Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing

The second edition of this textbook provides expanded and updated guidance on the process of psychoeducational assessment and report writing for children in grades K-12. It casts the entire process within a newly proposed evidence-based psychoeducational assessment and report writing framework, and explains how to convey results through detailed, well-written reports. The new edition guides readers, step by step, through the assessment process – collecting data, writing reports, and communicating conclusions – for students with conditions spanning the range of IDEA classifications. Chapters offer a broad understanding of assessment and communication skills as well as the ethical, legal, cultural, and professional considerations that come with psychoeducational evaluation. In addition, chapters significantly expand on the coverage of learning disabilities, autism spectrum, intellectual disabilities, gifted, and other health-impaired and emotional disturbance assessment. The text updates sample reports from the previous edition, offering annotated commentary in the report explaining salient points and major decisions, and incorporates additional report samples to demonstrate fully the assessment and report writing process. 

Key topics addressed in the revised and expanded edition include:

Psychoeducational assessment and report writing in school and clinic settings.
• Interview formats from various perspectives, including caregivers/parents, teachers, and students.
• Assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse youth.
Assessment of social, emotional, behavioral and mental health difficulties that may affect students’ educational functioning.
• Common academic difficulties, including reading, writing and mathematics.
• Common recommendations and accommodations for behavioral, social, emotional, and learning needs.
• Incorporation of response-to-intervention/curriculum based assessment data into the psychoeducational report.

Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing, 2^nd Edition, is an essential textbook for graduate students as well as researchers, professors, and professionals in child and school psychology, educational assessment, testing, and evaluation, social work, and related disciplines.         

“This volume is an outstanding resource for graduate students learning about psychoeducational assessment and report writing for students in grades K to 12, as well as practitioners seeking to update and refine their skills. The text is remarkable in its coverage of a range of disabilities (e.g., intellectual disability, learning disability, autism, emotional disturbance, and other health impairments including ADHD) and methods of data collection (e.g., clinical interview, test observation, classroom observation, developmental history, direct testing, and rating scales). The book is both scholarly and exceptionally practical. Readers will be particularly pleased with the inclusion of numerous samples of reports for children with varying disabilities.” (Thomas J. Power, PhD, ABPP, Chief Psychologist, Professor of School Psychology in Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Education, The Children Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania)

“This book is a practical guide for learning the procedures of psychoeducational assessment, and will serve as a useful reference for practitioners and supervising psychologists. The chapter on interviewing will be helpful to beginning students and the inclusion of the Child Development Questionnaire provides a model for students and practitioners for obtaining the broad range of background information thatis central to a fully informed assessment. This volume is grounded in the distinction between the IDEA classification systems used in educational settings and the DSM-5 diagnostic system used in medicine. This is a complex and confusing issue for many in training, and this volume illuminates the issues involved. In sum, I am favorably impressed by the focus, detail and practicality of this volume. I will recommend it to my colleagues.”(Roy P. Martin, Emeritus Professor, University of Georgia)

“Stefan Dombrowski s recent book titled, Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing provides psychology students and professionals interested in the evaluation of children a rich resource unlike any other currently available. The volume is unique in that it provides explanations of myriad related concepts (e.g., the honeymoon effect), details about relevant laws and assessment tools, and even suggestions based on practical expertise (e.g., Make a classification decision and stand by it ) in conjunction with step-by-step suggestions for every step of the evaluation process. Dr. Dombrowski s volume makes a particularly important contribution to the literature for its detailed explanation of effective report writing. Additionally, the book offers numerous applied tools, such as questionnaires, and case studies as demonstrations. Psychological Assessment and Report Writing is a must have for anyone who conducts evaluations of children.” (Amanda B. Clinton, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Puerto Rico)

“I enjoyed reading Dombrowski s Psychoeducational Assessment and Report Writing (2015), and I learned many facts and teaching strategies along the way. The book, with its emphasis on collecting assessment data and reporting results that address IDEA and state-level special education classifications (e.g., learning disabilities and emotional disturbance), makes a welcomed contribution to the literature. Other books focused on these activities are typically much broader and are not always applicable to practitioners in schools or trainers focusing primarily on school-based psychoeducational assessments. I was delighted to see the insight-rich chapter focusing on the oral reporting of assessment results to parents and teachers and the innovative chapter focusing on low-incidence IDEA classifications, such as traumatic brain injury and hearing loss and deafness. I believe that Dombrowski s real-world examples and practical wisdom offer much to students and practitioners in school and clinical child psychology.” (Randy G. Floyd, Ph.D., Associate Chair, Department of Psychology, Director, School Psychology Doctoral Program, The University of Memphis)

“Dr. Dombrowski's text book masterfully covers the essentials of psycheducational assessment and is a handbook that all school and clinicalpsychologists should have. It is helpful, practical, and soundly connects to current evidence-based practice. It is as an excellent foundational resource that is needed by trainers of psychology and aspiring psychologists.” (Martin Mrazik, PhD, R.Psych., Associate Professor, University of Alberta) 

Stefan C. Dombrowski is professor and director of the School Psychology Program at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Dr. Dombrowski is a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist.