ABS300 Week 2 Assignment 2, Clinical History report Draft

Week 2 Assignment- Client History Report Draft ABS300: Psychological Assessment Instructor Date For this assignment I was to take on the role as a psychological evaluator and express important methodological and theoretical assessment concepts of my client Timothy. Tim is a young teen facing many learning issues in school. These learning concerns are agreed upon by both his educators and parents. Timothy’s ability to learn has been struggling since he was a young boy which has recently been an arising concern. It is important to recognize that, “Students learn at different paces and in different ways, and it is through such comparisons of progress that educators can begin to identify what teaching methods work best for which individual.” (Cohen, R. J., Swerdlik, M. E., & Sturman, E. D. (2018). The ultimate goal is to understand what learning difficulties Timothy faces in order to properly educate him to his understanding. I. Identifying information My Clients name is Timothy Childers, who is a fifteen year old male, Caucasian in the tenth grade. Timothy was referred for neuropsychological evaluation for possible learning disability and/or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder known as ADHD. Timothy has always faced difficulties ever since he was much younger, but only up until recently it has become a concern toward his academics. Timothy is the youngest of three children, “there is no family history of learning disability or ADHD in either of his parents or siblings.” (Kennedy, N. & Harper, Y. (2014). That is why there are many concerns that his parents and teachers see notice which need to improve in order for him to gain full academic success. II. Reason for referral The reason for the referral is because my client Timothy has been experiencing some learning difficulties that may be identified as ADHD. Although Timonthy may feel perfectly fine, there are concerns that arise within his environment. ADHD is a “specific learning disorder, or possible psychological problem that may impair learning. Neuropsychological evaluation often leads to an intervention plan to improve functioning.” (Cohen, R. J., Swerdlik, M. E., & Sturman, E. D. (2018). Some signs that have been concerning is the fluctuating of his grades throughout the years, multitasking, organizing, along with grammar and vocabulary. “According to his mother, there has been much conflict between Timothy and his math teacher. Timothy reportedly always enjoyed mathematics and solving problems, but there is a lot of conflict between him and his math teacher. His teacher has even accused him of cheating because Timothy doesn’t always show his work.” (Kennedy, N. & Harper, Y. (2014). When spoken to Timothy he was very upset and against teachers teaching techniques but very calm when spoken to about his family. If Timothy is considered ADHD then he will need guidance to get a better quality of learning to meet his qualities. III. III. Current Symptoms/Presenting Concerns Since my client is fifteen years old, it was not his decision to outreach for help. Timothy’s parents and teachers were concerned for his academic success and his views on life. When conducting a few test with the presence of his mother, “Timothy was very pleasant and easy to work with. Initially, he seemed reticent to be at the appointment.” (Kennedy, N. & Harper, Y. (2014). “The symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -- or ADHD -- vary from person to person, but consist of some combination of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.” (Bhandari,S. (2017). Some of my client’s symptoms and presenting concerns can relate to those of ADHD which are, self-focused behavior, disorganized, inattention or even being forgetful. Timothy’s moods switch up as well, he can be angry such as sharing his frustrations on his teachers teaching methods but happy with life when speaking of his siblings standing up for themselves. When Timothy took his Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, the assessment shed much light on what his personality was like, “the adolescent’s MMPI-A clinical profile indicated multiple serious behavior problems including school maladjustment, family discord, and authority conflicts. He can be moody, resentful, and attention seeking.” (Butcher, J., 2014). Although, when his mother took the BRIEF test she reported that there are no problems with emotional control, even though timothy’s moods change just with a topic of conversation. Tim’s mom did admit that he was disorganized and struggled with planning out any steps in order to achieve his needed goal. IV. IV. Psychosocial History (complete each of the sections below based on the information in the case you selected) My clients psychosocial history is very interesting to say the least, my client is in the tenth grade, but “Ms. Childers reported that Timothy was first noted to have