Using a Neuropsychological Evaluation to Develop Effective
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Transcript Using a Neuropsychological Evaluation to Develop Effective
Using a Neuropsychological Evaluation
to Develop Effective Individualized
Strategies to Intervene
with Individuals with Traumatic or
Acquired Brain Injury
Amanda Messina, Psy.D., and
Mahin Para-Cremer, M.Ed.
Lakeview Specialty Hospital and Rehab
Lakeview’s Third Thursday at Three Speaker Series
February 2012
Presentation Goals
A Neuropsychological Evaluation can provide
extensive information about how an individual’s
functioning has been impacted following a TBI/ABI.
There are many different areas that are potentially
assessed during this evaluation process and the
resulting information can be very valuable in the
identification of effective strategies for intervention
and treatment.
This presentation will review the components of
Neuropsychological Evaluation and identify the
process for developing effective individualized
intervention strategies based on the results from this
evaluation.
The Components of a
Neuropsychological Evaluation
Intake Interview
Family History
Social History
Psychiatric Placement History
Drug and Alcohol Use History
Abuse History
Medical History and current functioning
Legal Issues
Work History
Risk Assessment
Mental Status
Overall General Appearance
Behavioral Observations
Mood and Affect
Insight and Judgment
Hallucinations or delusions
Psychomotor functioning
Speech language functioning
Orientation
Intellectual and Cognitive Ability
VERBAL COMPREHENSION
Verbal abstract reasoning
Rote verbal memory
Verbal comprehension
WORKING MEMORY
Gathering and retaining information, processing, and
applying to new situations
PERCEPTUAL REASONING
Processing visual information and applying to new
situations
PROCESSING SPEED
Rate of understanding information
Academic Ability
Reading Ability
Comprehension
Word identification
Writing
Spelling
Creating sentences
Mathematics
Applied Mathematics
Abstract Mathematics
Calculations
Attention/Executive Functioning
Stopping
Ability to process and move on from upsetting events
Switching
Transition from tasks
Starting
Generate new information
Initiation
Problem Solving Skills
Maintaining
Ability to stay on task
Memory / Learning
Auditory
Storing and processing
information that you hear
Visual
Storing and processing
information that you see
Immediate
Processing and repeating
information back
Short term
Ability to report events
that occurred recently
(last 24 hours)
Long term
Ability to report events
that occurred prior to 24
hours ago
Crystallized
Ability to recall facts,
auditory or visual
Recognition
Ability to recognize
familiar information in a
novel setting
Visual/Motor Coordination
Fine motor skills
Writing, picking up small objects
Gross motor skills
Skipping, jumping, kicking
Perceptual copy skills
Ability to re-create an object you are currently
looking at
Visual motor memory
Ability to re-create an object from memory
Adaptive Functioning
Communication
Listening and Understanding
Talking
Reading and Writing
Daily Living
Caring for Self
Caring for Home
Living in the Community
Social Skills and
Relationships
Relating to others
Playing and Using Leisure
Time
Adapting
Physical Activity
Using Large Muscles
Using Small Muscles
Problem Behaviors/Example:
Isolation from others
Anxiety
Impulsive
Aggressive
Sucks thumb
Attention problems
Runs away
Stereotypy
Chronic pain
Defiance
Personality / Emotional Status
Reality contact
process real life events and interpret
accurately
Coping Skills
Ability to deal with emotional dis-regulation
Self-Image
Self-esteem, self-worth
Depression/ Suicidal Ideation
Perception
How you view the world (positively /negatively)
Compiling Summary
Gather information on Pre-Brain Injury
functioning, when possible
Use a comprehensive person centered
approach to identify best individualized goals
Identify strengths and deficits across all
testing areas
Assess for emotional stressors versus
acquired brain damage when evaluating
functional skill areas
Diagnostic Summary
Axis I: Psychological Diagnosis
Axis II: Intellectual Disabilities
Axis III: General Medical Conditions
Axis IV: Life Stressors
Axis V: GAF score
Case Studies
Case Study – 13 year old female
Referred to Lakeview because of aggressive and violent
behaviors in the home & for additional testing to assess for her
cognitive, academic, neurological and emotional functioning.
Prior diagnosis of Dandy-Walker Syndrome and has had a shunt
placed; precocious puberty, hyperinsulinemia syndrome, and
mood and learning disorders.
Functioning intellectually in the low average range
Difficulty with processing speed and discriminating details in the
environment
Academically, functioning around the 5th grade level
While no formal Learning Disorder can be diagnosed, she is
functioning approximately two grade levels behind due to her
information processing deficits.
Case Study – 13 year old female
Specific domains of memory where she very quickly and accurately
remembers rote facts, such as birthdates, variety of facts and
calculations
Memory for such things as reading comprehension and following
directions given verbally is below average
Learns best through repetition – needs more repetitions than peers
Difficulty with complexity and ambiguity and requires intense structure
to function
Escalation occurs when faced with an unstructured situation and may
have difficulty remembering what took place
Difficulty identifying own emotional states and may have some sensory
integration issues revolving around touch and temperature.
