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A significant number of people held within the secure forensic hospital estate in this country suffer from neuropsychological deficits (e.g. Lowings, 2010; Williams et al., 2010). These deficits, many of them cognitive, have a detrimental impact on patient's abilities to benefit from psycho-educational materials thereby slowing the progress of their rehabilitation. Understanding these difficulties enables interventions to be more effectively targeted and facilitated to the patients’ cognitive strengths. It was against the backdrop of the evidence that a review was commissioned into neuropsychological activity at Rampton Hospital.

The review of the neuropsychological assessment activity was confined to the male patients residing within Mental Health Services (MHS) and the National High Secure Learning Disability Service (NHSLDS) of the hospital. With regards to the MHS, 129 patient files were examined in order to identify the volume of neuropsychological assessment previously undertaken and the make up of the neuropsychological test batteries administered with the current patient group. With regard to the NHSLDS 48 files were similarly examined. In addition, MHS psychologists were surveyed to assess their knowledge of patients within that service who to their knowledge had previously suffered an acquired brain injury (ABI) or had suffered a significant neurological illness likely to have resulted in cognitive impairment.

A scoping exercise identified that a significant amount of neuropsychological assessment was being undertaken, albeit in an unstructured way. This led to a number of patients being subjected to a significant delay before the need for neuropsychological testing and rehabilitation possibilities became apparent. There was a huge variance on when a patient was tested ranging from one month to 14 years and the size of the test battery used, with the number of tests conducted per patient ranging between one single test to 16 tests during a patients stay at the hospital.

Opportunities to more appropriately place patients based upon their abilities could be achieved if the hospital were to adopt a policy of conducting neuropsychological assessments, including cognitive functioning, for all patients upon admission to the hospital. A proportion of patients were known to have had a ABI or a significant illness likely to have resulted in cognitive impairment. This was considered to be an underrepresentation and the taking of a thorough history specifically covering ABI and specific illnesses known to have an impact on cognitive ability and behaviour was also recommended.

In light of this review, services are to take a more systematic approach to assessing neuropsychological difficulties. Consideration is being given to neuropsychological screening becoming part of the admission process.

Many people within secure forensic settings are expected to take part in psycho‐educational programmes as part of their treatment and rehabilitation. Many are hampered in their progress due to cognitive difficulties. This paper aims to outline the scale of the problem and to offer potential solutions.

The numbers of people who are placed in secure settings with known neuropsychological difficulties and the range of their cognitive problems are explored. It is proposed that individual education plans based on neuropsychological profiles together with guidance on the preparation and delivery of educational materials could improve the efficacy of psycho‐educational programmes.

Many people within the secure forensic estate have neuropsychological deficits. Many have suffered traumatic or other acquired brain injury or have deficits associated with substance misuse or even childhood emotional trauma. Others have cognitive difficulties specific to their mental health and occasionally their prescribed medication. A significant number will have intellectual disability (IQ<70) or be within the borderline range (IQ between 70 and 79).

Understanding neuropsychological difficulties would mean that best use is made of the psycho‐educational materials presented, thus speeding up and improving the efficacy of the rehabilitation process and potentially reducing the risk that the person poses to themselves and others. There are resources, which offer guidance to teachers of children with neuropsychological difficulties but not for the adolescent and adult forensic population. This paper addresses this gap.

This paper aims to summarise key models of the neuropsychology of memory function, illustrating how they can be used to inform the assessment and formulation of memory disorders in clinical practice.

Models of short term and working memory, long-term memory and prospective memory are described. Commonly used tools and methods to assess these functions in adults are summarised.

It is argued that a clearer understanding of models of memory function adds value to the process of cognitive assessment, guiding the selection of appropriate tests and aiding diagnosis, formulation and rehabilitation planning.

This paper is intended to serve as a resource for professionals who encounter memory disorders in their clinical practice.

In psychological testing, the term ‘ecological validity’ (EV) refers to the degree to which a test assesses (or estimates) via a proxy task a person's ability to do a ‘real‐life’ task. While EV has been a critical evaluative component of some areas of psychological testing, it has not featured to date as important in the area of risk assessment. If the goal of risk assessment is to enhance risk management, then this is a critical oversight. It would appear that all forms of risk assessment measures are lacking EV. EV is important because risk management occurs in the community. The ARMIDILO is mentioned as an instrument that has attempted to include environmental variables to enhance EV and thus facilitate the risk manageability of ID sex offenders. It is proposed that the EV of other risk measures could be enhanced by the inclusion of similar environmental variables.

