Clinical Neuropsychology: A Pocket Handbook For Assessment [Paperback]

The book is organized by diagnostic category with the subspecialties and their unique presentations are also provided. The 'appearance' of the condition as well as the features that distinguish it from another can be the difference between needing to call a code or needing to make a page that may take hours to answer. The authors also provide checklists whenever applicable. Most line staff will be able to comprehend enough of what is pertinent to inform their management style and to discriminate pertinent details for treatment docs. Why not teach them?

In partial programs, sheltered workshops and residential treatment, supported living etc., the nature of psychiatry is such that many different classifications and treatment plans are joined in one service and in one building. The qualifications of staff- at best- are not up to par in neurology. This book can provide some assistance and when augmented with staff training, the treatment setting is likely to be more secure and productive.

The popular pediatrician in special ed., Mel Levine, is attempting to rebuild the role and qualifications for teachers in this manner. He uses a medical-like model for his training programs. If "hands-on" could be applied to neurology education Levine certainly succeeds. His program exposes teachers to the condition first, they go to an on-site hospital and residential diagnostic unit where they review charts, meet the child, make observations and dialogue about programs of accomodation and remediation. At the school, they further observe the learning differences and their behavioral co-morbid or psychiatric symptoms. They become familiar with more than a definition, (After all, no one really has figured out the Disorder of Written Expression- everyone has a different version and none matter when it comes to the poor child stuck with it.)Levine's fortunate few must come up with concise explanation, what's wrong, strengths and weaknesses and an integrated response. That can be expanded to several unique arenas and adjunctive therapies.

In summary, this is an excellent brief and handy pocket handbook and one that would be well-placed for staff providing different therapies and/or manageing a unit to review and refer to under many circumstances. Nursing homes, special education settings, trauma rehabs and psychiatric units will all find relevant and highly understandable details here. The federal entitlement for Early Intervention is another woefully neglected subgroup. Special educators, poorly paid and with high turnover, are the primary therapists and team leaders with at-risk and medically fragile infants and toddlers. They go into homes, often impoverished, and provide services, developmental activities and do assessments. They have many checklists and standardized tests which are on the whole, completed carefully. Yet there are so many other things, not necessarily on those tests, but enormously important that are outside of their professional scope. This book has vital explanations around Toxic Exposure, symptoms and 'mimic' conditions. The substance abuse sections too are vital for professionals evaluating a maternal child relationship or in cases of an addicted family member. There is high frequence for fetal substance abuse conditions and HIV genetically transmitted diagnoses. These generally brave and devoted staff see siblings who manifest behaviors or motor skills that may be uniquely relevant to understanding the baby. But they do not either know or feel comfortable speculating- so they ignore it.
Without insulting these authors, who are experts in their field and darn good writers- I urge those readers who influence some of the areas I mentioned above to read not only with an eye for their own improvement but the ways that written in this way, this book has promise for a far greater target audience.