How am I confusing administration with interpretation? I said:
"You're telling me it takes a PhD to interpret a standardized IQ assessment that has explicit instructions for exactly what to say, when to say it, and how to grade it?"
I can't imagine it would take more than two semesters to cover testing, and anything further could be specialization, which could be covered via CEUs. It's not as if you're asking people to create their own standardized test, which I agree would be best done in a PhD program. But interpreting the results of these tests isn't rocket science, I'm quite sure. Neuropsychiatric testing for traumatic brain injury is a bit more tricky, but that is a different specialty altogether. Since you mention IQ testing and testing for ADHD, please tell me what makes these tests so exceptionally difficult to interpret that it takes someone eight years of schooling to do so?
ADD was a classification when I was a kid, so it did "exist" at one point. Regardless, I assert that the DSM classification of "ADHD" shouldn't exist. It simply describes a cluster of nebulous symptoms that allows psychologists and psychiatrists to box someone into a category so that they may treat them with stimulant medication. Yet I know someone who was prescribed Adderall for "inattentive-type ADHD," yet his inattentiveness (without any hyperactivity, I might add) was due to unaccounted for cerebral anoxia during childbirth which led to brain damage. When he took Adderall, he immediately suffered from panic attacks and heart palpitations. So the psychiatrist told him to take Xanax in combination! So basically, uppers and downers!!
I would love to know how what I said came across as misinformed? Does your doctorate-level ADHD assessment include neurological screening for reflexes, manual muscle testing, and cranial nerve testing? Does it screen for underlying physiological issues, such as zinc deficiency or celiac sprue? Does it look at magnesium or B vitamin deficiency? Does it look at omega 3 fatty acid intake? Search through Pubmed for any of the above topics combined with ADHD, and you will come across many references to what I'm discussing.
While you accuse me of being misinformed on the topic, you might want to look at Jay Gunkleman's EEG phenotypes as a more valid form of testing that provides far greater inter-rater reliability than the types of standardized tests you are no doubt taught to administer and interpret. In fact, if I were you, I would transfer to the University of Texas for your PsyD, where you will receive a much more clinically relevant degree, specializing in biofeedback and neurofeedback.
The American Academy of Pediatrics ranked the evidence to support EEG biofeedback as Level 1 for the treatment of ADHD—exactly the same rating as stimulant medication. Yet psychologists are still referring their clients to be seen by psychiatrists to prescribe incredibly powerful drugs to children under the age of 10. This will be seen as dark-ages medication in the near future.
I look forward to hearing your response about how misinformed this post is.