Series Editors, Alan S. Kaufman and Nadeen L. Kaufman
Essentials of 16 PF ® Assessment
by Heather E.‐P. Cattell and James M. Schuerger
Essentials of ADHD Assessment for Children and Adolescents
by Elizabeth P. Sparrow and Drew Erhardt
Essentials of Adaptive Behavior Assessment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
by Celine A. Saulnier and Cheryl Klaiman
Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties
by David A. Kilpatrick
Essentials of Assessment Report Writing, Second Edition
by W. Joel Schneider, Elizabeth O. Lichtenberger, and Nancy Mather
Essentials of Assessment with Brief Intelligence Tests
by Susan R. Homack and Cecil R. Reynolds
Essentials of Autism Spectrum Disorders Evaluation and Assessment
by Celine A. Saulnier and Pamela E. Ventola
Essentials of Bayley Scales of Infant Development–II Assessment
by Maureen M. Black and Kathleen Matula
Essentials of Behavioral Assessment
by Michael C. Ramsay, Cecil R. Reynolds, and R. W. Kamphaus
Essentials of Career Interest Assessment
by Jeffrey P. Prince and Lisa J. Heiser
Essentials of CAS‐2 Assessment
by Jack A. Naglieri
Essentials of Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, Second Edition
by Linda Wilmshurst
Essentials of Cognitive Assessment with KAIT and Other Kaufman Measures
by Elizabeth O. Lichtenberger, Debra Broadbooks, and Alan S. Kaufman
Essentials of Conners Behavior Assessments™
by Elizabeth P. Sparrow
Essentials of Creativity Assessment
by James C. Kaufman, Jonathan A. Plucker, and John Baer
Essentials of Cross‐Battery Assessment, Third Edition
by Dawn P. Flanagan, Samuel O. Ortiz, and Vincent C. Alfonso
Essentials of DAS‐II ® Assessment
by Ron Dumont, John O. Willis, and Colin D. Elliot
Essentials of Dyslexia Assessment and Intervention
by Nancy Mather and Barbara J. Wendling
Essentials of Evidence‐Based Academic Interventions
by Barbara J. Wendling and Nancy Mather
Essentials of Executive Functions Assessment
by George McCloskey and Lisa A. Perkins
Essentials of Forensic Psychological Assessment, Second Edition
by Marc J. Ackerman
Essentials of Gifted Assessment
by Steven I. Pfeiffer
Essentials of IDEA for Assessment Professionals
by Guy McBride, Ron Dumont, and John O. Willis
Essentials of Individual Achievement Assessment
by Douglas K. Smith
Essentials of Intellectual Disabilities Assessment and Identification
Alan W. Brue and Linda Wilmshurst
Essentials of KABC‐II Assessment
by Alan S. Kaufman, Elizabeth O. Lichtenberger, Elaine Fletcher‐Janzen, and Nadeen L. Kaufman
Essentials of MCMI ®‐IV Assessment
by Seth D. Grossman and Blaise Amendolace
Essentials of Millon™ Inventories Assessment, Third Edition
by Stephen Strack
Essentials of MMPI‐A™ Assessment
by Robert P. Archer and Radhika Krishnamurth
Essentials of MMPI‐2 ® Assessment, Second Edition
by David S. Nichols
Essentials of Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator ® Assessment, Second Edition
by Naomi Quenk
Essentials of NEPSY ®‐II Assessment
by Sally L. Kemp and Marit Korkman
Essentials of Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition
by Nancy Hebben and William Milberg
Essentials of Nonverbal Assessment
by Steve McCallum, Bruce Bracken, and John Wasserman
Essentials of PAI ® Assessment
by Leslie C. Morey
Essentials of Planning, Selecting, and Tailoring Interventions for Unique Learners
by Jennifer T. Mascolo, Vincent C. Alfonso, and Dawn P. Flanagan
Essentials of Processing Assessment, Second Edition
by Milton J. Dehn
Essentials of Psychological Testing, Second Edition
by Susana Urbina
Essentials of Response to Intervention
by Amanda M. VanDerHeyden and Matthew K. Burns
Essentials of Rorschach Assessment: Comprehensive System and R‐PAS
by Jessica R. Gurley
Essentials of School Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition
by Daniel C. Miller
Essentials of Stanford‐Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5) Assessment
by Gale H. Roid and R. Andrew Barram
Essentials of TAT and Other Storytelling Assessments, Second Edition
by Hedwig Teglasi
Essentials of Temperament Assessment
by Diana Joyce
Essentials of Trauma‐Informed Assessment and Interventions in the Schools
by Bettina Franzese and Kirby L. Wycoff
Essentials of WAIS ®‐IV Assessment, Second Edition
by Elizabeth O. Lichtenberger and Alan S. Kaufman
Essentials of WIAT ®‐III and KTEA‐II Assessment
by Elizabeth O. Lichtenberger and Kristina C. Breaux
Essentials of WISC ®‐V Assessment
by Dawn P. Flanagan and Vincent C. Alfonso
Essentials of WISC ®‐V Integrated Assessment
by Susan Engi Raiford
Essentials of WJ‐IV ® Cognitive Abilities Assessment
by Fredrick A. Schrank, Scott L. Decker, and John M. Garruto
Essentials of WJ‐IV ® Tests of Achievement Assessment
by Nancy Mather and Barbara J. Wendling
Essentials of WMS ®‐IV Assessment
by Lisa Whipple Drozdick, James A. Holdnack, and Robin C. Hilsabeck
Essentials of WNV ™ Assessment
by Kimberly A. Brunnert, Jack A. Naglieri, and Steven T. Hardy‐Braz
Essentials of Working Memory Assessment and Intervention
by Milton J. Dehn
Essentials of WPPSI ™‐IV Assessment
by Susan Engi Raiford and Diane Coalson
Essentials of WRAML2 and TOMAL‐2 Assessment
by Wayne Adams and Cecil R. Reynolds
Second Edition
This edition first published 2018
© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Edition History
