A Guide for Nonpsychologists: Children's Psychological Testing, 3d ed.

This book is a reference to understanding the meaning, limitations, circumstances, and use of certain psychological tests and covers how and when to refer a child to a psychologist. The book emphasizes that the detection of early developmental delays and mental heath problems is achievable.

The third edition considers neuropsychological testing and includes tests -- particularly those of memory and executive function -- that were not developed yet or that lacked a sufficient theoretical basis when earlier editions were published. Wodrich indicates that his book is not a "how-to" guide or a scholarly review of the literature but that it provides a helpful view and describes ways of appreciating each facet of an infant or child.

The principal value of this book to nonpsychologists is to provide measures of the patient's learning, development, and emotional state. These measurements and the accompanying statistical analysis could help physical therapists understand the child's ability to comprehend, learn, perceive, or think in a particular environment. This awareness of a child's potential could conceivably aid in planning patient care.

The text reads well and is readily understandable. Its unlabored discussions have clear and accessible meaning. Eight of the book's 10 chapters would be helpful to a small segment of physical therapists. The chapters of greatest interest would be "Diagnosing Early Developmental Delays," "Making a Referral," "Neuropsychological Assessment," and "Using and Evaluating Test Findings."

The author's approach comes from the psychosocial model, and it complements the medical model of cause-alteration-effect-treatment that physical therapists have been working with for many decades. Viewing the infant or child in his or her entirety, is mandatory.

This book lacks reference to the extensive problems of patients with orthopedic, major neurological, cardiopulmonary and infectious diseases; congenital and skin disorders; thermal injuries; and trauma. Mental retardation, autism, learning disabilities, psychosomatic symptoms, brain tumors, leukemia, "health impairment," HIV/AIDS, and issues related to children who are minorities were mentioned. The book does not discuss Gesell or most of the perceptual-motor tests necessary in health care. The author misspelled the last name of Dr A Jean Ayres in a reference to her classic work and apparently overlooked her 1989 revision that merits its a better review.

A Guide for Nonpsychologists: Children's Psychological Testing supplies an overview of specific tests of infants and children and is not directed toward physical therapists, who already possess an extensive background in evaluation, diagnosis, research methods, and statistics. The author presents information that will challenge the physical therapist assistant and physical therapy aide.

Although this information is condensed and unified, the book's presentation may be too superficial for the physical therapy discipline. Pediatric physical therapists will be compelled to use advanced texts as their primary source. This publication is directed toward and more appropriate for a lay audience interested in education and psychology.

Ms Jones provided critical care physical therapy for infants and children who were seriously, ill and disabled, from the acute stages through long-term, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, at a Los Angeles County teaching hospital.