In this module, this chapter will introduce you to aspects involved in Clinical Assessment & Assessment in Education.

This module will focus on helping you be able to better understand the following:

Chapter 15:

● Fundamentals of Clinical Assessment

○ Political Issues in Diagnosis

○ Determining a Diagnosis

○ DSM-5

○ Interviews in Clinical Assessment

○ Mental Status Exam (MSE)

○ Instruments Used in Clinical Assessment

○ Suicide Risk Assessment

● Observation and Clinical Assessment

● Neuropsychological Assessment

● Cultural Considerations in Clinical Assessment

Chapter 16:

● School Assessment Programs

○ Planning a School Assessment Program

○ Instruments used in School Assessment Programs

● Assessment Activities of School Counselors

○ Needs Assessments

○ Assessing Specific Learning Disabilities

○ Assessing Giftedness

○ Consulting with Teachers

● Environmental Assessment in the Schools

● Competencies in Assessment and Evaluation for School Counselors

● Assessment Issues in Education

● Test Preparation and Performance

○ Coaching

○ Test-Wiseness

○ Test Anxiety

Upon completion of this module, students will be able to:
- Describe and explain the purpose of clinical assessment.
- Define mental disorder.
- Describe the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and explain its use in clinical assessment.
- Explain the use of dimensional assessment.
- Describe the use of structured, semistructured, and unstructured interviews in clinical assessment.
- Describe the mental status exam.
- List and describe instruments commonly used in clinical assessment.
- List the risk factors and warning signs of suicide, and explain how suicide risk is assessed.
- Describe the value of observation in clinical assessment.
- Describe neuropsychological assessment.
- Discuss cultural considerations in clinical assessment.
- Discuss the goals of school assessment programs.
- Explain the common assessment activities of counselors.
- Define specific learning disabilities.
- Describe the assessment process related to specific learning disability determination and responsiveness to intervention (RTI).
- Describe the process and procedures for assessing giftedness.
- Discuss the use of test preparation and performance strategies in increasing achievement test scores.
- Describe the purpose of environmental assessment in the schools.
- List and explain the competencies in assessment and evaluation for school counselors.
- Discuss the issue of high-stakes testing in education.
- Explain the need for all counselors working with children or parents to understand assessment in education practices.