Review of Learning disabilities and brain function: A neuropsychological approach (2nd edition).

Reviews the book, Learning disabilities and brain function: A neuropsychological approach (2nd edition) by William H. Gaddes (1985). No clinician/researcher has expended more effort over a longer period of time to effect a melding of neuropsychology and educational practice than has William Gaddes. His efforts in this area have been prodigious and insightful; his published work, highly influential. Thus, it is with eager anticipation that one approaches the second edition of his most important work, Learning disabilities and brain function: A neuropsychological approach. On many counts, this anticipation is richly rewarded by the many fine features of the work, including its breadth of coverage, its presentation of research findings from many disciplines, and its clinical savvy. Gaddes has attempted to provide a very complete and articulated view of a neuropsychological approach to learning disabilities. Drawing on research in the basic neurosciences, basic and applied psychology and education, and a wealth of personal clinical experience with brain-impaired youngsters, Gaddes does not shrink from forging quite explicit links between normal and altered brain function on the one hand and learning on the other. This constitutes both the strength and the weakness of this work: Its strength lies in the wealth of information and provocative insights provided; its weakness, in the sometimes rather concrete fashion in which brain/behaviour relationships and their remedial implications are stated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The handbook of neuropsychological assessment.

Reviews the book, The handbook of neuropsychological assessment by A. Gilandas, S. Touyz, P. J. Beumont, and H. P. Greenberg (1984). This book was written as a clinical/actuarial guide for developing a neuropsychological examination that assesses a broad band of abilities yet is efficient and effective. According to the authors, this 10-chapter handbook was designed for practitioners and students of clinical neuropsychology and is applicable to fields such as school psychology, rehabilitation, psychiatry, and neurology. The authors consider issues central to the practice of clinical neuropsychology, including an overview of theoretical implications, client populations, and issues in neuropsychological assessment. The authors cite delirium, dementia, epilepsy, and organic delusion as some of the major manifestations of brain damage. This volume appropriately details the symptoms, etiology, duration, and treatment of these disorders. It is obvious that school psychologists beginning study in neuropsychology will find a great deal of this volume worthwhile. Of particular interest to school psychologists is the section concerning theoretical implications, which stresses the impact that clinical neuropsychology could have on other applied psychological specialties. Although the majority of the book deals with adults, it seems time to broaden school psychology to such a lifelong focus. So too, after considering the fact that almost 10% of the positions in applied psychology call for neuropsychology-related skills, it appears that such a neuropsychology text could be seen as a necessity when training applied psychologists. Indeed, this book may be an appropriate addition to advanced school psychology assessment courses. Perhaps most impressive are the strategies for revising established neuropsychological test batteries to become comprehensive yet effective tools for understanding brain-behavior relations. However, only time and data will indicate if the revised instruments will prove successful in diagnosing and intervening with cerebrally impaired patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The achievement test desk reference: A guide to learning disability identification, second edition.

Reviews the book, The achievement test desk reference: A guide to learning disability identification, second edition by Dawn P. Flanagan, Samuel O. Ortiz, Vincent C. Alfonso, and Jennifer T. Mascolo (2006). The Second Edition of the Achievement test desk reference comes only four years after its first edition. Its content echoes the first edition, with the chapters now re-organized and updated. However, this edition is also timely; its significant contributions are its theoretical and practical model for defining and assessing learning disabilities (LD) and its update of practical information for interpreting many of the new standardized achievement tests. The goal for this edition was to provide an integrated and systematic framework for achievement testing within the framework of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of human cognitive abilities and the Response to Intervention (RTI) movement. Part 1 of provides an update of the theories, definitions, assessment, interpretation, and identification of LD. Part 2 describes and reviews the psychometric, theoretical, and qualitative features of achievement tests published between 1996 and 2006 and normed on people from the United States. Part 3 provides a comprehensive, step-by-step process for assessing learning disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004). This volume guides practitioners to choose the best achievement tests to use. It shows how to get the most efficient and effective evaluations of students' academic skills that could account for their difficulties and possible learning disabilities. This book will be essential reference material for effective LD assessments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Clinical assessment of malingering and deception, 3rd edition.

