Clinical psychological tests provide an objective approach to the diagnosis of depression, autism spectrum and disruptive behavioral disorders, and anxiety. These types of evaluations are often utilized in conjunction with other testing to assess the presence of a developmental disorder such as Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. A clinical psychological evaluation consists of personality testing that helps a psychologist gather information regarding the thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and behaviors of an individual and to distinguish among psychological disorders.
A clinical psychological evaluation often combines the use of paper-and-pencil measures completed by age-appropriate children, parents, and teachers, as well as open-ended testing that may involve story telling techniques, completion of sentences, and the interpretation of ambiguous materials such as inkblots or drawings. A clinical psychological evaluation can be most helpful with children and adolescents, who are experiencing difficulties in their social and educational environments, yet have difficulty in directly expressing themselves. Clinical psychological tests allow a psychologist to compare a child with his same-age peers on measures of self-esteem, experience of stress, optimism/pessimism, and personality strengths and weaknesses.
A typical clinical psychological evaluation might utilize tests including the Rorschach, Thematic Apperception Test, and Incomplete Sentences Form; parent and teacher rating scales such as the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2, Conners’ Rating Scales-Revised, and Child Behavior Checklist; and child and adolescent self-reports such as the Children’s Depression Inventory, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, Piers-Harris Children’s Self-concept Scale – 2, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents.
For a consultation, call our office at 401-789-1553 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Randy Kulman at 1058 Kingstown Rd. Wakefield, RI 02879.
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