There are a number of assessments that can be used to make a diagnosis. The key is to understand each type of assignment and know which ones will be most beneficial for each unique client. The following are nine commonly used assessment tools or strategies:
Controlled observations in clinic or laboratory
Naturalistic observations in office, home, school
Logs kept by parents, friends, the client
Structured interview
Unstructured interview
Projective personality tests (Rorschach, TAT, sentence-completion, draw-a-person)
Self-report inventories (MMPI-2, Beck Depression Inventory)
Wechsler’s tests (WAIS-III, WISC-III, WPPSI-III)
Neurological tests (CT and PET scans, EEG, MRI, fMRI)
Using the given list of assessment tools and strategies, this module you will apply your newly gained knowledge to the following two case studies. For each case study, you need to choose two to three assessments from the list that you would use in making a diagnosis. For each tool, you will need to provide a brief description and the reason why this tool is a good fit for the case.
Case 1
A 10-year-old boy who seems very intelligent to his parents and teacher is getting very low grades. He is frequently inattentive to the teacher and seems “spaced out.” There is no history of trauma to the head and no indications of serious mental disorder. It is not clear whether his problems occur solely in the classroom or elsewhere too. The boy and his parents come to you for an assessment.
Case 2
A 57-year-old man with a history of heavy drinking is frequently sad, angry, and anxious. His work performance has suffered—he is forgetful, disorganized, and low in energy. The man’s doctor wonders if the drinking has impaired his cognitive abilities; his wife wonders if he is simply very depressed. The man himself feels that he has lived his life for everyone but himself. Your assessment should respond to the concerns of the client, his doctor, and his wife.
This paper should be two to three pages, double-spaced, and written in proper APA format. In addition to the minimum page count (i.e., two pages and one line minimum), you should also include a cover page and a reference page in APA format. Additionally, use a minimum of one additional source outside of your textbook to support your points.
