Week 14

Chapter 15 "Assessment Issues with Diverse Populations" was packed with relevant information that is so crucial to us carrying out our role of School Counselors in an ethical and responsible manner. I do not have much experience in this area directly as I have never given assessments to clients that are from diverse populations but I do have some life experience that I hope will help me in this arena. I have been fortunate to live abroad and travel extensively around the world. These experiences have opened my eyes to different cultures and different ways of doing things, experiencing life, and what people value. I think that exposure to different cultures can be life changing. I know that who I am now has been greatly influenced by my experiences and interactions abroad.

I found the section on test bias quite intriguing and appreciated the list of Test-Taker Factors very helpful. I will refer to that list in the future. When I read the section about Acculturation, it made me think about my time in Germany. While Germany is similar to the United States in many ways, I experienced cultural shock to a degree and found myself quite isolated. I did not know the language well and no one in the small nursing home I worked in could speak English very well. I remember riding the bus into the city and feeling so alone yet I was surrounded by people. I could hear people talking but did not understand a word. It was a very lonely and humbling time in my life. I also recall that my sense of humor did not translate well into German. My jokes which I told in English weren't funny usually when someone translated them into English. I also rarely got jokes in German because of my limited vocabulary and the colloquialisms. Humor has always been important to me and I struggled with the knowledge that my new friends weren't really getting to know the real me. I say all this just to emphasize the point that being from a diverse population manifests itself in a myriad of ways and to many different degrees.

I have mentioned before that my 9 year old daughter has vision impairment. She does very well with glasses but there are still issues that come up all the time she and I deal with. I have insight into the world of caring for a child with a disability. It is devastating to first learn of the problem(s). I still struggle with this at times and I grieve for what she can't see. When little kids made fun of her misaligned eyes (pre-surgery) it broke my heart. Talking to her about the fact that she may not be able to drive has been tough. I think that my own personal experience with this topic will help me to understand and be more sensitive to clients with disabilites and their parents. It is a positive out of a difficult reality in my life.

I would be very interested in attending a conference or at least a workshop on this very subject. I will try to look around to see if anything is being offered locally or perhaps at PSCA conference later this year. I am sure there are also good books and other resources on this subject that would be helpful to us as future school counselors.