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Children's tests used on adult assessment?

Technophobe23

I've raised this before but so far, I still don;t know what the situation actually is.  

On my first assessment (clinical psychologist), I was give two tests that seemed to me to be designed for young children. One was a picture book, with castles and a dragon, with no words. The task was to try to tell a story as the pages went by.

The other test was a small collection of objects placed on the desk (eg: a Matchbox model car, a rubber band, a coin, some wool, a stick - that sort of thing anyway). The task was to use some/all of the objects to construct a sstory.

At my second meeting with the clin psych (CP from now on to save typing!), I asked whether they had been tests designed for children and I was told that they were not - they were designed fro adults, and the tests for children are simpler.  That's what I was told.

The CP told me that although, at out 1st meeting, I had shown some signs of AS I had also shown some quite strong negative signs. When I asked in what way, I was told that I had done "too well" in the tests.  I did say that after 55 years I have learned quite a lot in life, and that they weren't exactly difficult. But no way of knowing what imprression saying that made.

So, to get to my point / question:

Does anyone know about these tests?  Can anyone say whether they are meant for children or adults? Does anyone think (as I do) that for a CP to apparently be leaning toiwards a negative diagnosis based largely upon being too good at these tests just wouldn't be right?

Somebody must know the answer! I've been trying to find anything on Google but I'm at giving up point - not a thing I can find.  I want to know because if they are aimed at children (and they certainly seem like it to me, though I'll keep an open mind), then their validty must be questionable applied to me.

Parents

  • The aim of these tests is to see how your mind works. The simplicity is not the point. People on the spectrum find it almost impossible to understand the abstract. There is nothing more abstract than giving you a bag of sundry items and then asking you to formulate a story, When I had the test I found it impossible and yet I have a vivid imagination. It matters not what you have learned. I have an IQ of 170 and couldn't do this test. The frog book is designed for the same purpose. I found myself bogged down in the small details and saw no story at all. Yet, I read avidly as a child. I thought the concept of frogs on lily pads was absurd. I was unable to interpret the story because there was no narrative. That is the difference. I need a narrative to fully understand the story and my brain doesn't understand a bunch of pictures as a story, in the same way that I wasn't able to use random objects to make one. I think people are misunderstanding this fundamental detail. The tests may seem absurd and childish, but our brains work in the same way. They are trying to figure out which part of your brain you are using. In short, which part has been undeveloped due to trauma as a child or abuse. I Hope this helps you. I had to Google it after the assessment to see what in the Sam Hill it was all about.

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  • The aim of these tests is to see how your mind works. The simplicity is not the point. People on the spectrum find it almost impossible to understand the abstract. There is nothing more abstract than giving you a bag of sundry items and then asking you to formulate a story, When I had the test I found it impossible and yet I have a vivid imagination. It matters not what you have learned. I have an IQ of 170 and couldn't do this test. The frog book is designed for the same purpose. I found myself bogged down in the small details and saw no story at all. Yet, I read avidly as a child. I thought the concept of frogs on lily pads was absurd. I was unable to interpret the story because there was no narrative. That is the difference. I need a narrative to fully understand the story and my brain doesn't understand a bunch of pictures as a story, in the same way that I wasn't able to use random objects to make one. I think people are misunderstanding this fundamental detail. The tests may seem absurd and childish, but our brains work in the same way. They are trying to figure out which part of your brain you are using. In short, which part has been undeveloped due to trauma as a child or abuse. I Hope this helps you. I had to Google it after the assessment to see what in the Sam Hill it was all about.

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