Introduction to Assessment 2 Flashcards
Sources for collecting assessment information Assessment Process
What are the Sources for collecting assessment information
The client
o The client is usually the primary source of information during the assessment process.
o (but … risk of denial)
Other sources of information (called collateral sources) includes:
o Personal sources: parents, spouses/partners, and others close to the individual being evaluated.
o Professional sources: teachers, physicians, mental health professionals, and other professionals.
o Information from collateral sources is valuable because it is typically more objective and reliable than information obtained directly from examinees.
Another source of assessment information comes from client records, such as school grades/attendance, previous psycho-logical or educational assessment reports, mental health treatment plans or summaries, court documents, records from social services agencies, and so on.
What are the steps in the Assessment Process?
- Identify the problem to be addressed (e.g. academic, vocational, behavioral, emotional)
- Select and implement methods for collecting data (e.g. interviews, tests, observations) and determining the sources.
- Evaluate the assessment information
- Report assessment results and make recommendations
1 Identify the problem to be addressed:
Why is this step important?
A clear sense of why an assessment is being conducted helps counselors select the methods and sources of information that will provide an adequate basis for arriving at useful conclusions and recommendations.
1 Identify the problem to be addressed:
Will the reason of the assessment and the the reason for counseling is the same? What can it be?
The reason for assessment and the reason for counseling are often the same.
o Reasons for assessment and/or counseling can stem from a variety of problems or concerns, such as academic/vocational performance, cognitive abilities, behavior problems, or emotional and social functioning
When looking for the problem to be addressed, what may help the counsellor know more information about the problem? Give example
Clients may be self-referred for assessment, or they may be referred by another source, such as a family member, teacher, judge, physician, or human resources man-ager.
Referral sources can help clarify the nature and severity of the client’s problem
Referral questions are often directly linked to the problem being addressed in assessment.
examples of referral questions that help define the client’s problem:
E.g. does this student have a learning disability and do they quality for special ed?
Does this child’s problematic behavior indicate a diagnosis of Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Does this adult have Post-traumatic Stress Disorder?
Does this parent have a mental disorder that might interfere with parenting?
What are this individual’s vocational interests?
How well can this employee be expected to perform if promoted to a management position?
2 Select and implement methods for collecting data and determining the sources.
What are some of the methods counsellors can use to collect data? And how they decide what methods they should use? Give an example
Counselors choose from among the numerous formal and informal assessment instruments and strategies
Based on the reason for referral, the context in which the assessment takes place, and the adequacy of the instruments and procedures they will use.
E.g. a counselor might use interviews to obtain background info such as family history, and work and educational background. Then they might administer tests to evaluate a person’s personality traits, as well as use observations to record the person’s behavior. Finally, they might also use information from other sources such parents and colleagues.
2 Select and implement methods for collecting data and determining the sources.
How many methods the counsellors should use?
Although there are no set guidelines for which or how many assessment instruments or strategies to use, in general, the more methods used to collect data, the more accurate and objective the information obtained.
3 Evaluate the assessment information
How counsellors evaluate assessment information ?
Involves scoring, interpreting, and integrating information obtained from all assessment methods and sources to answer the referral question.
3 Evaluate the assessment information
What counsellors need to have in order to evaluate assessment information?
To be competent in evaluating assessment information, counselors need knowledge and skills in basic statistical concepts, psychometric principles, and the procedures for interpreting assessment results.
3 Evaluate the assessment information
Why evaluating assessment information is a difficult step? And how they can solve this issue?
Evaluating assessment information is a difficult step because the counselor is often confronted with a dizzying array of information gathered during the assessment process.
They have to organize the data.
To organize this data, counselors can use the following steps
a. Document any significant findings that clearly identify problem areas.
b. Identify convergent findings across methods and sources.
c. Identify and explain discrepancies in information across methods and sources.
d. Arrive at a tentative formulation or hypothesis of the individual’s problem.
e. Determine the information to include in the assessment report.
4 Report assessment results and make recommendations
What counsellors should do in this step?
This involves
(a) describing the individual being assessed and his or her situation
(b) reporting general hypotheses about the individual:
The general hypotheses are the counselor’s descriptive or clinical impressions of the individual that are based on multiple methods and sources of assessment data.
(c) supporting those hypotheses with assessment information
When reporting these hypotheses, make sure to provide enough assessment data to support your conclusion.
(d) proposing recommendations related to the original reason for referral
Making recommendations involves identifying specific ways to resolve the presenting problem or referral question by addressing the assessment’s key findings about the individual
4 Report assessment results and make recommendations
What are the main goal of reporting assessment results and making recommendations?
Counselors recommend strategies and interventions that are designed to facilitate change and improve outcomes based on the individual and his or her assessment results
4 Report assessment results and make recommendations
What are type and number of recommendations?
Because individuals are referred for assessment for a variety of reasons, recommendations vary depending on the referral questions.
the setting in which the assessment takes place, such as a school, hospital, mental health clinic, college, or vocational training center, will influence the type and number of recommendations
E.g., in schools, referral questions have to do with students’ problems which affect their performance in class. Recommendations here focus on behavioral interventions and educational services
Draw the assessment process in a funnel
Picture on page 5
