Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process Practice-Based Skills, Second Edition

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Give the recording, transcript/self-critique, and summary to the instructor who
will provide feedback.
[Hint: This assignment encourages self-reflective practice regarding your clinical
performance. The goal is not to do a perfect session. Rather the goal is to assess the
extent to which you can accurately assess your psychosocial counseling skills. You
will gain more from this exercise if you refrain from scripting what you plan to say
as the counselor.]

Exercise 3: Referral Sources

Develop a referral file using the categories in the Common Referral Sources list in
this chapter. Include names, numbers, addresses, types of services provided, and
fees.

Instructor Note

• This could be done as a group project.


• Students can be instructed to build a list of national resources as well as local
  ones. The national resources would be useful to them regardless of where they
  end up practicing.

Exercise 4: Case Preparation Interview Checklist

Develop an interview checklist that you could actually use in your genetic counsel-
ing sessions.

Instructor Note

• This can be done as an in-class activity, where small groups develop a list for
  different case scenarios such as newborn with achondroplasia, adult whose
  mother has a recent diagnosis of early-onset familial Alzheimer disease
  (PSEN1 gene mutation), or other known genetic condition in the family. Allow
  students to select a topic of interest based on their clinical experience or
  observations.

Exercise 5: Patient Goals

For each patient scenario below, write possible patient genetic counseling goals:

• A couple is referred for genetic counseling to discuss consanguinity (first cousin
  union). They are from Italy. They have not told their families about their relation-
  ship. They are in their early 20s.


• The patients are a young Hispanic couple who have brought their 2-year-old son
  to see the medical geneticist because of developmental delay. They are uncertain
  as to why they need to see the medical geneticist but are doing what their pedia-
  trician recommended.

6.8 Written Exercises