Professional Concerns When Deciding When

Professional Concerns

When deciding when and if to use assessment, what are some of the issues involved and how might you go about solving any concerns that you might have about these issues?

The first question the therapist must consider is the type of setting where he or she is administering the test. The therapist must consider all of the potentially competing interests that could affect his or her perception of the child. For example, a teacher might trying to deal with a problem student, and request a test to 'prove' the child's inability to function in a normal classroom. One parent might be trying to prove why Johnny can't read; another parent might be frustrated with a child's inability to achieve a certain level of performance in school (Groth-Marnat, 2003, p.37). The test must be conducted as an aid to the individual or to the system trying to deal with that individual, not to advance a third party's agenda.

Secondly, the therapist must consider the different competing philosophies surrounding the particular patient's case. For example, there may be conflict between professionals about how to treat the disorder. Psychiatrists tend to view things through a disease model, psychologists through a social model, and lawyers seeking to establish the competency or insanity of a defendant will be less interested in a holistic picture of the individual's health (Groth-Marnat, 2003, p 42). These influences may result in pressure to assess the individual with a particular bias to finding biological or social problems, or to stress legal rather than professional definitions when assessing the results.

Assessment is not confined to measures of IQ, of course, or sanity. Neurological issues can affect a patient's functioning, in the case of brain damage or dementia. Regardless, assessment must take place in a clearly-defined relationship, to avoid even the appearance of bias, as the test subject's future or freedom may be at stake (Groth-Marnat, 2003, p 50). The assessor must also conduct a rigorous self-inventory of his or her own personal biases, before conducting any test, but particularly the most subjective types of tests, such as personality and IQ. The assessment must be conducted in a way to ensure the privacy of the subject, and the results must only be disclosed in a legally and ethically appropriate manner, according to the policy of the institution requesting the test, whether a school or the judicial system. The assessment must be conducted for legitimate purposes, not used as a punitive tool against a student, or in a blatantly false manner by either a prosecuting or defense attorney. The subject of the assessment must be made aware of why it is being done, to the extent that he or she is capable of understanding, even if the subject is incapacitated, elderly, or very young.