Practice Parameters for the Psychiatric Assessment of Children and Adolescents

These practice parameters have been developed by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry as a guide for clinicians evaluating psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. The document focuses on the assessment, diagnostic, and treatment planning process, emphasizing a developmental perspective. The assessment process is intended to assist the clinician in arriving at accurate diagnoses and in appropriate treatments for all children and adolescents presenting with psychiatric disorders that impair emotional, cognitive, physical, or behavioral functioning. Details of the parent and child interviews are presented as wed as an outline of specific areas of inquiry necessary for this process. The use of standardizeezaests and rating scales is addressed. These parameters were previously published in J. Am. Acaed Child Adotesc.