The Bender-Gestalt Test is a psychological assessment tool used for measuring visual-motor function by having subjects attempt to reproduce patterned drawings. Brannigan (psychology, State U. of New York at Plattsburgh) and Brunner (Child and Family Guidance, Clinton, New Jersey) offer a history of the test, an overview of the modifications to its scoring system, and the research background behind those modifications. They then present guidelines to the administration and scoring of the test and protocols for test interpretation. Finally they suggest avenues for future research. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

With increased interest in predicting and ultimately preventing academic failure in children comes the need for effective preschool and primary school assessment. The first step in developing an effective assessment program is to select tests that will yield data needed for individual decision making. One factor that has been shown to contribute to the prediction of children’s academic achievement is visual-motor-integration skill. The Qualitative Scoring System for the Modified Version of the Bender-Gestalt Test was developed in the 1980s to measure visual-motor-integration skill in preschool and early elementary school children. The assessment instrument utilizes six of the nine Bender-Gestalt Test designs, which are copied by the child. It may be administered in either individual or group format. The scoring system involves a six-point scale used to judge the overall quality of each design. Examiners will find the assessment instrument easy to administer, score, and interpret. Further, research has shown that the assessment instrument is a reliable and valid predictor of school achievement. This book will describe the development and refinement of the Qualitative Scoring System for the Modified Version of the Bender-Gestalt Test. In addition, it will provide detailed information and guidelines for administering, scoring, and interpreting the test. Specifically, there are separate chapters on administration and scoring, standardization and norming, reliability and validity, and interpretation. In short, the book contains everything psychologists and educational specialists need to know to use the Qualitative Scoring System for the Modified Version of the Bender-Gestalt Test.

"The Handbook of International School Psychology will be THE major resource on the profession and its various applications in different countries. It is a ′must read′ for school psychologists and professionals from related disciplines who wish to understand, monitor, and shape the field of school psychology." --Scott Huebner, NCSP, University of South Carolina "This book is a very important contribution . . . The authors are all the most well known and respected in their countries, with many years of international experience within the field. The reader gets a firsthand impression of both the vast differences and the many common aspects within the school psychological domain. The broad range of countries . . . also shows how trends in school psychology--and special education--over years play an important role in cross-national implementation strategies." --Niels Egelund, Institute of Educational Psychology, The Danish University of Education. The Handbook of International School Psychology provides a description of the specialty of psychology devoted to the global provision of services to children and youth, their teachers, and parents. Editors Shane R. Jimerson, Thomas D. Oakland, and Peter T. Farrell have brought together prominent authors from 43 countries to provide valuable information and insights regarding the numerous facets of school psychology. Key Features: Offers a comprehensive overview of key areas: This Handbook addresses the context of school psychology; its origin, history, and current status; and the infrastructure of school psychology. In addition, contributors examine the preparation of school psychologists; their roles, functions, and responsibilities; and current issues impacting the field. Provides a balance of breadth and depth: Internationally renowned authors offer insight on the work of school psychologists around the world, such as assessing children who display cognitive, emotional, social, or behavioral difficulties; developing and implementing intervention programs; consulting with teachers, parents, and other relevant professionals; and conducting research. Reviews key trends in the field: Trends influencing school psychology′s international development are examined. The past, present, and future of the International School Psychology Association (ISPA) are discussed, as are findings from the International School Psychology Survey that examines the characteristics and responsibilities of school psychologists. Intended Audience: The Handbook of International School Psychology is the foremost international resource regarding school psychology. It is ideal for scholars, practitioners, and graduate students interested in acquiring an international view of school psychology.

