Neuropsychological tests are used to evaluate and diagnose brain disorders, such as head injuries, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease (Gregory, 1999). The purposes of neuropsychological evaluations include determining whether the problem is physiological (e.g., brain damage or injury), the nature of the dysfunction (e.g., location or type), and cognitive deficits caused by the problem (Class Note VIII). For example, following a brain injury, a series of neurological tests may be administered to evaluate the individual and see if there has been any change in cognitive functioning. The results of neurological evaluations can provide information about the individual's current mental abilities, which allows for the development of a specific diagnosis and an individualized treatment plan (Gregory, 1999). Additionally, these tests help document the effects of a progressive disease (e.g. Alzheimer's) or can confirm the individual's recovery (Gregory, 1999). Additionally, if suspicious or referral questions about cognitive functioning are presented, screening tests are often ordered to assess whether or not a neurological test battery or flexible battery is needed. These screening tests are shorter versions that are easier to administer and interpret than long batteries of intensive neurological tests (Gregory, 1999). A battery of neuropsychological assessments examines areas sensitive to trauma or brain disorders, such as intelligence, memory, language, visuospatial and motor skills, and frontal lobe functioning. The WAIS is particularly useful for neuropsychological testing because it can be used to examine these same areas. The aspect of intelligence is generally measured by a standard intelligence test such as WAIS-III or WAIS-I...... middle of paper...... r-level concept formation. Additionally, reading ability on the WAIS-III can predict Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WRAT) scores. Some problems with using this approach are that reading depends on education and verbal skills, and brain damage can cause problems with reading ability (e.g., aphasias), so another test should be administered in the neuropsychological evaluation (Schoenberg et al., 2002). ). Overall, the WAIS can be a useful tool to include in a neuropsychological battery. It can help estimate a person's premorbid IQ, and certain individual subtests can provide information about the section of the brain that may be dysfunctional. However, the WAIS can also be a difficult test to use to estimate cognitive decline, because there are so many tasks involved in the WAIS tasks that it is difficult to separate what the real problem might be...