disability or problems with verbal memory retrieval, in identifying the inefficient or disorganized memory strategies of a bright but under-achieving student, and in pointing to the functional inefficiency of memory in a child with attention deficit.   It can also be used to assess memory following a head injury.

6.1] (Bender-Gestalt) Bender-Gestalt Test: The Bender-Gestalt is a rapid, efficient measure of perceptual-motor and cognitive development in children appropriate for ages 4 and up. It is the most frequently administered and thoroughly researched of all of the drawing (copying) tests and consists of nine geometric designs (numbered A and 1-8) originally developed by Wertheimer to demonstrate the perceptual tendencies to organize visual stimuli into configural wholes (Gestalten). Each design is presented sequentially to the subject whose task is to reproduce them on a blank sheet of paper.

**Administration time: approximately 10 minutes.

6.2] (QNST-R) Quick Neurological Screening Test, Revised Edition: The Quick Neurological Screening Test, Revised (QNST-R) is composed of 15 observed tasks that reportedly can be used as a screening test for learning disabilities. These tasks are very simple in nature and were adapted primarily from a typical pediatric neurological examination; however, a few tasks were derived from developmental scales or neuropsychological tests. The test requires that the examiner be highly observant of the child’s behavior and make subjective ratings concerning the child’s performance in tasks such as handwriting ability, eye tracking, finger to nose coordination, arm and leg extension, rapidly reversing repetitive hand movements, tandem walk and perceptual ability for numbers written on the palms of hands. These subjective ratings are then compared to cutoff scores in the manual. It is recommended that the QNST-R could be included as only one test in a battery of neuropsychological tests for learning disabilities.

**Administration time: approximately 20 minutes.

  6.3] (VMI-5) The Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Fourth Edition: The VMI-5 is a measure of students' visual-motor skills/small muscle, eye-hand coordination movements. The primary purpose of the VMI-5 is to help prevent learning and behavioral problems through early screening identification. The short form uses 18 items to assess visual-motor integration in children ages 3-8. The long form uses 27 items to assess functioning in examinees ages 3-18.

**Administration time: approximately 10-15 minutes.

 

7.1] Classroom Observation/s – Clinical viewing of the student and interpreting the activity, actions of the student, and the consequences that were used as compared to other students.

7.2] Teacher/s Interview – A formal or informal discussion regarding the educational program of a student.

7.3] Student Interview – A formal or informal discussion regarding the interests, feelings, and goals of a student as it relates to the educational program.

7.4] Parent/Guardian Interview – A formal or informal discussion regarding the understanding

of the parents have about their child.

7.5] Review of Records – A review and interpretation of the documents located within the school about a student.

 

7.6] [FBA] A Functional Behavioral Assessment: A process of determining why a student engages in behaviors that interfere with learning and how the student’s behavior relates to the environment. The FBA shall include, but not be limited to, the identification of the problem behavior, the definition of the behavior in concrete and observable terms, the identification of the contextual factors that contribute to the behavior (including cognitive and affective factors) and the formulation of a hypothesis regarding the general conditions under which a behavior usually occurs and probable consequences that serve to maintain it. A [BIP] Behavioral Intervention Plan includes a written strategy that specifies what behaviors will be changed, what encouragement/rewards will be used on a frequency level that is agreed to in order to show positive progress, and how this BIP will be evaluated by a specified date. All of this is discussed with the parents, school personnel, and the student before, during and after these programs are created.

 

7.7.] (CCRST) Children’s Classroom Reinforcement Survey for Teachers: The CCRST is an interview format that poses questions and choices to a student; this includes open-ended sentences that are analyzed and grouped into categories that can be developed into formal encouragement and rewards systems. It includes an analysis of important people in the student’s life and how to help them encourage the student, school activity reinforcers, material/tangible reinforcers, and home interventions that are helpful. The interview takes between 15 and   40 minutes.

 

7.8] (RPI) Reinforcer Preference Inventory: The RPI is a forced, paired choice selection process whereby the student selects one of two responses that are read aloud by the school psychologist. An analysis is determined from the choices into the following five categories with a percentage given for the total numbers/letters for each choice that is made: teacher approval, peer approval, personal success/parental approval, independence, and primary reinforcer/tangible rewards. The survey takes about 6 to 10 minutes.

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Psychological Assessment Tools

1] Cognitive/I.Q.

2] Adaptive Behavior

3] Social-Emotional Development

4] Academic Achievement

5] Memory Skills

6] Visual-Motor Coordination

7] Additional Techniques Used:

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