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Kids

Making assessments fair using the principles of universal design: The Pediatric Performance Validity Test Suite

What is the Pediatric Performance Validity Test Suite (PdPVTS)? When a youth undergoes any kind of assessment of their cognitive skills or abilities (e.g., tests of intelligence, tests of achievement, or neuropsychological assessment), they are asked to demonstrate the upper limit of their performance. Such tests are commonly known as maximum...

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ADHD in the Justice System: underdiagnosed and underserved

Individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may deal with symptoms such as inattention, disorganization, hyperactivity (often seen as restlessness in adults), and/or impulsivity. Symptoms of ADHD often continue into adulthood, causing challenges in social, academic, and professional functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Research suggests that ADHD occurs in most cultures in...

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Why is performance validity testing important during youth assessment in public safety settings?

Understanding performance validity is important any time maximum performance tests are used (e.g., tests of intelligence, aptitude, achievement, and/or neuropsychological performance). Knowing if a child or adolescent has given their best effort during assessment is critical to the accuracy of test score interpretation. This need has long been recognized in...

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The sofa is mocking me and other tests of resilience

“Summer,” for me, the word brings with it visions of long lazy days, sunshine, and splashing at the pool. Almost as soon as it starts, I also feel the existential dread that it will end too soon. This feeling is one many of my fellow educators share. Summer never seems...

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The critical need to address self-harm during youth ADHD assessment

Youth with ADHD are at a greater risk of self-harm (Simioni et al., 2017). These behaviors include non-suicidal self-injury (i.e., self-directed, deliberate harm of self in the absence of suicidal intent, such as cutting or burning), as well suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and completed suicide (i.e., direct, self-injurious behavior with...

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How can you combat the challenges of equitable identification with English Language Learners?

The formal identification of high ability students with limited English language proficiency has been an ongoing challenge with respect to the goals of equity. The Naglieri General Ability Tests (Naglieri, Brulles, & Landsdowne, 2021) have been developed to combat these challenges in testing and provide a more equitable solution. The...

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What can we do to prevent emotional burnout among correctional staff?

Emotional exhaustion or burnout experienced due to work overload harms employees and the organizations that employ them (Lin, 2013). As Maslach and Leiter (2008) pointed out, emotional "...exhaustion is not something that is simply experienced… it prompts actions to distance oneself emotionally and cognitively from one's work, presumably as a...

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