academic difficulty in 1st grade. He stated that Timothy’s grades are average overall, but with a lot of variability (Kennedy, N. & Harper, Y. (2014). Timothy is still a student there is no information of him working a job of any kind. “No psychiatric or substance use history was reported. Timothy is not taking any medications. “(Kennedy, N. & Harper, Y. (2014).Neither of Timothy’s parents nor siblings have proved to have difficulties in their past with learning abilities. There is no previous psychiatric history on Timothy at the moment. Timothy’s social history is pretty average for a teen, “he may seem likable and may make a good impression on others; however, his relationships tend to be very troubled. His behavior is primarily hedonistic and self-centered and he is quite insensitive to the needs of other people, exploiting them and feeling no guilt about it.” (Butcher, J. (2014). As every teen of the opposite sex becomes attractive at some point, Timothy says that he talks to girls he finds attractive and said they also like him. Automatically jumping into conclusion, Timothy seems to be the average ladies’ man who insist they find him attractive just by conversation. The confidence level is amazing however, not everybody who speaks to you is trying to flirt or feels the same way back. This shows clear signs of Impulsivity, “People who are overly impulsive seem unable to think before they act. As a result, they may blurt out answers to questions or inappropriate comments, or run into the street without looking.” (Bhandari, Smitha. (2017).In time’s people with this type of behavior do not make many friends. V. Interpretation of the Results “Timothy was very pleasant and easy to work with. Initially, he seemed reticent to be at the appointment.” (Kennedy, N. & Harper, Y. (2014). However, after the first interview he seemed to lighten up a bit and be more active in the interview process when taking any of the test. Timothy had taken a number of test which include, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children 4th Edition, Children’s Memory Scale, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Woodcock- Johnson Tests of Achievement, Gordon Diagnostic System, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System, and many others. Validity Considerations Timothy’s approach to the MMPI-A was eager and willing. “The resulting MMPI-A is valid and is probably a good indication of his present level of personality functioning. This may be viewed as a positive indication of his involvement with the evaluation.” (Kennedy, N. & Harper, Y. (2014). Symptomatic Behavior Timothy’s MMPI-A clinical profile shows numerous behavioral issues including school instability, family discordance, and authority struggles. Timothy is known to be moody and thrives for attention. His two highest MMPI-A clinical scales, D and Pd, which are clearly elevated above other scales, occur as high-point pair in less than 1 % of the normative sample. (Kennedy, N. & Harper, Y. (2014). An analysis of the adolescent’s original personality factors with the PSY-5 scales might help clarify any behavioral problems he might be facing. Timothy tends to observe the world in a negative manner, proven by his moderate score on the Negative Emotionality /Neuroticism scale. This can hinder his view to look at things in a positive manner. Interpersonal Relations Timothy seems to be well rounded on the outside but very troublesome on the inside. Tim’s behavior comes off as self-indulgent, insensitive to others around him, self-centered and shows no remorse for making people feel or seem bad. During his MMPI-A test some additional information was provided to show that there are reclusive attitudes, which is representing distrust of others and their intensions. Diagnostic Considerations Timothy’s Pd evaluation suggest that behavior problems should be considered although there is not enough information for an indefinite diagnosis. Timothy has a highs chore on the MAC-R scale which shows considerable issues with alcohol or other drugs although he refuses that he uses any recreationally. I would highly recommend another assessment on his alcohol of drug use problems. VI. Diagnostic Impressions VII. Recommendations References: Cohen, R. J., Swerdlik, M. E., & Sturman, E. D. (2018). Psychological testing and assessment: An introduction to tests and measurement (9th ed.). Retrieved from Kennedy, N. & Harper, Y. (2014). ABS 300 Week Five Final Paper Adolescent Male Case Study Timothy Childers [PDF]. College of Health, Ashford University: San Diego, CA. Butcher, J. “Contemporary Use of the MMPI-2 in Forensic Assessment”, Continuing Education Course presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, August 2014. ABS 300 Week Five Sample MMPI-A School Adolescent Male Interpretive Report Timothy Childers [PDF]. Bhandari, Smitha. (2017). Understanding the Symptoms of ADHD. ADHD in children. WebMD. Retrieved at: