ABSTRACT
The mainstay of the practice of most pediatric neuropsychologists (PNs) involves clinical evaluations of children who are referred by a physician, parent, or teacher, and with whom an advocating and/or treating clinician-patient relationship is established. This chapter reviews some basic aspects of legal procedures and contingencies that the PN needs to be familiar with before considering or performing a forensic evaluation. It discusses several issues that are pertinent to the interpretation of assessment results, including definition of impairment and base rates of low scores. The chapter also focuses on the evaluation of validity, as well as to malingered neuropsychological deficits and other conditions associated with under-performance or over-reporting of symptoms. Neuropsychological test performance relates to multiple examinee characteristics including age, gender, culture, language, and socioeconomic status. These relations partially form the basis for census-matched normative samples and demographic adjustments to standard scores. Finally, the chapter provides some illustrative case examples with regard to options for documentation and sworn testimony.
