Like Rachel, I too was not looking particularly forward to this class. I had heard talk of how difficult it was and the topic seemed a bit dry. After this weeks reading, I have more energy around this topic for several reasons. One, I am beginning to realize how valuable assessments can be to an individual and those trying to understand and work with that individual. I am all for being proactive in situations and I can see the benefit of various tests and hence intervention if needed. My youngest daughter, Emma, did not walk until she was 19 months old and you better believe I had her tested by physical therapists and physicians. I even had Early Intervention come to our house and observe her. In the end, nothing was wrong with her physically, she just had decided she was happy crawling. The Physical Therapist said that she would walk soon and probably run soon after that. She was right! Some of my friends thought I was being overly cautious with having her evaluated but I just wanted to make sure there were no underlying problems. If there had been something wrong I also wanted to know about it sooner rather than later.
This weeks reading helped me understand the importance and value of assessment. It also really underscored for me the ethical responsibility we have as counselors to interpret various test results and scores and relay the information accurately and respectfully. I must admit I am a bit overwhelmed by this responsibility. I know how important it is to gather knowledge about various assessments and how to interpret them. It goes back to having an amazing set of "tools" in your toolbox. It is so crucial to know what assessments are out there and to choose the one(s) which will be most beneficial to the student. It is also crucial to know how to administer and interpret the assessment correctly. Finally it is also critical to know what to do with the information you glean. Drummond & Jones talk about the ethical importance of the competency of the professional.(p.369) I read this chapter with awe and a bit of fear and trembling. I look forward to learning more about our responsibility as counselors and hopefully assuaging some of my apprehension!
Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment procedures for counselors and helping professionals (7th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
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