ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we present an overview of core issues that are associated with conducting personality assessments in schools. We recognize that most psychologists who work in schools have the education, training, and credentialing specific to the “school psychologist” title, but we also appreciate that there are psychologists whose primary employment and professional role identification are not with the school district. As such, we designated the interface between psychologists and schools as primary, secondary, or tertiary, depending on the degree to which employment and work activities are dedicated specifically to the school system. By “primary work activities” we refer to psychologists who are employed full-time either by a school district or by a private school. By “secondary work activities” we refer to psychologists who work as contracted or on a per diem basis in the schools. By “tertiary work activities” we refer to psychologists in non-school settings (e.g., private practice, residential-psychiatric, forensic) whose personality assessments of school-age children might bring them into contact with the school system.The chapter proceeds as follows. First, we discuss Section 504 of the 1973 Civil Rights Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Section 504, 1973 and IDEA 1997, as discussed in Miller & Newbill, 1998 and Jacob & Hartshome, 2003, and referenced as a citation in Jacob & Hartshome, 2003) because of their particular relevance to students with behavior, social-emotional, and ideational problems that warrant special education consideration. Both Section 504 and IDEA are very familiar to psychologists who work primarily in school districts, but are possibly less familiar to psychologists whose personality assessment work only occasionally overlaps with the educational system. Second, we present a framework for personality assessment and discuss different tests and measures that are useful in the identification of referral issues and for conducting personality assessments in schools that lead to decisions about eligibility for special education services. Third, we discuss some of the professional climate issues in school psychology that can affect personality assessment in schools. Fourth, we discuss school psychology training in personality assessment. Fifth, we present a case study. 19
Miller & Newbill (1998) and Jacob and Hartshome (2003) provide information about Section 504 and IDEA and Section 504 of the 1973 Civil Rights Act. Section 504 is designed to protect the rights of individuals who participate in programs or activities that receive federal funding (Jacob & Hartshome, 2003; Miller & Newbill, 1998). Included among individuals protected by Section 504 are school-age children who have been determined to have a handicapping condition. A student is defined as handicapped if he or she has “a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of a person’s major life activities; has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment” (Miller & Newbill, 1998, pp. 2-3). Included among Section 504 handicapping conditions are ADD/ ADHD, anxiety, dysthymia, dyslexia, eating disorders, emotional disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, drug and alcohol dependency, learning disabilities, and suicidal tendencies (Jacob & Hartshome, 2003; Miller & Newbill, 1998). Thus, Section 504 provides broad antidiscrimination protection for students whose mental health or learning needs have been determined to reflect a handicapping condition. A 504 Service/Accommodation Plan, coordinated by school personnel knowledgeable about a child or adolescent, can be implemented even when the handicap does not adversely affect the student’s educational performance (e.g., an adolescent with bulimia who excels academically, but would benefit from school-based, group-oriented psycho-educational counseling led by a consulting psychologist who is hired and funded by the district).IDEA is one subcategory of Section 504. Under IDEA, special education services are available to students whose disability adversely affects their performance (Miller & Newbill, 1998). There are 13 possible disabilities under IDEA: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment. If a student is designated as having a disability under IDEA, then an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) is required and developed in order to provide the student with an individually designed instructional program (e.g., specialized reading program, supplemental math support, extended school year, extended testing time, behavioral intervention, individual counseling, group counseling). The IEP is a written plan of intervention, short-term objectives, and measurable, annual goals that emerge from an evaluation by a multidisciplinary team (i.e., qualified professionals and the parent[s]) and reflects district compliance with the law (Jacob & Hartshome, 2003; Miller & Newbill, 1998).The one IDEA category that has particular relevance to the personality assessor is emotional disturbance (ED). ED is defined by the Federal Code of Regulations, Title 34, Section 300.7 (Jacob & Hartshome, 2003) as follows: (i) The term means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. (A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or other health factors. (B) An inability to build on or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. (C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.(D) A general or pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. (E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems, (ii) The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance, (pp. 128-129)
In the next section, we offer a brief framework for conceptualizing and organizing the school psychological evaluation that includes personality assessment and offers an overview of the
range of tests and measures that are useful when one is considering how to respond conscientiously to a referral concern.
