Related Posts

• Looking back on 2022

  

  What a year! We at PAR have been incredibly busy creating new products, developing useful webinars, and providing you with the tools and information you need to help those you serve. Here’s a quick look back at some of the things we’ve been up to in 2022. Spanish releases To better help you serve Spanish-speaking clients, we released many of our most popular tests for online administration in Spanish on PARiConnect this year. This includes the BRIEF2 Parent Form Spanish, the BRIEF2 Self-Report Form, the EDDT-PF, the EDDT-SR, the PSI-4-SF, and the TSI-2. Learn more about our Spanish-language offerings here. Furthermore, we released the PAI Spanish: Revised Translation, which enables clinicians to assess personality and psychopathology among Spanish-speaking adults. This translation was reviewed exhaustively by an expert panel of bilingual psychologists and offers Spanish-language client emails and test instructions, providing clients with a seamless testing experience. More options on PARiConnect The Feifer Assessment of Writing Interpretive Report (FAW-IR) was recently added to the Feifer product family. This new report provides scores for all FAW subtests and includes detailed interpretations of index, discrepancy, and ...

• A Look At Our Community PARtnerships

  

  One of PAR’s core values is to give back to the community. We participate in many special events during the year that benefit organizations in the Tampa Bay area. Here’s a look at some of the activities and events PAR staff have participated in recently.   In January, PAR staff partnered with Feeding Tampa Bay to support their Mega-Pantry program. This program is held several times per week in various locations around Tampa. The Mega-Pantry distributes fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, dry goods, and more in a drive-through-style event to those in our community who are experiencing food insecurity. PAR staff members sorted food and loaded hundreds of cars with enough food to feed each family for a week.   A yearly favorite event is Bark in the Park. PAR staff (and some of our furry friends) participated in a walk that set a PAR fundraising record—raising $12,325 to benefit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. This year’s event was able to raise more than $180,000 to help animals.  Later in February, a team from PAR participated in picking up litter as part of ...

• A look back on 2018's new releases

  

  What a year! So many new products were added to our shelves in 2018. Here's a quick look back on what PAR released this year (and a preview of what's to come before the new year!). In January, we published the SPECTRA: Indices of Psychopathology, a multiscale measure of psychopathology and functioning based on the quantitative (three-factor) model of psychopathology. The only instrument based exclusively on quantitative model research, clinicians can use the SPECTRA to evaluate individuals in a variety of settings.  Published in early May, the Personality Assessment Screener–Observer (PAS-O) is an informant report designed to be used in conjunction with the Personality Assessment Screener (PAS) to get a well-rounded picture of a client’s functioning. The PAS was developed from the gold-standard test of personality – the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). This summer, we published the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) Screening Form and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) Screening Form. These 12-item forms were developed based on a critical need for standardized screening measures that can quickly evaluate trauma symptomatology and risk in children to ...

• A look inside PAR: What is Quality Assurance?

  PAR prides itself on creating assessment products that are both high in quality and in value. The process of taking an idea and molding it into a useful product involves the hard work and dedication of many people, and although no single effort or particular phase of development is more important than another, some roles are naturally more visible than others. One department Customers may not be familiar with, but certainly benefit from, is the unwavering diligence of Quality Assurance. Richard Brummer, MBA, M Ed IT, CSTE, Senior Manager of Quality Assurance (QA), helps shed some light on the role the QA department plays in the development of PAR products.   What is quality assurance? Quality assurance is a continuous, unrelenting focus on the processes of product development. Why is quality assurance important? QA works closely with each print and software product from its initial design all the way through postproduction support, giving feedback about usability and accuracy. “You cannot enhance a product’s quality during the final testing phases because that it too far down the road,” Brummer explains. “Quality begins at the very beginning.” QA’s ...

• Now available! For value and simplicity, look to the AAB

  

  Now available! We are thrilled to announce the release of the new Academic Achievement Battery™ (AAB™). Ideal for measuring basic reading, math, spelling, and reading comprehension skills quickly and reliably, the new AAB can be used in educational, research, or clinical settings to confidently evaluate achievement in just 15 to 30 minutes to get an accurate overview of an individual’s educational skills. The AAB is ideal for evaluating fundamental academic skills during an initial evaluation, during reevaluation, or when working with those referred for learning, behavior, or vocational concerns across the life span. All four subtests are included in one easy-to-use response booklet. Reading subtests combine to provide a Reading Composite, which provides detailed data to understand an individual's reading skills. Plus, an overall composite score provides the user with a snapshot of an individual's academic performance. Unlike other achievement tests on the market, the AAB requires very little training, and detailed or subjective scoring has been kept to a minimum. Recent normative data are provided for 32 different age groups, and norms for children and adolescents by grade from PreK ...

• How to Cite Sources Properly

  

  This week’s blog was contributed by Erika Thompson, PAR’s managing production editor. It is the second in a series on writing. Catch up on the first part here.  As a mental health practitioner, you are required to write throughout your career. One way you can streamline your writing is by using a style guide. At PAR, the house style we use for all our publications is based on American Psychological Association (APA) Style. Via the PAR Blog, we’re providing some useful information about facets of APA Style that will help you tackle research, write better reports, and communicate more effectively with colleagues.  This week, we’re covering how to cite sources properly. According to APA (2020): “Scientific knowledge represents the accomplishments of many researchers over time. A critical part of writing in APA Style is helping readers place your contribution in context by citing the researchers who influenced you” (p. 253). In other words, citing helps readers better understand what led to your conclusions. It also prevents you from accidentally plagiarizing someone else’s work. It’s important to cite both ideas, which may ...