Case Study – 13 year old female
Axis I: Asperger’s Syndrome
Cognitive Disorder NOS with attention deficit
R/O Intermittent Explosive Disorder (by history)
Parent-Child relational problems
Axis II: Deferred
Axis III: Dandy-Walker Syndrome, precocious puberty,
hyperinsulinemia syndrome
Axis IV: adjusting to a residential facility, separation
from parents, parent and sibling discord, divorce,
poor peer relationships
Axis V:
GAF= 50
Case Study – 13 year old female
Needs:
Intense structure, routines, and a strong support system
Daily routine with Choices and Clear Expectations
Pre-Teaching of Changes to Expectations or Schedule
Review of Rules, Use of Social Stories to establish Rules
Clear concrete reinforcers & consequences across
settings
Establish daily routines for self care to establish
consistency and compliance
Provide Visual Cues: reminder for chores, schedules
and a visual set of directions given to her in the
classroom as well as the verbal instructions.
Teach Social Skills
Example Rules / Expectations
Green Behaviors –
I will earn my dollar and extra 30 minutes of
TV before bed when I:
Yellow Behaviors –
I will not earn my dollar but will still earn 30 minutes
of extra TV
Following Directions
Talking back / arguing more than 3 times
Following my Schedule
Yelling in the house / Stomping feet
Staying safe and calm
Threat to hurt myself or others
Taking my Medications
Not following my schedule
Following the rules
Not following my diet
Doing my Chores
Not following directions
Taking care of myself
Not doing chores
Following menu choices
Not washing my hands after toileting
Sharing TV and Computer time
Not telling the truth
Telling the truth
Calling people hurtful names
No calling hurtful names
No Yellow or Red Behaviors
Example Rules / Expectations
Red Behaviors –
I will not earn my dollar or my 30
minutes of extra TV time
Level Blue = 7 days of green in a row
earns a trip to the Dollar Store
Destroying ANY property
Bed time at 9:00 if I am on Green /
Yellow
Aggression towards other
Doing a Supervised Activity
without permission
Throwing things
Hurting Animals
Hurting myself / Self injurious
Behaviors
Continuing to argue, threaten,
yell, after 2 yellows in a row
Red Restrictions = 24 hours from the
start of the Red Behaviors
Chores:
Every morning:
Make my Bed
Unload the dishwasher
When clothes are clean:
Put clothes away
Every Saturday:
Clean Bathroom
SODAS Problem Solving Sheet
Situation: What is the problem?
S
O
D
Options: What could you do that would solve the problem?
Option 1:
Option 2:
Option 3:
Option 4:
Disadvantages: What are the disadvantages (bad things about) of these options?
Option 1:
Option 2:
Option 3:
Option 4:
Advantages: What are the advantages (good things about) these options?
A
Option 1:
Option 2:
Option 3:
Solutions: What is the best solution? Which option has the least disadvantages and the most advantages?
S
Option 4:
Example Social Story
I have lost weight! This makes me feel happy
and look healthy.
When I lose weight, some of my clothes might
not fit right. When my clothes don’t fit, I need
new clothes.
New clothes that fit well make me feel better
about how I look.
They are also more comfortable!
I get new clothes from the store. I’ll go to the
store with a staff member.
Case Study – 10 year old male
Ten months post a traumatic brain injury.
Referred because of aggressive behavior in both the home and
school environment
Pre-injury diagnoses of Bipolar Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome,
and ADHD.
Severe deficits in executive functioning and memory, especially
in the areas of initiating activities and focusing on anything for
an extended period of time, even things that previously
interested him.
Perseverates on things and often needs assistance with
transitions.
Difficulty with short term memory storage and appears to have
difficulty retaining any new information, either auditory or visual.
While he appears to have retained old information that he
learned before the injury, this is severely affecting his ability to
learn any new information.
Case Study – 10 year old male
Aware he is having difficulties that he did not have prior to injury
causing increased stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.
Reports that he remembers being able to do things very well,
such as play video games, and now he is unable to do many of
the things he once enjoyed.
Experiences seizures that are variable in intensity and
frequency and often appear to happen when he is unoccupied
or transitioning between activities such as finishing breakfast
and waiting for class to start.
Records indicate that there was some abnormal brain activity on
a weekend study, but there was no pattern
Because of his high level of anxiety as well as his tendency to
not talk about it with others, he may be experiencing some
pseudo-seizures along with brain activity seizures from the TBI
Case Study – 10 year old male
Axis I: Cognitive Disorder NOS with attention, memory,
and learning difficulties
R/O Intermittent Explosive Disorder (by history)
R/O Dementia due to Head Trauma
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Axis II: No Diagnosis
Axis III: Seizure disorder (by chart report)
Traumatic brain injury
Axis IV: brain injury, difficulties in the home and school
environment, adjustment to residential treatment
setting
Axis V:
GAF: 45
Case Study – 10 year old male
Needs:
High levels of structure and support – Clear expectations / rules
Frequent cueing for daily activities, such as chores, school work,
and transitions through use of schedule and established routines
Pre-teaching upcoming events / transitions;
Small class setting / avoid crowds or over-stimulation
Engage in memory strategies to help him remember everyday
activities and events;
Use of a journal / small notebook to write down things that he
wants to remember as they happen
Use of a calendar to record upcoming events and appointments.