Faced with challenging economic times, contemporary clinicians require assessment tools which can accelerate the therapeutic process and facilitate brief psychotherapy. This text introduces graphology, or handwriting analysis, which has been used clinically in Europe for decades alongside other projective techniques. In Clinical Graphology: An Interpretive Manual for Mental Health Practitioners, this clinical application becomes accessible. The text provides a compelling rationale for the clinical evaluation of handwriting and demonstrates how therapists can access rich personal data by examining clients’ graphic behaviors. The text is designed to systematically present clinical graphology in theory and practice. A review of the literature demonstrates that the clinical use of graphology is consistent with the tenets of clinical practice. Graphological interpretive theory is presented in detail, providing a theoretical understanding of those graphic features which are meaningful indices of psychological phenomena. In this context, the inherent congruity between graphological and psychological theory is explored. Diverse handwriting samples, including many of contemporary public figures, illustrate graphic phenomena while demonstrating and encouraging the graphologist’s unique type of visual acuity. To facilitate the reader’s ability to synthesize graphic traits into a holistic personality profile, an interpretive schedule is provided which summarizes graphic indices and their interpretations. A method of assessing handwritings is provided which permits a degree of standardization and so facilitates research. Using this text, readers can integrate graphological theory and cultivate interpretive skills. Providing a comprehensive treatment of the psychology of handwriting, this volume includes a discussion of caveats which guide the clinical use of graphology as well as research considerations and guidelines for sharing graphological findings with clients. To date, clinicians in North America remain unaware of the merits of graphology usage although they continue to seek out methods of assessment which will facilitate their clinical efforts. This volume will demonstrate graphology as a tool which can be applied by those with virtually any theoretical orientation or practice model, speaking to the interests of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, art therapists, vocational counselors, pastoral counselors, and naturopaths, and paraprofessionals.

Neuropsychological assessment is a difficult and complicated process. Often, experienced clinicians as well as trainees and students gloss over fundamental problems or fail to consider potential sources of error. Since formal test data on the surface appear unambiguous and objective, they may fall into the habit of overemphasizing tests and their scores and underemphasizing all the factors that affect the validity, reliability, and interpretability of test data. But interpretation is far from straightforward, and a pragmatic application of assessment results requires attention to a multitude of issues. This long-awaited, updated, and greatly expanded second edition of the Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, like the first, focuses on the clinical practice of neuropsychology. Orienting readers to the entire multitude of issues, it guides them step by step through evaluation and helps them avoid common misconceptions, mistakes, and methodological pitfalls. It is divided into three sections: fundamental elements of the assessment process; special issues, settings, and populations; and new approaches and methodologies. The authors, all of whom are actively engaged in the clinical practice of neuropsychological assessment, as well as in teaching and research, do an outstanding job of integrating the academic and the practical. The Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition will be welcomed as a text for graduate courses but also as an invaluable hands-on handbook for interns, postdoctoral fellows, and experienced neuropsychologists alike. No other book offers its combination of breadth across batteries and approaches, depth, and practicality.

Five new chapters address issues in neuropsychological screening, eight steps to interpretation of test results, and use of the Bender Gestalt Test with children, adolescents, and older adults. The book serves as a comprehensive manual for the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the Bender Gestalt Test. The diagnostic significance of general and specific behavioral observations is stressed and a format for recording them is included. For scoring, there are descriptions and multiple examples within the author's adaptation of the 12 errors of the Hutt and Briskin scoring system. The reader can use the 12 varied clinical case examples with explication of the scoring and 10 additional practice cases to gain rapid scoring facility and accuracy. Norms are provided for adult non-patients and psychiatric inpatients, nonpatient and demented older adults, and adolescents.

The fourth edition of this textbook offers a scientific and practical context within which to understand and conduct clinical assessments of children’s and adolescent’s personality and behavior. The new edition ensures that the content is relevant to diagnostic criteria for major forms of child and adolescent psychopathology in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It provides updated information on specific tests and discusses advances in research that have occurred since the last edition that are relevant for assessing the most common forms of psychopathology shown by children and adolescents. The volume is unique in providing both the scientific and ethical basis to guide psychological testing, as well as providing practical advice for using specific tests and assessing specific forms of psychopathology. This new edition: Highlights how current trends in psychological classification, such as the DSM-5 and the Research Domain Criteria, should influence the clinical assessment of children and adolescents. Provides updates to professional standards that should guide test users. Discusses practical considerations in planning and conducting clinical assessments. Evaluates the most recent editions of common tests used in the clinical assessment of child and adolescent personality and behavior. Provides an overview of how to screen for early signs of emotional and behavioral risk for mental problems in children and adolescents. Discusses practical methods for integrating assessment information collecting as part of a clinical assessment. Uses current research to guide clinical assessments of children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, conduct problems, depression, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorder. Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Personality and Behavior is a valuable updated resource for graduate students as well as veteran and beginning clinicians across disciplines, including school, clinical child, developmental, and educational psychology; psychiatry; counseling; and social work; as well as related disciplines that provide mental health and educational services to children and adolescents.