Reviews the book, Clinical assessment of malingering and deception, 3rd edition by Richard Rogers (see record 2008-09622-000). Over the past 10 years, psychologists who have been engaged in clinical assessment or evaluation have become more sensitised to the fact that client variables such as noncredible performance can substantially interfere with accurate evaluation and interpretation of obtained psychological or neuropsychological test scores. The chapters in this book clearly indicate that noncredible performance and deception are common in many assessment populations, that it is difficult if not impossible to always obtain accurate information when relying on self-report data, and that objective methods exist to enhance detection of noncredible responding. The first two chapters were written by Rogers himself and set the conceptual framework for the entire text. The book is then divided into four additional sections, with chapters provided by some of the best known names in malingering and defensiveness research. In Section II, specific diagnostic issues are considered, leading with an overview of symptoms associated with deception. Section III discusses psychometric methods to assess response styles. Section IV deals with specialised methods of detection and will likely be of interest to a very limited number of psychologists working in specific fields such as corrections or forensics. Section V deals with specialised applications, including deception in children and adolescents, forensic examinations, and assessment of law enforcement personnel. Overall, this is an excellent reference book, and it certainly provides enough specific, clinically relevant information in the four chapters that flank the book to give most clinicians a good summary of the issues, available instruments, and research findings to date. The chapters dealing with specific diagnostic issues and specialised methods are likely to be referenced heavily by those who work in these specific fields and might provide a good theoretical base for individuals still in the process of clinical training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Neuropsychological assessment and the school-aged child: Issues and procedures.

Reviews the book, Neuropsychological assessment and the school-aged child: Issues and procedures edited by G. W. Hynd and J. E. Obrzut (1981). The editors of this book have attempted to examine the issues related to the assessment of children with possible neuropyschological disorders. Each chapter is presented with the assumption that a neuropsychological perspective is germane to our understanding of children's cognitive functions. The compilation of knowledge and skills are presented in a clear and comprehensible language for individuals with very little familiarity with the subject. Each of the four major sections of the book addresses a particular topic. Section I presents a neuropsychological perspective of children's learning problems. Section II contains three chapters that examine general issues in child neuropsychology. Section III of the book focuses on neuropsychological assessment approaches useful in developing remediational strategies for children's learning disorders. The final section of this book addresses the neuropsychological implications within the educational setting. The editors have done a commendable job in integrating the diverse nature of human cognitive functioning and in focusing in on the neuropsychological aspects of school age children's learning. Their choice of contributors and the topics covered will certainly make this book a valued asset in the school psychologist's library. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Tests and assessment.

Reviews the book Tests and Assessment (1985) by Jacqueline Schakel. From its broad title, this book might be classified as a general textbook on assessment for anyone who is learning about testing procedures. Indeed, in the preface, the authors present their book as a text for undergraduate courses on testing in general psychology, and for graduate courses in counseling, vocational, educational, and industrial psychology as well as for "students in counselor education, guidance and counseling, educational administration and other disciplines." Although the book does have some useful general sections on tests and assessment, it is clear that the real audience for this book is less extensive than the authors state. The examples used, tests reviewed, and issues discussed are chiefly for students in personnel and guidance or vocational psychology. If you are such a student or teach assessment courses to students in these programs, read on. Parts of this book may interest you. If you are a school psychologist or teacher of school psychology, you will find this text limited. The overall organization of the book could have been improved by reviewing the theories of person-environment interaction (upon which the authors claim to base their treatment of assessment) before their discussion of specific assessment tools and integrating a discussion of this theoretical basis throughout the book. In summary, this book does not offer the broad treatment of assessment issues and the focus on the kinds of assessment required in schools which are necessary to school psychologists. It provides some useful reviews of tests for guidance and vocational decision making, some concise explanations of assessment concepts, and a well-written section on some specific testing controversies that may be useful to students in the counseling field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological testing: Relevance for assessing children's learning disabilities.

The traditional concept of learning disabilities makes two presumptions of direct relevance to neuropsychological assessment. The first is that deficits in psychological processes are responsible for learning problems in children who should otherwise be able to learn. The second is that these processing deficits are a reflection of biological-genetic factors. A review of the literature on neuropsychological test batteries suggests that both presumptions are credible. Although the neurological validity of these batteries is uncertain, there is at least indirect evidence for biological influences on performance. The psychological significance of test deficits has been more clearly established. Cognitive dimensions tapped by neuropsychological batteries discriminate disabled from nondisabled learners, appraise different sources of learning failure, help to identify the children most likely to develop these disabilities, and are useful in making treatment recommendations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Helping Chinese parents understand and support children with learning disabilities.

