Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) Administration & Scoring

During the on-campus residential school, you will be required to administer the WISC-V to a fictional client. You will receive a client vignette, including the subtests from the WISC-IV that need to be administered.

If students fail this assessment, you are able to re-sit this assessment once during the residential school in week 3.

This is a pass/fail assessment. Students have to pass each of the three components (administration, scoring, professional manner) to receive a Passing grade for this assessment.

1. Administration: Students will adhere to the standardised subtest instructions, while maintaining a professional manner (WISC-V manual). Additionally, adherence to the standardised responses guidelines for the administrator is required. Students will follow the guidelines regarding age-appropriate items and the correct order of item and subtest administration
2. Scoring: Students will adhere to the scoring guidelines in the WISC-V manual. Correct interpretation of cut-off rules and expected further questioning of items in a subtest is required for a passing grade.
3. Professional manner: students will employ professional communication skills, in a culturally responsive manner, with a range of socially and culturally diverse clients

Students have to pass each of the three components (administration, scoring, professional manner) to receive a Passing grade for this assessment.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) assessment report

This report requires students to respond to a hypothetical case study and demonstrate competency in knowledge and skills related to psychological assessment and evaluation, which are required for generation of a psychological assessment report. Specifically, you will be required to interpret WISC-V scores integrate test interpretation and client history into a formulation, present differential diagnosis, and provide an opinion and recommendations for the client based on the testing outcomes in the form of a psychological report.

Students will be provided with a case study during the first 5 weeks. The case information will include background information, test behaviour, and test scores. Following the 7 Step Model of Formulation (Flanagan & Alfonso, 2017) students will be required to prepare a well-written integrated assessment report based on the case information and their test score interpretation. There is no word length specified; however, students are encouraged to use appropriate judgement to decide on the length and format of the report to ensure the end product is a concise and cohesive narrative. A general guide is 8-12 pages using the CQUni Psychology Wellness Centre format.

Written Report (Pass/Fail). To pass this assessment, the student must have a mark of 70 or higher out of 100).

1. Comprehensive Needs Assessment (30 marks)

• A clear reason for referral is provided
• Domains of Focus are described, based on Domains of Functioning
• Relevant assessments are selected (including brief rationale) and clearly described
• Assessments results reported appropriately under the relevant Domain of Focus
• Risk Assessment and management of risk factors are documented
• Relevant behavioural observations including current mental state are described
• The summary of strengths and limitations reflects the findings of the Comprehensive Needs Assessment

2. Opinions (25 marks)

• A brief formulation based on 5P’s 
• Formal diagnosis is clearly described using standard diagnostic/classification systems
• Diagnosis is logically discussed, well-justified, and integrated with the formulation
• Discussion about whether symptoms meet all diagnostic criteria using examples from the client's presentation
• Differential diagnoses are clearly described and include reasons for inclusion or exclusion

3. Recommendations (25 marks)

• A brief outline of the intervention plan with treatment goals or recommendations clearly aligned with opinions - described in the previous section. This includes adjustments made for culturally appropriate practices. 
• Provides specific intervention strategies that will be used for achieving these goals/recommendations and plans for managing risk factors if these are indicated
• The intervention plan is realistic given the experience of the psychologist, the complexity of the issues, and the number of sessions available for treatment

4. Evaluation and Reflection (15 marks)

• A clear description of how you would evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, using person-centred and evidence-based measures of change
• A brief reflection on intervention including lessons learned and how practice might be modified in light of the experience

5. Formatting and Referencing (5 marks)

• Report and reference list in correct APA format, including references to tests used 
• Appropriate and clear language has been used throughout without jargon or colloquialisms, and grammar and spelling are correct
• The report is within 10% of the word limit (2000 words) 

Feedback assessment

Clear and accurate communication of assessment outcomes in an engaging and client-centred manner is a key competency that completes the psychological assessment process. The purpose of this assessment is to assess student's competency in the skills required to deliver feedback of standardised assessment outcomes, opinions and recommendations to a client.

You are required to record a video with one of your colleagues, who will be playing a client or parent of a client. In this video, you will deliver professional feedback regarding their assessment. Students will receive a client vignette and assessment scores to interpret.

Assessment criteria for this task are:

1. Session opening: form professional rapport with the client, respecting their emotions towards the feedback process
2. Results: deliver the result in a culturally appropriate manner, in language that is clear for the client
3. Formulation and diagnosis: synthesise the results to a case formulation and diagnosis, with respect towards the client. The information needs to be comprehensible and non-threatening to the client
4. Recommendations: Offer evidence-based solution to the clients, explaining the rationale behind these recommendations and the expected impact on their functioning.

You will write a 2-page reflection piece on your learning process with the assessments in this unit. In this reflection piece, you will discuss your individual learning process and a reflection on your personal path throughout.  

It is expected that you reflect on the effect of assessments on clients/ client groups, as well as the benefit of assessment pieces for clients.

The criteria are:

1. individual learning process
2. strengths and weaknesses of assessments
3. utilisation in the psychological practice
4. personal difficulties encountered throughout the learning process
5. usefulness of assessment for the client's process