ASSESSMENT SEMINAR CURRICULUM
1. Introduction to the Program or what are we going to do this year? including curriculum, procedures, discussion of the students' background knowledge and interests in relation to assessment training at the NAAPTC
2. Clinical Aspects of Testing or what is the point? including effective communication with the referral sources; ability to provide a coherent and comprehensible case formulation based on the testing data; using consultation, clinical charts and outside reports; effectively addressing referral questions; formulating recommendations and suggestions for a treatment plan, and providing feedback to the clients and/or referral sources
3. Ethical and Legal Issues in Assessment or what are the does and don'ts? including informed consent, security of data, release of information, limits of competency issues, etc.�
4. Introduction to Neuropsychology or what about the body? including basic information needed to understand biological variables essential for testing (Central Nervous System anatomy, sensorium, endocrinology, drugs, neurological exam).
5. Mental Status Exam and basic Neurological Screening or what are we looking for? including basic signs and symptoms relevant to the assessment process.
6. Basic Psychometric Issues in testing or what can we trust? including quantitative and qualitative interpretation, validity and reliability, and issues of cultural competency in assessment.
7. Basic Neuropsychological Battery or what can we use? including introduction to such tests (covered in the licensing exam!) as WAIS-IV & WISC-IV; WRAT; neuropsychological screening instruments, etc.
8. Assessment of Axis I and II Disorders or how do we apply what we know to real people? including differential diagnoses and relative contributions of organic brain pathology, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders as well as such assessment measures (also covered on the licensing exam!) as Rorschach Test (Exner system); MMPI-2; TAT & CAT; Projective Drawings; Rotter's Incomplete Sentence Blank; and other measures of interest to the interns
9. Assessment of Specific Populations and topics of special interest. including various cultural and ethnic groups, geriatric, forensic, functional, learning disability, epilepsy, etc. assessment; and other topics of interest to the interns.