1st edition: paperback: Lichtenberger/9780471394877/Assessment Report Essentials
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by law. Advice on how to obtain permission to reuse material from this title is available at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
The right of W. Joel Schneider, Elizabeth O. Lichtenberger, Nancy Mather, and Nadeen L. Kaufman to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with law.
Registered Office
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
Editorial Office
111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
For details of our global editorial offices, customer services, and more information about Wiley products visit us at www.wiley.com.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats and by print‐on‐demand. Some content that appears in standard print versions of this book may not be available in other formats.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty
While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials or promotional statements for this work. The fact that an organization, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the publisher and authors endorse the information or services the organization, website, or product may provide or recommendations it may make. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Schneider, William Joel, 1970– author.
Title: Essentials of assessment report writing / W. Joel Schneider [and three others].
Description: Second edition. | Hoboken, NJ : Wiley, 2018. | Series: Essentials of psychological assessment | Revision of: Essentials of assessment report writing / Elizabeth O. Lichtenberger ... [et al.]. 2004. | Includes index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2018016665 (print) | LCCN 2018017651 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119218746 (pdf) | ISBN 9781119218753 (enhanced ePub) | ISBN 9781119218685 (paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Psychodiagnostics. | Report writing. | Clinical psychology–Authorship. | BISAC: PSYCHOLOGY / Assessment, Testing & Measurement.
Classification: LCC RC469 (ebook) | LCC RC469 .E875 2018 (print) | DDC 616.89/075–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018016665
Cover image: © Greg Kuchik/Getty Images
Cover design by Wiley
To Renée …whose primary mission is to help others help others. Time and again, and in diverse ways, Renée gave of her time and talent to help make this book do likewise.—WJS
To my dear Aunt Elaine—Thank you for reminding me that the simple things in life, like seeing a twinkle in your eye when I walk in the room, sharing a bag of potato chips, and singing a song together, are joyous moments that I am grateful for sharing with you.—EOL
To all the many dedicated professionals who take the time to learn to interpret tests and then derive meaningful recommendations that are designed to enhance the lives of others.—NM
On every tree there sits a bird, singing a song of love …
This is my song of love to my dearest Alan:
Wherever and whenever you go, I go …
Hi Lili, Hi Lili, Hi Lo.—NLK
In the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, we have attempted to provide the reader with books that will deliver key practical information in the most efficient and accessible style. Many books in the series feature specific instruments in a variety of domains, such as cognition, personality, education, and neuropsychology. Other books focus on crucial topics for professionals who are involved in any way with assessment—topics such as specific reading disabilities, evidenced‐based interventions, and ADHD assessment. For the experienced professional, books in the series offer a concise yet thorough review of a test instrument or a specific area of expertise, including numerous tips for best practices. Students can turn to series books for a clear and concise overview of important assessment tools and of key topics in which they must become proficient to practice skillfully, efficiently, and ethically in their chosen fields.
Wherever feasible, visual cues highlighting key points are utilized alongside systematic, step‐by‐step guidelines. Chapters are focused and succinct. Topics are organized for an easy understanding of the essential material related to a particular test or topic. Theory and research are continually woven into the fabric of each book, but the aim always is to enhance the practical application of the material rather than to sidetrack or overwhelm readers. With this series, we aim to challenge and assist readers interested in psychological assessment to aspire to the highest level of competency by arming them with the tools they need for knowledgeable, informed practice. We have long been advocates of “intelligent” testing—the notion that numbers are meaningless unless they are brought to life by the clinical acumen and expertise of examiners. Assessment must be used to make a difference in the child’s or adult’s life, or why bother to test? All books in the series—whether devoted to specific tests or general topics—are consistent with this credo. We want this series to help our readers, novice and veteran alike, to benefit from the intelligent assessment approaches of the authors of each book.
