ABSTRACT
Cognitive activity can be inferred from nearly every behavioral expression a client or other family members engage in during their relationship with the clinician. The beginnings of cognitive development occur in infancy Qualitative shifts in the capacity for abstract cognitive activity become more pronounced as the child enters school and has experience with a great variety of settings and persons. This chapter discusses the importance of making a thorough evaluation of cognitive processes in gang members and their families as part of a clinical assessment. It explains normative cognitive development as it occurs across the life span. The chapter provides descriptions and examples of common aberrations in thinking that may be observed in families in crisis. It introduces strategies to use in evaluating cognitive processes. The chapter also explains the cognitive assessment process to issues of gang involvement. It shows that clinical anecdotal vignettes demonstrating disordered thinking.
