The Psychology Digest

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often considered a childhood disorder that diminishes in adulthood. But it can also be diagnosed in adults.

In the United States, 15.5 million adults have been diagnosed with ADHD or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. More than half who received their diagnosis in adulthood experience symptoms that include trouble paying close attention to details, sustaining attention, following instructions, forgetfulness, talking excessively and/or interrupting.

“There used to be an old saying that people who had ADHD would grow out of it,” explains clinical psychologist Patrick Moran. “I think what really happened is that they would learn compensatory coping skills so that they could do some of the downregulation with their emotions and behaviors. In essence, they just got better at managing it, so it was less obvious to the external observer.”

In simple terms, the WAIS®-5 is the best test we've ever produced in the cognitive line in so many ways. There are many updates test users are going to be excited about.

If you're an occupational or physical therapist, you probably spend a lot of your day thinking, talking, and reading about motor skills. But have you ever come across the term “Fundamental Movement Skills”? Until recently, I hadn't, but it turns out there is a whole body of literature devoted to studying and discussing this construct that is, well, fundamental to children's ability to engage in play, recreation and activities of daily life. Sounds pretty relevant to what we do, right?

There’s a lot happening over here as we develop the new WAIS-5. We wanted to share our latest updates as we get closer to releasing this new assessment. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale®, Fifth Edition (WAIS®-5 is the most advanced psychometric measure of cognitive abilities and now it can be administered in less time. And that is not all! WAIS-5 also features updated norms, expanded clinical utility, and improved user experience.

Check out the latest details on these enhancements, plus learn about five of the new subtests.

The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency™, Third Edition (BOT™-3) is one of the most-anticipated product updates of the year, and we know you’ve got questions! We sat down with the BOT-3 authors, Drs. Brett and Bob Bruininks, to talk about customer- and research-led updates to this widely used motor skills assessment, and all the new features you can expect to see when it releases later this year.

Questions answered by Lancaster University Lecturer, Dr Calum Hartley, and Lancaster University student with ASD, Mollie Lee.

Case study: Sensory Profile 2