Despite common stereotypes of Chinese children as high academic achievers, school psychologists increasingly are coming across Chinese children with learning disabilities. In contrast to psychologists' attributions for children's learning problems, Chinese parents often attribute children's learning difficulties to a lack of self-discipline, an imbalance of yin and yang, or the influence of spirits. These beliefs affect parents' views of their children and their intervention preferences. The authors address the fundamental question: How do school psychologists mobilize Chinese parents to support their children in accessing and benefiting from school-based disability services? They provide guidance about building an alliance with Chinese parents, negotiating different explanatory models for children's learning problems, and reframing remediation efforts to make them consistent with Chinese parenting practices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Disabilities of arithmetic and mathematical reasoning: perspectives from neurology and neuropsychology

Current research on brain-behavior relationships in disabilities of arithmetic and mathematical reasoning is reviewed from both a neurological and a neuropsychological perspective. Although no entirely satisfactory statement of the relationship between arithmetic skills and brain functions has yet emerged, investigators in this area have provided evidence regarding the involvement of some brain systems in processes of calculation. Also, the developmental importance of right- versus left-hemisphere integrity for the mediation of arithmetic learning and performance has been suggested. We propose that an account of brain-behavior relationships in children intended to explain and predict developmental disabilities of arithmetic learning needs to address several important content and processing distinctions in order to (a) encompass empirically derived subtypes of children with learning disabilities who exhibit difficulties with arithmetic and (b) provide adequate direction for future subtyping and intervention research.     

Review of Behavioral assessment and rehabilitation of the traumatically brain-damaged.

Reviews the book, Behavioral assessment and rehabilitation of the traumatically brain-damaged by Barry A. Edelstein and Eugene T. Couture (1984). Over the last decade or so, advances in assessment and management within clinical neuropsychology have had a profound impact on rehabilitation psychology. Barry Edelstein and Eugene Couture have edited this book out of a "long-standing interest in the retraining of traumatically brain-damaged adults and the management of their behavior by family members." The editors want to provide a reference that moves from standard neuropsychological assessment to issues of retraining of skill deficits. They hope that this volume will be useful to clinical psychologists, clinical neuropsychologists, rehabilitation medicine specialists, physical therapists, speech pathologists, and other rehabilitation disciplines involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of the traumatically brain-damaged. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology applied to human affairs.

Reviews the book "Psychology applied to human affairs," edited by J. Stanley Gray (see record 1954-06668-000). Like its predecessor published in 1946, this revised edition is contributed to by specialists in various fields. While chapter titles and sequence have changed, the only new topical area covered is job evaluation. The literature coverage seems to extend through 1950, judging from end-of-chapter references. This edition, too, is designed as an undergraduate textbook for the second semester course where the curriculum provides a first semester general psychology offering followed by a course in "applied." The book has an admirable continuity and lucidity of style notwithstanding its multiple authorship. Further, pertinent cross-referencing between chapters contributes to the cohesiveness of the subject matter presented. A molar reaction may be of interest. Haven't we grown beyond the single course in applied psychology? What does the undergraduate gain from the cursory, perhaps even perfunctory, ramble which furnishes him nibbles of personal efficiency, psychology of learning, clinical applications, work and efficiency, selling and advertising, etc.? If such a course still has a place in our curriculum Gray's book will structure the trip and furnish a brief view of each station en route. In summary, the book is recommended in undergraduate applied psychology classes who is prepared to supplement it with a structure of underlying theories and principles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A step in the right direction: A resource for collaboration on health-related issues.

Reviews the book, Health-related disorders in children and adolescents edited by L. Phelps (see record 1998-07780-000). This edited text provides an overview of 96 medical conditions that place children at risk of developing psychological or educational problems. The central feature of this book is that it is intended as a reference tool for professionals who collaborate with medical professionals. Increasingly, there have been many vehicles for school psychologists to collaborate with medical professionals, including comprehensive school health care programs and school-based health clinics, and community-based coordinated services that provide children and youth comprehensive care. In this regard, school psychologists are likely to encounter increasing numbers of children who experience health disorders, along with more traditional areas of practice including mental health and educational issues. Although not a purely medically oriented text, Phelps has taken a perspective that school psychologists work within the context of a multidisciplinary team of professionals who are likely to provide services for these children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology: Theoretical-historical perspectives, second edition.

Reviews the book, Psychology: Theoretical-historical perspectives, second edition by Robert W. Rieber and Kurt D. Salzinger (see record 1998-06434-000). Like its predecessor, this second edition is a useful volume with a broad scope and any psychologist perusing even a portion of its 500 plus pages will likely come away convinced that there is more to history than a tedious collection of names and dates. As a pedagogical supplement and general introduction to the history of psychology field, this book succeeds admirably. However, in publishing a second edition, Rieber and Salzinger set themselves a more ambitious agenda. One of the goals of the book was to acknowledge the growth and vibrancy of recent scholarship in the history of psychology and to "present some synthesis within the confines of one book." Using these commendable goals as a metric, the book is somewhat disappointing. The book is too much like the first edition in both its choice of questions and authors. This sort of repetition is not a problem in and of itself; however the history of psychology has changed dramatically since the publication of the first edition 18 years ago. There is relatively little in the second edition to indicate that there have been any significant historiographic developments within the history of psychology field since the 1970s. By ignoring these changes, the book left me unable to answer a fundamental question that all second editions must face: Why is a new edition needed? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Neuroscience of cognitive development: The role of experience and the developing brain.

