Clinical Psychology
Introduction
Clinical psychology is the branch of science that involves a combination of clinical knowledge and science to gain an understanding, treating, or preventing any dysfunction that relates to psychology and promote the wellbeing and development of a person. The discipline involves practices such as psychological assessment, therapy, and clinical intervention. Clinical psychologists also conduct research consultation, educating, and program development of issues concerning psychology. My neighbor has been having behavior and academic problems in school, and the teacher recommended the child be given a prescription for Ritalin. However, it is important that the child is examined by clinical psychologists before being treated because there are many behavioral dysfunctions that have different treating approaches.
Why should the child be assessed by a clinical psychologist first?
According to the child’s teacher, the child should be given a prescription for Ritalin. From a medical perspective, this is the wrong approach and could affect the child. Ritalin or Methylphenidate is a stimulant medication that is prescribed to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD is a condition that is characterized by imprudent behaviors and hyperactivity. Children with ADHD have difficulties in school because they are unable to concentrate. They also have behavioral problems such as restlessness, poor planning, low frustration tolerance, impulsiveness, etc. even if the child is presenting ADHD-like symptoms, it is not enough evidence to conclude that t the child is suffering from the illness. There are other diseases with similar symptoms, such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD), disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, learning disorders, and others. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to prescribe ADHD drugs without considering the possibility of other conditions. Moreover, Ritalin has its side effects, such as trouble sleeping, weight loss, nausea and vomiting, and loss of appetite. It would be unfortunate to subject the child to these side effects.
Assessment tools for related behavioral diseases
The DSM-5 or the ICD-10 criteria guide clinical psychologists on how to assess behavioral and developmental related dysfunctions. Psychologists have also come up with various tools that help in the behavioral and developmental assessment. Some of these tools include ages and stages questionnaires (ASQ), Battelle Developmental Inventory Tool (BDI-ST), Bayley infant developmental screen (BINS), Brigance screen II, Developmental child Inventory (CDI), Child Development Review-Parent Questionnaire (CDR-PQ) Vanderbilt Assessment Scales, Behavior Assessment System (BASC), Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, Conners Parent and Teacher Rating scales. Vineland adaptive behavior scales involves a comparison between a child’s skills and the children of his age. In this tool, a parent, guardian, or teacher fills out questionnaires concerning the abilities of a child, such as communication, motor skills, social interaction. And the results are compared to the behaviors of other children. This tool is helpful in identifying where the child may be lagging behind. It helps to identify dysfunctions such as autism, Asperger syndrome, and developmental delays.
Conners’s Parent and Teacher Rating Scales assessing the severity of behaviors related to ADHD. Parents and teachers answer questionnaires concerning the behavior of the child. The tool assesses areas like hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and problems with learning, social interactions. If the child is found to have problems in any of these areas, then further testing is needed. This tool also monitors how medication and therapies are working for already diagnosed ADHD children. The Vanderbilt Assessment Scales is also used to assess the existence and severity of the ADHD symptoms. Moreover, it assesses behavioral concerns and how this could affect behavior and academics. In this tool, parents are asked to rate their child’s behavior on a scale. They have options like often, very often, rare, etc. answers like often and very often shows that a child may be having the ADHD disorder. Behavior Assessment System for children (BASC) measures various aspects relating to the child’s behavior. It also involves filling out questions about the child’s social skills, the way they think, and their ability to adapt. It is used to evaluate a range of behavior issues. The results identify specific areas of concern. When the child is found to have behavioral issues, other tests should be taken to narrow down the main issue.
The Achenbach child behavior checklist measures the emotional behavioral, social development, and abilities.in this tool, the parent or teacher gets about 100 statements that describe how children behave. The parent then answers whether the statement is true or untrue about their child. This scale points out a variety of behavioral and emotional issues such as ADH, depression, oppositional defiant disorders, and phobias. The ages and stages questionnaires (ASQ), is used to screen developmental progress in children between one month to 5 years. The tool shows if the child is taking longer than other children to develop and their ability to learn.
The Battelle Developmental Inventory Tool is assessing infants and children who are in the age of 11 months to seven years. It involves observing a child, interviewing the parents, social history, social interaction. This test assesses the developmental delays and learning disabilities. There are specific tools that are used to detect specific disorders; for instance, anxiety assessment tools include depression anxiety stress scale, generalized anxiety disorder screener, Hamilton anxiety rating scale, and Zug Anxiety Scale. Autism assessment tools include the child autism rating scale, autism diagnostic observation schedule, autism detection in early childhood, autism diagnosis interview.
References
Autism Tasmania. (n.d). Autism Assessment Tools. Retrieved from
Patino, E. (n.d). Types of behavior assessments. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/evaluations/types-of-tests/types-of-behavior-assessments
In McLeod, B. D., In Doss, A. J., & Ollendick, T. H. (2013). Diagnostic and behavioral assessment in children and adolescents: A clinical guide. New York [etc.: Guilford Press.
Longsdon, A. (2019). Battelle Developmental inventory assessment for young children. retrieved from https://www.verywellfamily.com/infant-and-toddler-development-tests-2162362#:~:text=The%20Battelle%20Developmental%20Inventory%20is,Observation%20of%20the%20child&text=A%20thorough%20developmental%20history%20(review,reached%20each%20age%20and%20more)