Thanks much for all the great replies. I'd like to address a lot of the comments and, if I may, keep some dialogue going.
You have to make a call on what you are going to do with that... sounds like you're experiencing that right now. One option is not to work with this group, another is to talk to others (as you're doing here) about their tricks for handling this, and finally there are those who you work with who no doubt experienced at least some of these feelings.
Mark
This summarizes my general take on the situation. I have had difficulty learning all the evaluations with this population, but some (parent interviews) have been much easier. I've magnified my difficulty with this particular one, but it no doubt gives me major reservations about entering field.
Hopefully talking it out will help; hard to decide, with limited experience, if I might enjoy working with other pops.
Is it the games themselves that you are struggling with, or is it performing them in front of others?
That particular combination: performing these specific tasks in front of others (the parent, a psychologist, and one other examiner. All in same, tiny room; others are watching thru a two-way mirror). Often first-time evaluations, which are most difficult for me - don't want to botch up a 5-yr old's cognitive assessment or ASD eval.
MOD NOTE: tomfooleries, let me know if you want the title to say something different. -t4c
As for being a male and working with children doing semi-structured work....you just need to relax. Children are actually much more forgiving than adults, and they often are quite empathetic if they sense distress. One of the best pieces advice I was given by a supervisor was to focus on the child and ignore my thoughts for the first minute or two. Get re-adjusted to the situation, "tune in", and then you'll both be in a better place to start.
I actually incorporated a Mr. Rogers-like routine into the beginning of my sessions with children. I'd have them get comfortable on the ground with some kind of activity, and I'd take my shoes off, put my notepad off to the side, etc. I'd take out an activity and play with it next to the child, and eventually engage the child. After a couple weeks of this, all of the children I worked with would naturally grab something from the shell, get situated, and then once I started to play they'd start talking.
Thanks much for changing the title - and for the poster that recommended it. It seems to have helped garner a lot of helpful replies.
I find it much more difficult to perform in front of others. Being taped isn't so bad, though I have not had to review them with a supervisor as much as grad students do. I am more comfortable with that, though, and can already see how helpful you describe it to be.
You've given some really great advice. I can't tell you how many times I've been told, "you just need to relax!" Sounds like your supervisor was empathetic and equipped to share advice. I think finding a routine for myself would be important too. Since posting, I have sought to learn this evaluation in another context (not first-time evals, not on tape, with a "safer" psychologist I've learned from successfully in the past).
Finding your own groove with kids though, as I understand, seems like the most important. And that can only come with time, right? Learning to "tune in" to the child (or adult, couple, group, etc., I'll bet) without so much concern as to how you're doing. Mark's earlier comment to "leave your own stuff out of work" was a good dose of reality; from all these replies to far, I feel like everyone experiences discomfort (maybe males more in some situations), but I'm just not learning to adjust to it very well.
So anyway I never tried to become an evaluator there and was just a researcher (which I enjoyed). I have since worked with typically developing children and enjoyed it. Like therapist said they are pretty forgiving. But I think with autistic children you often need to show extremely exagerated emotions and social cues to get much of a response which some people are just better at then others.
Thanks for sharing, very encouraging.
I do something similar for assessments in my lab, and my advice would be to play up your enthusiasm. Chances are that if you're engaged, the kid will be more engaged, and someone coding the tape will think it's cute and/or funny that you're so enthusiastic. Ham it up. Pretend it's a joke if you have to. But don't lose your enthusiasm.
Man, this is my only hope. I've pulled it off with parent interviews and, particularly assessments with school-aged kids, but this is soooo hard with younger ones. I feel like everyone is looking at me and thinking "Watch this kid chase my kid around the room like a fool; this is who I'm relying on to get an accurate assessment of my child?"
As for the singing example....another good opportunity for some exposure training. Sing in your shower, sing in your car, sing to a roommate/spouse/etc. Make it fun.
I get it, I get it. I need another male around to relate.
Yes, I can relate.
To add to what others have said, try to find your own voice and style for appropriately administering the measures. I know it doesn't feel natural, but there is probably a mindset you can put yourself into that you can find within yourself to make it more natural and enjoyable for you. It almost reminds me of working in retail where you are required to appear friendly and pleasant even when you feel like kicking the customer in the teeth. If you "act" it almost isn't ever going to be as effective as if you find a way to put yourself in a certain state or frame of mind that makes you able to meet the demands of the job, but also has a degree of authenticity to it. I try to remind myself that there is something that this situation can teach me, and that many men are too insecure with themselves to do something like this. I also try to put myself in a mindset that I am not going to take myself too seriously and I am going to try to find some way of laughing at myself or the situation.
Awesome, thanks for that. This is what I'm really struggling with. I have always had a strong interest in all medicine has to offer, too. I waver today between applying to post-bacs this year, or finishing what I started (4 years ago) and apply to clinical psych programs. I am afraid my trouble with this evaluation (I know, such a small deal in the larger scheme of things... but true to me and my limited experience) might distort my perception as to which route would best tap into my skill set, what I want out of my career, and why. Maybe I'm just putting too much thought into this.
Sorry for such a long-winded reply. But I really appreciate all of the thoughtful replies. It seems that no one that has passed by this thread has felt the discomfort of any particular evaluation to be cause to abandon clinical psych. That's so reassuring; I wonder if it might not serve me best to just "get through" this experience so that I can make a decision about my future more rationally.
/narcissism
When I was doing ADHD research, I absolutely hated having to spend time worrying about whether the activities were "fun", and trying to turn research into a game just to get the data we need. Nothing but respect for people who can do it but blech....incredibly boring to me.
