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christian counseling today
Vol. 20 no. 2
Gary A . S i bcy I I
Below, I give a very brief overview of some the best assessment
strategies and treatment protocols, as well as a few of the most
well-established, empirically-validated treatments available for
common childhood disorders.
Assessment Strategies
I encourage clinicians to consider learning how to use a
structured diagnostic interview that allows them to systemati-
cally cover a wide array of childhood problems and concerns
and helps establish a sound clinical diagnosis.
The Diagnostic
Interview for Children and Adolescents
can be administered by
you as an interviewer or in a computer-driven format. There
are versions for both parents and children, which can be
obtained from mhs.com.
Assessment Instruments
Evidence-based strategies for assessing childhood problems
begin with broad, multi-scaled instruments like the
Behavior
Assessment System for Children-2
(pearsonassessments.com).
This extremely well-validated and reliable device taps into a
wide array of symptom areas (anxiety, depression, aggression,
attention, hyperactivity, social skills, etc.) and has multiple
forms (teacher, parent, child). There is also an observational
measure, a comprehensive social and developmental history,
and a measure of the quality of the parent-child relationship.
Once a particular problem area is identified, specific scales
may be followed up with more directed interview questions
to clarify a diagnosis, or you may administer more problem-
specific assessment instruments:
n
Disruptive Behavior and ADHD:
Consider Barkley’s
and Murphy’s Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale and Barkley’s
A Brief Guide
to Evidence-
based Practice
We are in the age of “evidence-based” healthcare, where practitioners are being
mandated to use scientifically sound, empirically-supported
1
practice strategies.
I have found the vast majority of these treatments can easily transport into clinical
practice settings and are accepted well when sensitively and thoughtfully delivered
to Christian children and families.
for children and
adolescents
