Building a relationship

Professionals sometimes have to read traditional questionnaires to the child and many find them complicated and boring.  Dominic is short, akin to a video game and the situations depicted match the child’s experience, keeping his or her interest on the test.  Children and adolescents like computer games, which make them feel in charge.  They are used to and feel comfortable interacting with a computer. Their comments reveal that it is often themselves they speak to while answering the Dominic queries.

With parents, Dominic can also downplay certain situations.

Internalizing disorders

Even though they know the child or adolescent well, adults tend to perceive behavioral problems rather than depressive and anxiety issues. Dominic supports a more nuanced assessment of children by helping them share their inner world.  Among children with behavioral difficulties about 50% suffer from hardly noticeable or hidden internalizing disorders as well.  Clinicians are more often in agreement with the child or adolescent than with parents and teachers.

Less defense reactions

Dominic avoids direct questions: clicking on a question on the results page brings back on screen the picture the child can elaborate on.

Other clinical contributions

A few examples based on comorbidity or the opposite, i.e. a lack of expected associations highlight the clinical contributions of Dominic:

Comorbidity:

High scores for Tendencies towards Separation Anxiety associated with high scores for Tendencies towards Opposition or ADHD suggests family overprotection.
High scores for Tendencies towards ADHD associated with high score for Tendencies towards Generalized Anxiety suggest anxiety rather than ADHD.  Children referred for ADHD may be anxious instead.
High scores for Tendencies towards Generalized Anxiety associated with high score for Tendencies towards Conduct Disorders suggest a cry for help.

Lack of associations:

Children described as difficult or unpredictable, but who exhibit normal Dominic results may lack insight and be out of touch with their emotions. Such a pattern is worrisome: is the child disconnected from her/his emotions and/or the real world?
Conflicting results, for example, a child who’s very shy and talks to no one but describes himself or herself as highly aggressive, also suggest dissociation from reality.
Some younger children (ages 6-7-8) may express an inner world of unreal fantasies pervaded with content from TV programs and video games, suggesting a loss of touch with reality.
Some younger children (ages 6–7–8) report Tendencies towards Conduct problems, but few symptoms of Opposition. They share aggressive fantasies (as opposed to actual behavior) their family does not allow them to express.