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The Role of Formal Psychometric Assessment in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

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Prevention, Recognition and Management of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

The main benefit of carrying out a psychometric assessment in any clinical or educational psychology setting is that it allows more objective assessment of an individual’s underlying cognitive strengths and difficulties, rather than relying on clinical judgement alone. Although each individual is unique in their strengths and difficulties, psychometric testing allows assessment scores to be compared to a set of normative data; that is, individuals’ abilities can be compared to those of a sample which provide data about what is usual in a defined population at a specific point in time (see Fig. 14.1 for normal distribution curve). Another benefit of psychometric assessments is that they are standardised, whereby they are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations, are consistent and are administered and scored in a predetermined manner, as far as possible. Subtests within psychometric assessments are statistically chosen for their validity and reliability. In other words, subtests are included in a testing battery if they measure what they are supposed to measure (validity) and results are consistent (reliability). There is not one approach to this form of testing. This chapter sets out the approach used in the UK National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) behavioural specialist clinic.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. FASD Clinic, Redhill, UK

    Alexandra Carlisle & Alexandra Livesey

Authors
  1. Alexandra Carlisle
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  2. Alexandra Livesey
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexandra Carlisle .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National FASD Specialist Behaviour Clinic, Surrey, UK

    Raja A. S. Mukherjee

  2. The One Stop Clinic, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, UK

    Neil Aiton

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Carlisle, A., Livesey, A. (2021). The Role of Formal Psychometric Assessment in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). In: Mukherjee, R.A.S., Aiton, N. (eds) Prevention, Recognition and Management of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73966-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73966-9_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-73965-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-73966-9

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