Clinician's Guide to Validity Assessment and Management in Neuropsychology

Ryan W. Schroeder, PsyD, ABPP-CN, is a board-certified neuropsychologist practicing both clinical and forensic neuropsychology. He engages in clinical work at the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas, and he engages in forensic work through his private practice. Additionally, he is a volunteer Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Kansas School of Medicine–Wichita and Adjunct Faculty in the Clinical Psychology Program at Wichita State University. Dr. Schroeder has published and presented widely on neuropsychological validity assessment and has served on expert committees related to validity assessment and test security. He is a recipient of early career awards from the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) and the American Psychological Association (APA), and is a Fellow of NAN and APA.Phillip K. Martin, PhD, ABPP-CN, is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Kansas School of Medicine–Wichita. He is an active clinician, supervisor of neuropsychology trainees, teacher, and researcher. Dr. Martin has published on multiple topics, including but not limited to neuropsychological validity assessment. He has made unique contributions to the validity assessment literature with his scholarly articles pertaining to professional beliefs and practices, the management of clinical patients who produce invalid test performance, and meta-analysis of specific validity measures. In addition to his published research, Dr. Martin’s participation in the evolving discussion of neuropsychological validity assessment practice has included serving as an expert committee member and a recurrent national conference speaker.

• 1. Understanding Validity Assessment as a Medically Necessary Standard of Practice2. Reviewing Referrals: Managing Clinical Consults That Contain Forensic Elements3. The Clinical Interview as a Foundational Step: Considerations, Lines of Inquiry, and Methods4. Using Stand-Alone Performance Validity Tests: Clinical Guidance and Cutoffs5. Employing Embedded Performance Validity Tests: Clinical Guidance and Cutoffs6. Interpreting Symptom Validity Tests: Clinical Guidance and Cutoffs7. Elevating Validity Administration Practices and Making Confident Validity Determinations8. Accurately Interpreting and Conceptualizing Noncredible Findings9. Providing Feedback When Testing Is Invalid: A Challenge Made Easy10. Managing Invalidity in Clinical Reports: Strategies and Examples11. Putting It All Together: A Case DemonstrationReferencesIndex

"Authored by two well-known experts, this book makes a distinctive contribution. As the title suggests, the book is truly a guide to integrating validity assessment and management into the full spectrum of clinical neuropsychological practice, from initial decisions regarding referrals to evaluation procedures, feedback, and, when relevant, subsequent care management. These authors understand well that there is so much more to be learned than which tests to choose and which cutoff scores to apply! Schroeder and Martin provide valuable, experience-based information, including examples of feedback and documentation appropriate for different case circumstances.”--Jerry J. Sweet, PhD, ABPP-CN, Emeritus Staff, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Endeavor Health, Glenview, Illinois"Providing easy-to-follow guidance on how to evaluate validity at various steps of neuropsychological assessments, this book includes frequent summaries in short, clear paragraphs and tables. Schroeder and Martin not only share examples of patient statements, test results, or behaviors that might raise concerns, but also offer specific advice on how to handle these situations. This unusually practical book will be a valuable resource for both new and experienced professionals in clinical neuropsychology."--Jacobus Donders, PhD, ABPP, Child Psychologist, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan"Validity assessment is essential for clinical neuropsychological practice. This unique book distills the vast literature into practical instructions for incorporating current, evidence-based validity assessment practices into clinical work to ensure accurate test interpretation. All neuropsychologists and trainees working in a variety of settings will find this book useful."--Bernice A. Marcopulos, PhD, ABPP-CN, Department of Graduate Psychology (Emeritus), James Madison University"Schroeder and Martin are widely recognized for their research on performance and symptom validity tests (PVTs and SVTs), and are also experienced clinical neuropsychologists, which uniquely positions them to author this book. In a user-friendly format, chapters cover interviewing; using PVTs and SVTs, including clinical guidance, cutoff scores, and cautions; providing feedback on invalid performance; and more. The final chapter provides a detailed case demonstration. The authors should be congratulated for this first-rate example of evidence-based practice."--Glenn J. Larrabee, PhD, ABPP-CN, independent practice, Sarasota, Florida-