Download Forensic Neuropsychological Evaluation of the Violent by Charles J. Golden, Lisa Lashley PDF

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Another problem which is more difficult to solve and understand is the individual with actual dysfunction but normal test results. This arises for multiple reasons. First, there is the very intelligent person whose strengths in intellectual areas outweighs their deficits in executive skills. For example, many executive function tests which measure flexibility require an individual to generate a series of strategies until they get the right one. If an individual easily sees or knows the strategy from the start, the test no longer measures executive skills.

Behaviorally, there may be even greater delays as these skills have to be learned through practice, feedback, and consequences—emotional maturity, common sense, insight, flexibility, planning, self-evaluation, and organization are not automatic without being shaped by environment. Executive Functioning 43 As a consequence, some individuals with behaviors reminiscent of frontal disorders may have normal brains but never taught how to behave cognitively or morally. Many major criminals have perfectly good and intact frontal lobes.

An interesting aspect of gathering history—as well as all other aspects of the exam—is how far should you go and how much time should be spent. While some of this is practical as noted above, some depends on the nature of the adversaries involved, something very different from most clinical work. If the other side is lackadaisical in getting information, less preparation is necessary as one will not be challenged. Thus, in one case, the prosecuting attorney spent little time preparing any rebuttal because he felt that the horrific nature of the multiple murders would overwhelm any mitigating evidence (he was right).