Assessment Clinics
The Specialist in School Psychology graduate program at Texas State offers two assessment practicum opportunities for students, one as part of the Assessment and Counseling Clinic and the other as part of the Clinic for Autism Research, Evaluation and Support. Each is described below. Both clinics offer assessment services to Texas State University students as well as to children, adolescents, and adults in the community. Testing is conducted by students in the school psychology graduate program under the direct supervision of a faculty member of the program, and students and supervising faculty are able to observe the testing as it is being conducted. This provides additional observation learning for school psychology students as well as an opportunity to receive feedback on developing assessment skills by the supervising faculty. If you are interested in either of the assessment services described below, please contact the clinic coordinator, Dr. Sue Hall, at sph46@txstate.edu or 512-245-2007. A sliding scale fee adjustment is available based on financial need. If you are a professional from the area, please feel free to refer clients and/or their families to the clinic.
University Assessment Clinic:
The Assessment and Counseling Clinic has both assessment and counseling services available to the community. Counseling services are administered through the Counseling graduate program at Texas State. All students in the school psychology graduate program will participate in the University Assessment Clinic during their second semester in the program. This hands-on learning experience provides the first opportunity for students of the program to apply the skills they are learning in assessment courses to real assessment situations. This clinic offers psychoeducational assessments focused on concerns related to learning (i.e., “Do I have a learning disability?”) as well as factors that may impede the learning process (e.g., ADHD, anxiety). Students work with other school psychology students as part of a small team to complete an assessment from start to finish, including deciding what assessment measures to give, administering and scoring tests, interpreting and writing up results of tests, case conceptualization and determining diagnosis based on the assessment data collected, identifying appropriate recommendations, and sharing assessment results with parents or adult clients.
CARES Assessment Clinic:
The College of Education’s Clinic for Autism Research, Evaluation, and Support (CARES) is a multi-disciplinary, multi-functional clinic designed to provide services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Services include educational (e.g., ABA therapy) and life skills training and supports, administered through programs in Special Education and Health and Human Performance, respectively. The School Psychology program is an integral part of the CARES clinic and has established the CARES Assessment Clinic in order to conduct diagnostic assessment and evaluation of children and adults suspected of having ASD. Students enrolled in the School Psychology program have the opportunity to receive up to 100 hours (two semesters) of advanced training in the recognition and diagnosis of ASD by participating in the CARES Assessment Clinic. In conjunction with their school-based practica during their third and/or fourth semester in the program, interested students may opt to participate in the CARES assessment clinic. Under the direct supervision of the Clinic Coordinator of the CARES Assessment Clinic, students work in small teams and conduct ASD-focused diagnostic assessments of children, adolescents, and adults. These individuals come to the CARES clinic for a variety of reasons. Some are seeking assessment for the first time because they are experiencing challenges in school or at work, or they may need to undergo a re-evaluation in order to continue to receive important supports and/or benefits.
More information about the CARES clinic can be found at http://cares.education.txstate.edu/. or contact:
(512)-245-2007
Students who successfully complete one or more semesters in the CARES assessment clinic may add the following (as applicable) to their resume:
Clinic for Autism Research, Evaluation, and Support (CARES)
Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas [start date] - [end date or Present]
Supervisor: Sue Hall, Ph.D.
- Gained experience in evaluating individuals on the autism spectrum or suspected of being on the autism spectrum between the ages of [insert age range of clients assessed]
- Participated as a member of an arena assessment team to conduct comprehensive evaluations and make differential diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and other disorders
- Viewed administration training modules 1-4 for the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2)
- Observed ADOS-2 administrations and served as the note taker for ADOS-2 examiner
- Established rapport and conducted assessments examining social and communication skills, including administration and interpretation of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition
- Interviewed parents and/or other legal guardians to establish rapport and complete background history including administration and interpretation of the Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised
- Administered and interpreted results of direct assessment measures and rating scales evaluating areas such as intelligence, adaptive functioning, expressive and receptive language, fine motor skill, behavior, and personality
- Served as Report Captain by synthesizing assessment information into a comprehensive report
- Contributed to developing recommendations for treatment and support in the school, home, and community environments
- Presented evaluation feedback to parent [and/or adult client] regarding results of autism spectrum disorder evaluation
- Maintained confidentiality of all interactions and evaluation records