How are clinicians assessing social deficits now?
Some clinicians don’t assess them. Most psychologists do assess social deficits now, it’s just that they’re doing it qualitatively, and somewhat subjectively. The problem for clinicians is that there are fewer tests and assessment tools available to assess social deficits objectively than to assess cognitive deficits. Furthermore, many clinicians are not aware of the few new tools that exist on the market now: Skye McDonald’s “The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT)” is one of the very few currently available commercially that’s specifically targeted to social skills. Some of the social subscales on scales developed to measure other things can be helpful too, like the Neuropsychology Behavior and Affect Profile. Clinicians need to know about these, and that’s what Valerie Stone (co-author) is trying to do with her business, Answers About Competency, by offering continuing education workshops to psychologists to let them know what’s available now. Catherine Hynes is beginning a b