Frequent praise, frequent review of strengths to increase selfesteem
Group engagement and social skills training – increasing
recognition of similarities to same age peers
Case Study – 10 year old male
Morning Schedule
Afternoon Schedule
Home from School / Day Activities
Wake up
Snack
Get Dressed
Choose Independent Activity
Eat Breakfast / Take Meds
Brush Teeth
Do Chores
Supervised Activity with Mom
Go to Softball Game
Leave for school
OR
OR
Choose Independent Activity
Choose independent activity
Social Skills Task Analysis
Following Instructions
1. Look at the person
2. Nod or say “okay”.
3. Do what you’ve been asked right away.
Greeting Others
1. Look at the person.
2. Use a pleasant voice.
3. Say “Hi” or “Hello”.
Listening
1. Look at the person.
2. Stay still and quiet.
3. Think about what is being said.
4. Nod or say “okay”.
Accepting “No”
1. Look at the person.
2. Nod or say “Okay”.
3. Stay calm.
4. If you disagree, ask later.
Making a Request
1. Look at the person.
2. Use a nice voice.
3. Say please and tell what you want.
4. Say “Thank you”.
5. Or accept “No”.
Accepting Help/Consequences
1. Look at the person.
2. Nod or say “Okay”.
3. Don’t argue.
Case Study – 15 year old male
Extensive history of severe problem behavior
Multiple psychiatric hospitalizations and residential treatment
placements
Born prematurely and tested positive for cocaine and alcohol upon
delivery
Adopted at age 2
Prior Diagnoses: Mood Disorder, NOS; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder; Oppositional Defiant Disorder traits; Conduct Disorder traits;
Eating Disorder, by history; Mild Mental Retardation
Overall range of cognitive skills is significantly below average
Relative strength in verbal abilities – verbal concept formation & verbal
reasoning skills
Significant weakness in the area of working memory, deficit in retaining
information in short term memory, performing some operation or
manipulation with that information and verbalizing a result
Cognitive skills with academic performance suggest Mild MR
Case Study – 15 year old male
Visual spatial and visual recognition skills adequate to above average
Below normal limits in processing speed
Working memory functions are severely compromised impacting
attention, learning and retaining new information
Memory for verbal information somewhat impaired, visual memory well
within normal limits
Executive functioning appears intact, however shows significant
information processing deficits
Able to engage in cognitive shifting and problem solving
Abstract reasoning abilities are compromised resulting in difficulties
analyzing information and solving complex problems
Lacks inhibition – exhibits impulse control problems
Emotionally much younger than chronological age: struggles with the
ability to think abstractly, gain control, and form adaptive relationships
Case Study – 15 year old male
Axis I: Pervasive Developmental Disorder, NOS with
deficits in attention and impulsivity
Mood Disorder, NOS with mixed emotional
features
Reactive Attachment disorder
Eating Disorder, NOS (by history)
Axis II: Mild Mental Retardation
Axis III: Born prematurely and exposure to alcohol and
cocaine in utero (by report)
Axis IV: Out of home placement, separation from family,
behavioral disturbances, social deficits
Axis V: GAF = 30
Case Study – 15 year old male
Needs:
Approach in a calm and simplistic manner
Use short, concise sentences
Focus only on current issues
Frequent repetition of directives and choices with visual
aids
Provide single step directions
Provide visual aids with verbal directions
Frequent reminders of rules and expectations that are
consistent across all settings
Use redirection in a crisis reminding him of his goals and
transfer focus to something else
Provide 2-3 choices
Case Study – 15 year old male
Schedule book with pictures of him completing each
task
Routine tasks in picture order – numbered
Breaks and choice activities scheduled
Reinforcement need: activity based on an intermittent
schedule – Catch him being ‘good’
Problem solving using SOS
Very clear, simple rules – Level system
Repetition to develop crystalized memories
SOS Problem Solving Sheet
Situation: What is the problem?
S
Options: What could you do that would solve the problem?
O
Option 1:
Option 2:
Solutions: What is the best solution?
S
Option 3:
Please Contact Us with Questions
Amanda Messina, Psy.D.
Mahin Para-Cremer, M.Ed.
Director of Child & Youth Services Associate Director of Development/
Behavior Analyst
Lakeview Specialty Hospital
Lakeview Specialty Hospital
& Rehab
& Rehab
800-611-2063 x 524
800-611-2063 x 394
[email protected]
[email protected]