Related Posts

• Individuals with Disabilities 286% More Likely to be a Victim of Violence

  Adults with disabilities, particularly mental illness, have been found to be at an increased risk of being a victim of violence, according to a study funded by the World Health Organization’s Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability. This finding, a meta-analysis of 21 studies, found that one in four people with a mental illness experience some type of violence in a given year – a much higher rate than that experienced by the general population. The chance that a person with a mental illness will experience physical, sexual, or domestic violence was found to be 3.86-fold higher than the odds of an adult without any disabilities at all. However, violence against individuals with other disabilities was common – it was found that individuals reporting any disability were 50 percent more likely to experience physical, sexual, or intimate partner violence in the prior 12 months than those individuals without a disability, and 60 percent higher for people with intellectual impairments. Researchers believe that their inclusion criteria probably underestimated the prevalence of violence against people with disabilities because many of the ...

• Individuals With Mental Illness More Likely to Smoke Than General Population

  Despite a downward trend in the number of Americans who smoke, individuals with mental illness are still as likely to smoke today as they were in 2004, according to data from the federal Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The study looked at the time period of 2004 to 2011, when smoking rates in the general population fell 14%, though the rate of smokers with mental illness remained unchanged. In 2011, about 25% of individuals with mental illnesses reported being smokers, while only about 16.5% of the general population reported smoking. Individuals with mental illnesses who were undergoing treatment, however, showed greater quit rates than those who were not receiving treatment (37% versus 33%). The full report appears in the January 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

• Choosing between the RAIT and the RAIT-NV

  

  The Reynolds Adaptable Intelligence Test (RAIT) is a comprehensive intelligence test that measures crystallized intelligence, fluid intelligence, and quantitative aptitude or intelligence. It was designed to provide continuity of measurement across a wide age span and requires minimal reading skills and no motor coordination. It can be administered on paper or online via PARiConnect. The digital version allows the proctor to administer the full battery or abbreviated battery and automatically calculates a measure of effort. The timing for a full battery is 50 minutes and 30 minutes for the crystallized and fluid subtests. The Reynolds Adaptable Intelligence Test Nonverbal (RAIT-NV) uses the two nonverbal subtests from the RAIT. The RAIT-NV is ideal for individuals with limited English proficiency or language skills. No reading skill, motor coordination, or visual–motor capabilities are required. It can be administered via by paper and pencil in individual settings or in a group format, making it ideal for use in human resources settings. The RAIT-NV can be administered in 20 minutes. The RAIT is appropriate for use when looking for a comprehensive measure of intelligence, whereas ...

• Social/Emotional Evaluations: Unraveling the ED/SM Dilemma Part 2

  Last week, we presented the first part of a two-part series on unraveling the ED/SM dilemma. This week, we talk to the experts on how to use various assessments to evaluate emotional disturbance and social maladjustment. Catch up on last week's blog here. School staff members often have difficulties when it comes to assessing a student who may have emotional disturbance (ED), and getting hard data to back up the decision can be just as difficult. PAR spoke with experts in the field about the use of various instruments that have proven to be useful in gathering the hard data needed in order to make an informed decision about ED eligibility. Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF2) Peter K. Isquith, PhD, is a practicing developmental school neuropsychologist and instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He’s the coauthor of the BRIEF2, the new BRIEF2 Interpretive Guide, and the Tasks of Executive Control (TEC). PAR: Why would it be helpful to include a measure of executive functioning in the assessment of a student being evaluated for an ED eligibility? PI: In general, ...

• Now available: RIAS-2 Record Form with Spanish Responses

  

  Lack of understanding about language acquisition. Inadequate or inappropriate psychoeducational assessment practices. Restricted access to effective understanding. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) position lists these as some of the reasons why English language learners (ELL) are overrepresented in special education and underrepresented in gifted programs. In U.S. schools, more than 77% of ELL students speak Spanish. Based on their educational history and exposure to the language and the culture, these students will exhibit different degrees of acculturation and English-language proficiency. Cognitive assessment that relies on verbal interaction and response in English is naturally unfair for individuals who are still learning the language. Nonverbal assessment is not free from cultural bias, either, and using translations or interpreters is not ideal. The Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales, Second Edition (RIAS-2) evaluates verbal intelligence, nonverbal intelligence, memory, and speeded processing and provides an estimate of general intelligence in under an hour. The new RIAS-2 Spanish Form with Spanish Responses provides correct Spanish-language responses for the RIAS-2 Guess What, Verbal Reasoning, and What’s Missing subtests. Designed for use with Spanish bilingual and ELL ...

• Assessing Gifted Students: An Interview with Cecil R. Reynolds (Part 2)

  Cecil R. Reynolds, co-author of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS) and recently revised RIAS-2, is one of the leaders in the field of gifted assessment. The following is part two of a two-part interview conducted with Dr. Reynolds concerning the use of assessments in gifted and talented programs. Did you miss part one of this series? Click here.Q: What originally prompted you to design an assessment for gifted identification?CR: To reduce the confounds present in most traditional measures of intelligence. We wanted to have better instrumentation for identifying the intellectually gifted using methods that are less influenced by culture than most tests—the RIAS is not “culture-free,” nor do such psychological tests exist, and the desirability of a culture-free test is questionable conceptually as well. We live in societies, not in isolation. That said, confounds such as motor coordination, especially fine motor coordination and speed, interpretation of directions that have cultural salience, and even short-term memory can all adversely influence scores on intelligence tests, and these variables are not associated strongly with general intelligence. For programs that seek to ...