Short course
11.2
Children and adolescents
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Assessment components
Family interview
Define the problem(s), developmental and family history
(genogram), parental mental and physical health, family
interactions.
Interview with the child
Mental state: Do they have a problem? School
experiences, friendship, play and teasing. Worries, fears, mood
(including tears and suicidal ideas), expression of anger, sleep and
appetite, habits and obsessions.
If indicated, enquire about
sexual/physical abuse, auditory hallucinations and delusional
ideas.
Supplement the interview by play and drawing (ask the child to draw a
person/family/dream).
Physical examination: including assessment of
handedness, motor coordination or clumsiness
Structured questionnaire rating scales
Parent and teacher checklists (eg, Child Behaviour
Checklist4 for children of normal
intelligence and the Developmental Behaviour Checklist5 for children
with intellectual disability) provide an overall
psychopathology score and problem domain subscale scores.
Other investigations
Psychological tests (eg, IQ profile) -- if there are learning problems, delayed or uneven development,
cognitive or perceptual disturbances.
Laboratory tests (e.g., chromosome analysis) -- if there may be an associated biological problem, such as
fragile X syndrome or thyroid disease.
Neuroimaging and electroencephalogram -- if there may
be associated neurological disorder, such as epilepsy.
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