Search Results for: the testing psychologist

Beyond Diagnosis, Numbers, and Accommodations

In this course, Dr. Stephanie Nelson and Dr. Sharp challenge the traditional "DNA" of psychological reports—Diagnostics, Numbers, and Accommodations—proposing a shift toward a more scientifically robust "Report 2.0." Using the 1940s U.S. Air Force "average pilot" cockpit failure as a cautionary tale, the course illustrates how designing for the "average" often results in clinical frameworks that fit no one. Participants will identify and critically evaluate the limitations of overemphasizing the DNA model, specifically examining research (e.g., Watkins et al., 2022) regarding the lack of long-term stability in subtest scatter and the "illusion of inevitability" provided by fixed numerical scores.

To move beyond these limitations, clinicians will learn to apply the Four E's framework—Experiences, Expectations, Exceptions, and Experiments—to gather assessment data that is both personalized and grounded in the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) and the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP).

This course empowers practitioners to move past diagnostic bias and "tornado-chasing" to write narrative-rich reports that serve as actionable blueprints, capturing the unique "singularity" of the individual while adhering to the highest standards of scientific rigor and psychometric validity.

CE Content Category: Testing/Assessment; Clinical

Target audience: Psychologists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, addiction counselors, nurses, case managers.

This CE course is designated as intermediate.

There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support.

Course Format: Asynchronous, distance learning. Non-interactive. Recorded audio with transcript.

NAADAC Online CE Completion limits: There is a limit of 8 hours (8 CE) of credit for online courses within a 24-hour period.

Fees, Refunds, Cancellations 

Do you have questions about this course? Please Contact Us and we'll be happy to help.

Differentiating ADHD and Autism

This course provides a comprehensive, evidence-based exploration of the intersection between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this interview, Dr. Caroline Buzanko and Dr. Sharp shift the clinical focus from surface behaviors to the internal drivers that differentiate ADHD and Autism. Participants will first examine the clinical necessity of differentiating these profiles, understanding how an accurate diagnosis dictates effective intervention and prevents the "diagnostic overshadowing" that often occurs when ADHD symptoms mask underlying autistic traits. By exploring the "why" behind the "what," practitioners will learn to distinguish between an ADHD performance deficit—where skills exist but are inconsistent—and an ASD skill deficit, where the intuitive "social manual" is missing.

Dr. Buzanko provides an overview of the neurological landscape, allowing participants to consider the neuroanatomical similarities in brain connectivity that create symptom overlap, while also highlighting distinct differences in how each brain processes social subtext and sensory information. Participants will gain the skills to explain the complex overlap of Criterion A social communication symptoms, learning to identify whether a social slip is due to ADHD inattention or an ASD lack of "intuitive knowing." Moving into Criterion B, the material contrasts the delayed-but-typical developmental trajectory of the ADHD brain against the more asynchronous profile of the autistic brain, specifically differentiating between ADHD structure-seeking for executive support and the autistic intolerance of uncertainty.

Finally, Dr. Buzanko discusses practical diagnostic tools that help the practitioner recognize the "invisible" presentation of autism in girls and high-IQ individuals by analyzing "unique" developmental profiles and identifying jarring splinter skills. Participants will move beyond a diagnosis-centered approach to a transdiagnostic formulation, learning to utilize specific diagnostic tests and screeners effectively while prioritizing qualitative clinical observation, historical infancy data, and social-referencing patterns over standardized scores alone.

Interview conducted February 2023.

Target audience: Psychologists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, addiction counselors, nurses, case managers.

Course Format: Asynchronous, distance learning. Non-interactive. Recorded audio with transcript.

This CE course is designated as intermediate.

Content Category: Testing/Assessment/Clinical

Fees, Refunds, Cancellations 

There is no known conflict of interest or commercial support.

 

Do you have questions about this course? Please Contact Us and we'll be happy to help.

ADHD and Intellectual Disability

For this course, Dr. Sharp and Dr. Robb-Mazzant  explore the critical intersection of Intellectual Disability (ID) and ADHD, with a particular emphasis on overcoming "diagnostic overshadowing."

Their discussion highlights how clinicians often prematurely attribute symptoms of impulsivity or inattention solely to a patient’s cognitive struggles rather than identifying a co-occurring ADHD diagnosis. This narrative framework shifts toward a "double deficit" model, explaining how the combination of ID and ADHD often results in greater life impairment and a unique clinical profile, including a potentially reduced response to stimulant medications and a higher frequency of reported side effects.

Participants will learn to move beyond standard standardized measures by integrating a nuanced assessment battery that combines cognitive testing with specialized adaptive tools.

Interview conducted February 2023.

Target audience: Psychologists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, addiction counselors, nurses, case managers.

This CE course is designated as beginner.

Conflict of interest or commercial support disclaimer: None to report

Content category: Testing/Assessment/Clinical

Course format: Asynchronous, distance learning. Non-interactive. Recorded audio with transcript.

Fees, Refunds, Cancellations 

Do you have questions about this course? Please Contact Us and we'll be happy to help.

Transdiagnostic Neonatal Neuropsychology

Transdiagnostic Neonatal Neuropsychology is designed for PhD-level practitioners seeking specialized knowledge in the long-term neurodevelopmental trajectory of infants following early brain insult. This program shifts the focus from discrete medical diagnoses to a transdiagnostic framework, emphasizing common neurocognitive patterns—specifically executive dysfunction and attention regulation—shared across various neonatal injuries. This includes a discussion on determining and selecting age-appropriate instruments (such as the NEPSY-II or WPPSI-IV) that are sensitive to the specific neurocognitive vulnerabilities of neonatal stroke and preterm birth populations and behavioral interventions like the i-Interact positive parenting framework that shift the focus from the deficit-only model to a family centered, resilience-building approach.

Target audience: Psychologists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, addiction counselors, and nurses.

This course does not provide CE for Social Workers.

Format: Asynchronous, distance learning. Non-interactive. Recorded audio with transcript.

This CE program is designated as intermediate.

CE Content Category: Clinical; Testing; Assessment

Conflict of interest: None reported

Fees, Refunds, Cancellations

This interview was published in November 2022.

Do you have questions about this course? Please Contact Us and we'll be happy to help.