Reviews the book, Neuroscience of cognitive development: The role of experience and the developing brain by Charles A. Nelson, Michelle de Haan, and Kathleen M. Thomas (see record 2006-09288-000). The goal of this book is to provide a state-of-the-art introduction to the neural bases of cognitive development. The first chapter reviews different aspects of brain development. Chapter two illustrates how experience induces changes in the developing brain as well as in the adult brain, and addresses the question of similarities and differences between neural plasticity in children and adults. The next chapter introduces different methods to study the brain and discusses advantages and disadvantages of each method. In Chapters four through eleven, the authors review the current knowledge about the neurological bases in a number of key areas of cognitive development. The book should be of interest to psychologists who seek a thorough review of the neurological bases associated with various cognitive abilities in infants and children. It might also usefully accompany a graduate course on developmental neuroscience, keeping in mind that the book presupposes a good grasp of neuroanatomy, and of the methods used in the study of the brain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Assessing and managing violence risk in juveniles.

Reviews the book, Assessing and managing violence risk in juveniles by Randy Borum and David Verhaagen (see record 2006-12484-000). This book is a compilation of research findings designed to accomplish the goal of equipping the reader to "conduct risk assessments that are thorough, fair, helpful, and developmentally and empirically sound." New school psychologists will find an excellent framework for learning how to approach the daunting task of assessing risk of violence in children and adolescents. Experienced practitioners will find new research results integrated throughout the book to improve the precision of their risk assessments as well. This book is written for mental health professionals in schools, therapy settings, and juvenile justice systems. Although these three contexts are presented as very different from each other (differences in treatment plans are noted), the basic principles of assessment are applicable to all. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

National distribution of neuropsychological service providers.

Determined the number of psychologists offering neuropsychological services for the US as a whole and separately for each state plus the District of Columbia, using the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology (1981 edition or the Winter 1981–1982 supplement). The ratio of persons per neuropsychological service provider is given for each state. From the total number of health service providers for each state, the percentage of those offering neuropsychological services was determined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Learning About Learning Disabilities, Third Edition.

This article reviews the book, "Learning about Learning Disabilities, Third Edition" (see record 2004-21912-000), edited by Bernice Wong. This book is comprised of a selection of chapters authored by well-known authors in the field of learning disabilities. The book was developed for use with advanced undergraduate and graduate students with the intent to provide current information soundly based in research in the field. The chapters in the book are organized into three thematic sections. The first section deals with conceptual, historical, and research aspects of learning disabilities. The second section comprises chapters on reading comprehension, writing, math, social competence, strategy instruction, working with adolescents, issues in service delivery, and developing communities of practice. The third section focuses on a life span approach to learning disabilities. This book does what it purports to do. This is a well put together selection of readings. It may not be appropriate for advanced undergraduate students with no previous background knowledge or experience with learning disabilities due to the level of the book. The information provided in each chapter is current and soundly based in research. In addition to the research presented, the majority of the chapters also include practical implications of the research to teaching settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Intensive group psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Intensive group psychotherapy by George R. Bach (1954). According to the reviewer, as a new addition to the rapidly increasing body of literature on group psychotherapy, this volume contains a number of unique features that will certainly command the attention of clinical and social psychologists. It is first of all a concrete and highly practical presentation of group psychotherapy as practiced privately with neurotic patients. The reviewer states that in this respect, it should fill a growing need for work dealing with private group treatment, a field that seems to have some interesting social implications. In addition to this more practical feature, this book is unusual because it is one of the first in this area which includes an attempt to apply the technical developments in group dynamics evolved by the social psychologists directly to the therapeutic treatment of character disorders, hysterics, and other neurotic patients frequently encountered in private practice. The reviewer states that the greatest direct appeal of this book will certainly be the clearly written first half which deals with practical problems of group therapy. The second half of the book opens with an extensive and interesting discussion of a theory of "contact psychology" and group life. In this reviewer's opinion, this book will be of interest both to group therapists and to students seeking material that bridges the gap between clinical and social psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)