We are delighted to include the second edition of Essentials of Assessment Report Writing in our series. The internationally‐acclaimed authors of this book have offered the field a broad, inclusive, and humane vision of what assessment reports should accomplish. This edition’s central theme is that assessment reports are primarily tools of empathic communication. Not only is the examinee understood in empathic terms, but the report reader’s needs are considered carefully throughout the report‐writing process. Ultimately, the goal is to guide the reader to a new understanding of the examinee’s difficulties and to inspire effective efforts to intervene on the examinee’s behalf. Beginning professionals will appreciate the book’s practical focus and clear suggestions for writing effectively. Veteran professionals will appreciate how the book challenges them to rethink old habits and give their reports a conceptual makeover. In the final chapter, all readers will appreciate the opportunity to learn from expert report writers in 11 annotated sample reports. We believe that professionals who engage with the ideas of this book will not only benefit from its many direct suggestions for improvement, but they will also find their own creativity is sparked along the way, and they will generate many more ways to enhance their reports so that they better serve the individuals they strive to help.
The first edition of this book was crafted with pride and was well received by practitioners. We saw few reasons to alter the original content at first. The primary shortcoming we hoped to rectify was that the first edition contained too few examples of complete reports. Thus, our original plan for the second edition was to do a little touchup here and there, update the references to outdated tests, and include annotated case study reports from experts we admire. It was a good plan, but soon after we put it in motion, we found ourselves reworking, restructuring, and rewriting almost everything. Why?
To prepare for writing the second edition, each of the four authors took on different tasks. We reread the first edition closely, imagining how it would seem to first‐time readers. We read research articles on practices that enhance reports. We interviewed expert clinicians and scholars on how they write reports. We reacquainted ourselves with the classics of the small genre of psychological report writing books and learned all we could from more recent efforts to help professionals write better reports. In the course of our preparations, two truths thrust themselves into our awareness with equal force:
Our ambition for the second edition has been to tackle this problem head on. The central theme of the book is that assessment professionals can make use of their primary strength—their talent for empathy—and direct it toward the readers of their reports. As we began unifying the content of the second edition around this theme, we found it productive to ask ourselves seemingly simple but fundamental questions about assessment. Why do we have reports at all? Who is our audience? How much do readers need to know? What is the purpose of describing behavioral observations? Which kinds of recommendations lead to meaningful changes?
Although much of the structure and content from the first edition was preserved, most of it was completely rewritten and recast in the light of our central theme. The questions we asked ourselves about the essentials of assessment report writing helped us articulate explicitly what we had only grasped intuitively before. Sometimes these questions led us to places we did not anticipate going and caused us to rethink old habits, practices, and traditions. We hope that the efforts we took to sharpen the book’s focus have enhanced its utility and will help assessment professionals communicate their observations and insights to inspire more understanding, more compassion, and more effective action in the lives of those who need it most.
We are grateful to our expert report writers who generously contributed annotated reports from their own practices: Lisa Chalukian, Scott Decker, Catharine Fiorello, Linda M. Fishman, John Garruto, Donna Goetz, Elaine Fletcher‐Janzen, Robert Lichtenstein, Christopher Nicholls, Susan Engi Raiford, Jennie Kaufman Singer, and Alison Wilkinson‐Smith. Rita McCleary wrote a chapter for the first edition that was so good that almost nothing needed to be changed.
Many professionals and scholars, and friends were consulted informally about their ideas about assessment report writing, including Clark Clipson, Vincent Alfonso, Dawn Flanagan, Rosemary Flanagan, Catherine Fiorello, Kevin McGrew, Sam Ortiz, Leandra Parris, Cecil Reynolds, Mark Swerdlik, Renée Tobin, and John Willis. Renée Tobin and John Willis provided invaluable feedback on earlier drafts of the book. John Willis extended what was already a tremendous contribution by writing a new chapter crackling with wit and style. Susan Geraghty, our copyeditor, caught an amazing number of typos and substantially improved the flow of the document. Audrey Koh, our production editor, was unfailingly helpful, professional, and patient as she worked to help us present our book in its best light.
The first three authors of this book wish to express our gratitude to our co‐author Nadeen Kaufman and to Alan Kaufman, co‐author of the first edition of this book. As co‐editors of the Essentials of Psychological Assessment series, they have given this field an extraordinary collection of practical wisdom on psychological assessment. It has been an honor to have the opportunity to contribute to their evolving and expanding work.