Registrant: Dr. Barry Stein (Registration No. 582)
Date: July 15, 2022
Status: In Effect
Nature of Action: The Registrant voluntarily agreed to undertakings under section 36(1)(d) of the Health Professions Act placing restrictions on his practice of psychology. In particular, the Registrant agreed not to conduct any assessments for autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability. He also agreed that if in the course of conducting another type of assessment issues related to these diagnoses are present, or may be present, he will complete the assessment under supervision or refer the client to another qualified professional. In addition, if he receives a query related to a past assessment for autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability, he will respond under the direction of a supervisor.
Reasons: The College received a complaint from another registrant related to the Registrant’s assessments for autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. The Complainant expressed concern about the quality of the Registrant’s assessments and the accuracy of his diagnoses. In particular, the Complainant stated that the Registrant did not appear to be complying with current standards for assessing autism spectrum disorder, and that the Registrant’s diagnosis of an intellectual disability was inconsistent with the test scores and did not provide a sufficient rationale for making this diagnosis.
Upon receipt of the complaint, the Registrant agreed to immediately put his practice under supervision and he referred current and future scheduled assessments to other service providers. He also stated that he provided refunds to clients whose reports were not accepted and sent letters to affected clients, or their parents as appropriate, to notify them that he was not up to date with current diagnostic practices and that if they have concerns about the validity of the assessment he conducted or the diagnosis he provided, they may wish to seek another assessment with a currently qualified specialist.
In his response to the complaint, the Registrant explained that he had previously worked in this area but did not stay up to date on current provincial standards for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in British Columbia. He also acknowledged that in his report related to his diagnosis of an intellectual disability, he should have provided greater clarification that he relied heavily on collateral information from a social worker who knew the child well.