Formulating Good (Diagnostic) Impressions: An Empirical-Clinical Approach to
Abstract
Psychological evaluations of children are often guided by “diagnostic questions” (Hass & Carriere, 2014, p. 75), yet, diagnostic approaches have been criticized as mechanical, inaccurate and stigmatizing (Brasil et al., 2015; Mash & Wolfe, 2016). Inappropriate, or misinformed, use of diagnostic classification systems may be due to insufficient training of clinicians (Morrison, 2014b), and further compromise the validity of the diagnostic process. This article addresses a potential training gap and guides clinicians along an empirical-clinical approach to formulating diagnostic impressions. Utilizing a case illustration, the article describes how integrated, contextual, and construct-based interpretation of data from a comprehensive psychological assessment of children guides four steps of the FIND evidence-based assessment and diagnostic process: Formulating a hypothesis, interpreting the data narrowing down the diagnostic possibilities and achieving a diagnostic decision.