Question

Your neighbor tells you that her nine-year-old son has been having behavior and academic problems in school. “His teacher recommended taking him to the pediatrician to get a prescription for Ritalin,” she said.

Make an argument for why your neighbor should first have her son evaluated by a clinical psychologist. Discuss the types of assessment tools the psychologist might use in his or her evaluation and how these tools would help in guiding diagnosis and treatment.

Answer 1

A child cannot be given Ritalin just based on behavior and academic problems in school. Ritalin, which is a trade name for Methylphenidate, is a stimulant drug, which is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Without knowing the problem of the nine-year-old child, it is extremely irresponsible to prescribe a stimulant medication.

A Clinical Psychologist takes a complete case history from the parents or informants of the child to obtain the detailed account of behavioral and academic problems that he is experiencing. The symptoms and the duration of the symptoms will be noted down and the clinical psychologist will have a clinical picture of the problem.

If the clinical psychologist suspects any particular disorder then the Psychologist will administer assessments to measure this disorder through assessments. Rating scales could be used to identify the existence and severity of these disorders. These scales can provide information on the precise symptoms of the disorders and can help pinpoint the diagnosis of the child. After the Psychologist identifies what disorder or behavioral problem the child is experiencing, the treatment process could be started with therapy, medications, family therapy, and behavior modification as option for the treatment.