This paper aims to provide a discussion and summary of a clinician survey exploring the experiences of suspected feigned autism.

This study is an online survey targeting a range of autism professionals, with varying levels of experience, working in different clinical settings.

Approximately half of the professionals who completed the survey reported experiencing situations of suspected feigning of adult autism across a range of clinical contexts and with various motivations. In terms of best indications of potential feigning, most clinicians reported “textbook” self-descriptions of problem behaviours with vague examples, as well as inconsistent presenting problems and mismatch with any known developmental history. Approximately half of clinicians expressed the view that autism was more difficult to feign than a psychiatric disorder and had experienced situations involving differences in professional opinion as to an individual autism diagnosis.

The survey is limited by a potential sample bias and no information regarding the clinical characteristics of those suspected to have feigned autism. However, these initial findings offer further questions for future research to pursue.

As an initial examination of practicing clinicians’ experiences of suspected feigned autism, the survey highlights the complexities of an autism diagnosis and suggests feigning is a potential clinical scenario. Some guidance as to when to suspect possible feigned autism is also offered, as well as a provisional assessment protocol.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the issue of types of assessment offered by services for people with learning disabilities from the research study “A Comparison of Dementia Assessment Services for People with Intellectual Disabilities”.

The commentary is based on a review of the associated literature.

Assessment for possible dementia is a complex activity. The gold standard is to ensure that the assessment process is comprehensive including both direct assessments with the person and gathering information from key informants. The issues in not adopting this methodology are considered, as are issues in what services and assessments are called.

The commentary considers the studies presented from a practitioner perspective.

In accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, this paper aims to explore the steps taken to maximise an individual's ability to make decisions in regards to making a Will.

Concepts relating to testamentary capacity are discussed and assessed thematically.

The case work illustrates how a systematic, structured, evidence‐based and individually focused approach to assessing and optimising capacity (under the terms of the Mental Capacity Act 2005) can be effective.

The paper sets out a framework for maximising capacity for decision making.

A variety of brain pathologies can result in difficulties performing complex behavioural sequences. Assistive technology for cognition (ATC) attempts support of complex sequences with the aim of reducing disability. Traditional ATCs are cognitively demanding to use and thus have had poor uptake. A more intuitive interface may allow ATCs to reach their potential. Insights from psychological science may be useful to technologists in this area. We propose that an auditory‐verbal interface is more intuitive than a visual interface and reduces cognitive demands on users. Two experiments demonstrate a novel ATC, the General User Interface for Disorders of Execution (GUIDE). GUIDE is novel because it simulates normal conversational prompting to support task performance. GUIDE provides verbal prompts and questions and voice recognition allows the user to interact with the GUIDE. Research with non‐cognitively impaired participants and a single participant experiment involving a person with vascular dementia provide support for using interactive auditory‐verbal interfaces. Suggestions for the future development of auditory‐verbal interfaces are discussed.

In this paper, we explore the role that psychology can play in enhancing dual diagnosis provision in substance misuse wards. In order to understand what can be achieved, we will review: the nature of the client group presenting to substance misuse wards; the role and function of such wards; the role of clinical psychology within these wards; and specific issues relating to inpatient substance misuse treatment. We conclude by identifying some key elements that we believe can enhance effective dual diagnosis working within inpatient substance misuse services.

The purpose of this paper is to present an annotated bibliography of books and journal titles to assist researchers, clinicians, educators and parents in need of information on child and adolescent psychopathology.

Resources that include a wide range child and adolescent mental disorders were selected. Criteria for book selection was based on those that include evidence-based therapies. Journal titles were selected based on impact factor according to Journal Citation Reports.

The scholarship on child and adolescent psychopathology is immense. After a review of the literature, 15 books and eight journal titles that reflect the diverse nature of child and adolescent mental health disorders are included.

This is an original bibliography that will be helpful to librarians assisting patrons with information needs about child and adolescent mental health disorders.