*H-371 Theories and Methods of Child/Adolescent Cognitive and Psychological Assessment
Barbara Gortych
The purpose of this course is to provide a broad theoretical overview of different approaches to the cognitive and psychological assessment of children and adolescents. Students will cultivate diagnostic problem-solving skills, including clinical interviewing with an exposure to cognitive and personality testing. The strengths and limitations of these approaches will be explored in the context of furthering critical inquiry and understanding assessment practices. The course will emphasize using a multifaceted approach in the attempt to capture the complexity of the individual. It should be noted that while students will be exposed to the administration and scoring of a range of psychological tests, this introductory survey course does not qualify them for “real-life” use of these tests without extensive additional training. The course instead should be viewed as providing students with a theoretical background that will help inform their understanding of how evaluations are used in various settings. Ethical considerations, controversies related to assessment, and multicultural issues will be discussed. Enrollment is limited; permission of the instructor is required. This course is required for Risk and Prevention students seeking licensure as either a school guidance counselor or a school social worker/school adjustment counselor, and Risk and Prevention students will be given preference for admission.
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Prerequisite: This is an entry-level survey course and does not require students to have specific experience related to psychological and cognitive assessment of children. Previous counseling with children and/or adolescents is highly recommended.