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Defining the Evolving Concept of Impairment

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Assessing Impairment

Abstract

In Western medicine, the medical model guides diagnosis and treatment in all aspects of medicine, mental health, and to some extent, education. The purpose of this model is to identify treatments for diagnoses based on evidence of specific symptoms assumed to suggest problems inherent within one or more organs of the body. The medical model has driven research and theory about physical and mental health problems on the basis of causation, symptom relief, and cure and in many cases has been quite successful (e.g., tuberculosis, measles). As the fields of medicine, psychology, and education have evolved, interest in the degree of impairment an individual may experience in a given situation, regardless of diagnosis, has increased. For example, since the publication of the first edition of this volume in 2009, a recent Google search revealed thousands of relevant books and scientific articles addressing impairments caused secondary to physical, mental health and educational conditions. The second edition of this volume is a testament to the growth of this field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, 6622 White Post Road, Centerville, VA, 20121, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D.

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  1. Sam Goldstein Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Sam Goldstein Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Learning and Behavior Center , Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Sam Goldstein

  2. Curry School of Education, University of Virginia , Centerville, Virginia, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri

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Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (2016). Defining the Evolving Concept of Impairment. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J. (eds) Assessing Impairment. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7996-4_1

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