Related Posts

• Testing clients with disabilities: Modifications vs. accommodations

  

  During our recent PARtalks webinar series on assessing individuals with disabilities, PAR received some questions about adapting, modifying, and accommodating assessments. It is important to be mindful of a range of psychometric, social, clinical, and disability-related issues. We hope the following will provide helpful guidance when determining if modifications or accommodations are necessary. Considerations when assessing individuals with disabilities There are many issues to consider that may complicate the psychological testing of people with disabilities. It is important to attend to issues of bias, reliability, and validity. Language,  motor, sensory, medical, and cognitive disabilities can impact aspects of an assessment. Additionally, comorbid conditions or secondary disabilities can be a complicating factor. It is crucial for examiners to consider each individual's disability and how it relates to other functions to develop a strategy that ensures the appropriate construct is being measured. For example, disability-related symptoms such as fatigue and pain can confound psychometric tests and artificially inflate measures of depression. Or a motor-functioning disability that affects fine motor control may create results that mistakenly imply cognitive impairment. Examiners who do not take these issues into ...

• PARtnering with PAR for your research needs

  

  This week’s blog was contributed by Melissa Milanak, PhD, PAR’s clinical assessment. Melissa is a licensed clinical psychologist and internationally recognized academic. She has extensive clinical experience providing therapy and conducting assessments with a diverse array of patient populations. As your trusted source for assessments for all your clinical needs, PAR is excited to also partner with you in many practical ways as you conduct your research, whether it be a large federally funded grant, a manuscript you are preparing to submit, or a course project with your students and trainees running on zero budget. Here are just a few of the ways PAR can help researchers. Save time with manuscript writing The submission deadline is approaching, and it is time to write the methods section. Instead of spending hours pouring through assessment manuals and reading journal article after journal article to extract psychometric data for the one paragraph, consider reaching out to PAR directly. Our psychologists and researchers have already prepared and formatted the assessment info paragraphs for you that you can insert into your manuscripts and grant applications. Don’t see ...

• Observe, pinpoint, intervene: An interview with DBR Connect authors

  https://youtu.be/gXWtY9aZHpM The concept of direct behavior rating (DBR) began in the late 1960s with school psychologist Calvin Edlund. He posited a program whereby teachers first explained to students what acceptable behavior was and then rated them at the end of each lesson. Unlike rating scale assessments, which ask teachers and parents to recall a child’s behavior during a 30-day period or so, direct behavior rating relies on real-time observation.  DBR combines the strength of a rating scale and the benefit of direct observation. Using this system, teachers can not only identify specific behaviors in real time, but they can also rate those behaviors.   From this idea, DBR Connect was created. PAR recently spoke with DBR Connect coauthors Sandra M. Chafouleaus, PhD, and T. Chris Riley-Tillman, PhD, to learn more about how this product can help students and teachers to succeed. Q: Direct behavior rating has been around for quite some time. Historically, what changes have taken place to get us to where we are today? Drs. Chafouleas and Riley-Tillman: Yes, direct behavior ratings were developed from daily behavior report cards, home–school notes, and other tools that educators and parents have used ...

• Partnering with PAR has never been easier!

  

  Calling all test developers, researchers, data collectors, and potential authors—we want to work with you! We recently revamped our Partner with PAR programs and are proud to announce two new opportunities, in addition to our longstanding data collection and assessment publishing programs. Requests for research proposals. We invite proposals from any nonstudent investigator using PAR instruments for research, with priority given to studies validating PAR instruments, using PAR instruments for developing or validating treatments or interventions, or validating PAR instruments for use with underrepresented populations. PAR Data Program. If you have collected data using one or more PAR products, we want to work with you to help develop new solutions and enhancements that will better serve society and improve the mental health of others. Our ultimate goal is to increase fairness and inclusivity in test development by increasing representation of underserved populations. Data collection. We are always collecting normative, reliability, and validity data for products in development and welcome new data collectors. Bonus—data collectors earn cash payments or credit toward PAR products for the essential work they do for us! Publishing. Developing new ...

• Join PAR at the NASP Virtual Convention

  

  Although NASP 2021 will not be in person this year, there are still so many opportunities to connect, learn more about your favorite PAR products and authors, and interact with PAR staff members. Join us during one of the following sessions:   LIVE session! Attendees will receive NASP CPD credit Wednesday, February 24, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Teleassessment With Children: Strategies for Success Presented by Carrie A. Champ Morera, PsyD, NCSP, LP; Terri D. Sisson, EdS; and Dan Lee, BS   On-demand sessions! Attendees can claim CPD self-study credit A Process Oriented Approach for Identifying and Remediating Reading Disabilities Presented by Steven G. Feifer, DEd, and Jack A. Naglieri, PhD The Neuropsychology of Written Language Disorders Presented by Steven G. Feifer, DEd, author of the FAR, FAM, and FAW Identifying Students with ADHD: Evidence-Based Assessment with the BRIEF2 Presented by Peter K. Isquith, PhD, coauthor of the BRIEF2 Tests and Scales: Evidence for Integrative Assessment of Executive Function Presented by Peter K. Isquith, PhD, coauthor of the BRIEF2 Helping Students Show What They Know: Enhancing Executive Functioning Presented by Steven C. Guy, PhD, coauthor of the BRIEF2 State of Affairs: Trauma Assessment Practices in Children and Adolescents Presented by ...

• Meet the needs of the many with an SDS Partnership page

  

  Did you know there are many large organizations that use the Self-Directed Search (SDS) on a regular basis? One of the most widely used career interest inventories, the SDS is routinely administered by universities, colleges, school districts, and other large businesses to a diverse base of clients, students, and even job applicants. If you’re part of a large organization that you believe could benefit from the insight the SDS offers, than you may be interested in our SDS Partnership program. The program provides customized access to the SDS and offers predetermined payment options. For any partnership, we can: Customize group access via a partnership web page or custom link that can include your logo and branding and any instructions you wish to provide. This is included as part of the regular SDS Partnership fees. Allow you to designate a supervisor’s or coordinator’s e-mail address where your clients’ or students’ reports can be sent, so you can monitor usage and results. Provide you with a data file of your clients’ or students’ assessment ...