It is not enough to simply assess intelligence level to determine the cause of academic problems successfully. Such research is complex and requires knowledge in many areas, and that is why this process is so interesting to me and why the eighth chapter grabbed my interest. The topic of this chapter is close to me as a learner and interesting as an educator because it raises urgent problems and describes ways to solve them. As the example from the textbook shows, using only intelligence tests, a specialist can establish that the level of a student’s slowdown is within the normal range even in the presence of serious problems. (Wilmshurst & Brue, 2018). Such narrow questionnaires do not give correct results in the general perspective and do not identify the cause of the problems. This is why examinations like these should be used in conjunction with other approaches.
In other words, it is necessary to carry out a psychoeducational assessment of the student, approaching their academic success from the side of psychology. It seems to me that this approach is much more interesting since it is a multicomponent psychological problem with many variables. To solve the existing situation, it is necessary to carefully analyze the subject’s life, studying both the academic and psychological components. In addition to the trivial assessment of IQ, such an analysis includes, for example, an evaluation of emotional and mental health (“Psychoeducational evaluations,” n.d.). Furthermore, since psychological assessment is necessary to identify the causes of academic problems, the specialist can provide a child with assistance in other areas.
Of course, this process is complicated and full of obstacles. However, a large number of tools have been developed that make the psychologist’s work much easier. In addition, special organizations regularly update these tests. As shown in the video I found, although the textbook provides a link to WIAT-III, at the moment, there is already the fourth edition of this test (Pearson Assessments US, 2020). The importance and relevance of this video lie in its presentation of modern methods of psychological analysis that can be used during practice. The release of new publications allows considering existing tendencies, enabling psychologists to analyze problems abstractly and connect with modern trends. The need to combine an analytical psychological approach with the choice and use of suitable tools makes this topic even more interesting and informative, better revealing the details of the work of a psychologist.
References
Pearson Assessments US. (2020). Introducing the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WIAT-4) overview webinar [Video]. YouTube.
Psychoeducational evaluations (n.d.). Psychology 360. Web.
Wilmshurst, L., & Brue, A. W. (2018). The complete guide to special education: Expert advice on evaluations, IEPs, and helping kids succeed (3rd ed.). Routledge.