Interview with Psychologist
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| Mon, 04-28-2008 - 5:19pm |
We have an interview with a psychologist on the 13th. He said it would take about 45 minutes and to not bring any other children, especially siblings. This doc was recommended by our current psychiatrist and I've heard his name before along with good things. When we first talked to him about having a full eval done he said if Robin isn't willing, there's no point in even trying. He said that would be an all day thing with lots of tests/evals and lots of breaks. I guess I'll know more after the 13th!
Wish us luck. With Robin wanting to go to high school this fall we need all the help we can get. He went to the middle school with me today to drop something off for my younger son and when the secretary asked him how he was doing he said, "Great, now that I'm not in this dump anymore!" Ugh. I should have left him home. It's never pretty when he goes to that school. Lots of bad memories. I hope high school is better. We need some answers before then, though.
Cathy in CO

















I'm not sure why they wouldn't be able to complete the eval if Robin decided not to cooperate. Seems to me that's one of the symptoms of ASD, along with lots of other disorders and such. We already have dx's of ADHD and Bipolar (HUGE symptom of that one!). We talked to Robin and explained that this eval would help all of us and the school and he's agreed--for now. We all know he very well could change him mind depending on his mood at that particular moment. Shoot, I almost expect him to be all ready for the eval, go in with a great attitude and then change his mind after starting it. Wouldn't surprise me one bit. When the school first did his testing for his IEP back in 5th grade Robin got 1/2 way through the IQ test and quit. The tester (great guy/teacher) tried everything he could think of to get him to finish. They went for a walk, he gave him candy (hey, I'm not above bribes and threats! lol), and even tried to finish it the next day. Nope, Robin was done. I guess I'll know more after the 13th. I'll let you know how that goes.
Cathy
Yeah, way too honest most of the time. No inhibitions there! lol
Cathy
With a full evaluation you are looking at a complete set of standardized testing as well most likely. The psychologist can do observations, parent checklists, (and likely even provide a diagnosis) etc but if a high school is unwilling to cooperate it would not be that beneficial to do a "full" psychological evaluation because it would likely not be valid.
Most of teh testing they are talking about is "standardized" and has to be given in a certain way. Tests such as IQ tests and other tests that point to how he learns. These tests are helpful when determining supports because it can highlight strengths and needs. If the student doesn't put forth their best effort then the answers can be inaccurate and it will affect the validity of the test results.
With younger students you can usually use various reinforcers, making it a game, establishing rapport, etc. However, with a person who is a teenager they have to be willing to give it their best shot as they get more independent and have more input. Sorry, but no amount of tokens, candy, or positive praise is going to really affect a fairly typical IQ teenager if they don't want to do it.
However, as I said, the doc can still do observations and have the parents, teachers if there were any, and even the student fill out checklists and rating scales. They can still make a diagnosis based on those things but it won't be a complete full psychological evaluation.
Renee
"When the school first did his testing for his IEP back in 5th grade Robin got 1/2 way through the IQ test and quit. The tester (great guy/teacher) tried everything he could think of to get him to finish. They went for a walk, he gave him candy (hey, I'm not above bribes and threats! lol), and even tried to finish it the next day. Nope, Robin was done. "
That sounds so much like my Hannah.