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Reasons and rationales for neuropsychological tests in a multitier system of school services
Author(s) -
Schmitt Ara J.,
Wodrich David L.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
psychology in the schools
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1520-6807
pISSN - 0033-3085
DOI - 10.1002/pits.20329
Subject(s) - neuropsychology , psychology , learning disability , intervention (counseling) , special education , response to intervention , obligation , academic achievement , neuropsychological assessment , service delivery framework , process (computing) , psychological intervention , cognition , control (management) , medical education , service (business) , developmental psychology , mathematics education , psychiatry , medicine , computer science , economy , law , economics , operating system , artificial intelligence , political science
Many contemporary learning disabilities (LD) experts advocate a multitiered service delivery system. Included in this formulation is the obligation to deliver for each struggling student increasingly sophisticated and intensive services before special education is considered. For students who evidence failed response to intervention, an evaluation, suggested by some to comprise minimal cognitive and extensive achievement testing, typically ensues and helps to determine special education eligibility. We argue that neuropsychological tools are essential at this point in the process. In contrast to minimal standardized testing, use of these tools permits school psychologists to perform their most important mission – to understand, predict, and control (improve) student behavior and development by identifying learning syndromes, rather than discrete academic deficits. This article argues for neuropsychological tests as a way for school psychologists to recognize patterns of learning problems reported in the peer‐reviewed literature, which in turn promotes effective planning and intervention. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.