Any Do-Overs?

Study participants were asked to reflect on any regrets they may have had during their career. Specifically, they were asked to recall an action or decision that, given the opportunity, they would like to do over. They were also asked to talk about how they would change the course of events if they could. More so than any other interview question, this question about “do-overs” gave participants the greatest pause. Among the responses were empathy shortage, dropping the ball, making hiring mistakes, spending too much time at work, bringing home dirty laundry, working in a toxic environment, and being bullied by a student. The author includes a story of how he was hoodwinked by flattery.

Skills toolkit 2: An authentic narrative

This chapter is concerned with narrative, and suggests a method for infusing your own interview answers with a narrative thread that will make them more accessible and interesting for the interviewer. It considers the value of narrative, then discusses being authentic: the importance of appearing authentic to our listeners, what it actually means to be authentic, and how to aim for congruence in what we say and how we come across. The chapter discusses a narrative framework, how to reframe an abstract fact, then considers a method by way of a structured exercise to find narrative within an answer to an interview question. Finally, the chapter considers the importance of believing the story and how to inject emotion into our narrative.

Full assessment: direct observation and the signs of autism

This chapter focuses on direct observation and examination, moving consciously from the traditional interview, question, and answer format, to the observational format. Observing 1:1, with a carer present—for example, does the patient engage, both verbally and non-verbally, or is (s)he aloof, unless directly asked to join in? The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) is mentioned with an outline description. The limitations of observation, if comorbidity is present, are pointed out, indicating how comorbidity can be distinguished (and then referring on to Chapter 10). Methods used by psychopathologists in psychiatry to observe signs of autism are also refreshed.