Posted: March 24th, 2013
Assessment Tools in Counselling
You are required to undertake an assessment with an imaginary client – you will keep the same client for both assessment tasks part 1 and 2. In Assessment Task part 1, you are required to select and critique an appropriate assessment tool for your client and their presenting concern. In Assessment Task part 2, you are required to administer, score & interpret the results of your assessment in a report. Your client may be of any age with any ‘problem’. Areas for assessment must one of the following:
– Anxiety – Depression
– Pain & pain behaviours – Career interests
Assessment TaskPart 1 – Select and critique assessment tool
Length – 8 pages APA format
For your imaginary client, you need to identify one issue to assess. You then need to research and
identify an appropriate tool/measure. This tool/measure needs to be one that you are able to access and use. You are then required to write a report which includes the following information:
Background to client;
Presenting concerns, reason for referral and area for assessment (you may want to identify other
areas you would also assess, but just focus on 1 area for this assignment);
Description of assessment tool and rationale for selection;
Psychometric properties of the tool – reliability, validity, normative sample. (It is important here to
not just rely on the information provided by the test developer – you will need to look broader to
develop a critique of the tool.);
* You also need to provide a copy of the assessment tool as an appendix to your report
Assessment Task Part 2 – Conduct, score, interpret and write-up an assessment
Length – 8 pages APA format
This task follows on from Assessment Task Part 1. You need to now assume that you have conducted the assessment you earlier identified, and provide a report on the findings of your assessment. Note – this assignment does not require external references, however, you may include them if desired. Your report needs to include the following:
assessment tool;
Information on how the assessment was conducted e.g. where, when, behavioural observations,
other comments;
Test score results (reported in the format provided by your tool, e.g. t-values, standard scores etc);
Interpretation & discussion (including limitations of testing);
Summary &/or recommendations.