Reporting intellectual capacity/cognitive functioning

This chapter provides suggestions for completing comprehensive evaluations of intellectual capacity and cognitive functioning and, most importantly, how to convey findings in a manner accessible to all who may read their reports. It focuses on may be somewhat unfamiliar to some readers who work broadly with clients who offend, and emphasizes the requirement for practitioners to be cognisant of their own professional limitations. Consistent with the theme of neuropsychological screening as well as attempting to maximise the results while decreasing stress and demands upon the client, the chapter suggests that administration of the WAIS-IV be paired with a selection of shorter, more to-the-point indices. Assessing intellectual capacity, along with neuropsychological inquiry, represents the most structured aspect of the assessment. In typical assessments of clients who have offended, it is important to ask questions about the client's early life and developmental experiences leading into academic experiences and early employment opportunities.