chapter 15

            I appreciated the importance of considering culture and language in assessment validity.  I saw the importance of this clearly when I worked with refugees in Lancaster who were not familiar with the English language or with American/European culture.  I also saw this somewhat when I was a university student in a German university during college.  I was assessed by my German professors in the German language.  This was very difficult because I was less than fluent in that language, particularly when it came to scientific language needed for my genetics and biochemistry classes.  Additionally the method of testing was quite different than what I had been schooled in during my many years of education.  Both things certainly made it more difficult for me to demonstrate my acquired knowledge and proficiency.  The testing experience was often very frustrating for me as well as intimidating when I met with German professors for oral exams during my year studying abroad.  I would imagine English language learners might have some of the same feelings as they are tested here in the United States.  They might not be able to show the full extent of what they know due to language difficulties, and may appear to process more slowly.  However it would be important to distinguish whether those things are a reflection of their general ability or their language ability.  Additionally it could be very important to give extra direction and practice with the method of testing since that too, may be completely foreign to them.  By the time students are in high school, most American students are well rehearsed in standardized multiple-choice tests.  However, a student from another culture may not have had equal practice or exposure to that type of testing.  Again, in order to be sure that the results are valid and reliable, both these things must be taken into account.

            I also appreciated the section in the book that discussed acculturation.  Being culturally sensitive does not mean that we should make assumptions about those who come from other cultures.  Just as examiners should not assume there are no differences that need to be taken into account, examiners should also not assume that there are differences that need to be accounted for simply because of someone’s background.  The questions that investigate the level of acculturation would be very helpful in determining whether or not an assessment is valid for each individual. 

Reference

Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 15 Blog

I think that Chapter 15 highlights so many useful issues in dealing with assessment issues and diverse populations. This is a topic that is very near to my heart as my brother-in-law is from Columbia South America. I know he has encountered many situations where he has run into various instruments where his actual ability is not clearly seen due to issues in translation etc. Now, these issues have gotten fewer and further between as his English has become all but that of a native speaker, but even sometimes now I will hear he and my sister discussion something that translates differently in English than in Spanish and she is explaining why. 

My sister and her husband have been married for almost 6 years. I was not really aware of these types of assessment issues or really thought much about what it would be like to take a test in an unfamiliar format. The closest example I could relate to was that when my sister transitioned back from home-schooling to public school, our district made her take the finals in all of the 9^th grade classes even though she was not a student in those classes all year long. My family tried to fight this and was outraged but it did no use. Having Carlos in our family I was able to see many themes that over the years I have heard him discuss while I was reading chapter 15.  The test taker factors (for more obvious reasons) stuck out to me the most in this chapter, also the brief paragraph about acculturation. I remember during my School Psychology days we were discussing this issue in assessment during an introductory course. The professor, who is of Spanish heritage, explained that on this assessment prompt, respondents were asked to describe what was happening in the picture. In one experience of her administering this test to an ESL middle school student the young lady was unable to explain the picture. As a class we were wholly confused as the picture clearly displayed a burning house and a fire truck that had arrived for assistance.  My professor further detailed that in this young ladies country this is not how fires are put out therefore creating a gap in her ability to explain the situation. Initially the professor (while administering this) was confused as this student had a good working knowledge of English- but when the student explained afterwards she immediately understood where the confusion had taken place. 

 

As learners from different cultures there are hidden assumptions that are specific to each culture that we as natives would not even be aware of where these assumptions may lie. For example, my family took a trip to Amsterdam a number of years ago and one grocery shopping trip we spent at least 20 minutes searching for yogurt because we assumed we would find it in a container in the diary section. What we could not have realized is that in the Netherlands they do not add thickener their yogurt to make it a semi solid, it is eaten in its natural, more liquid form. We finally discovered it in paper cartons like you would find milk.  The parallel being, when administering assessments it is imperative as counselors that we be as aware as possible to the clientele that will be receiving our instruction. This way, should culture gaps become evident we can build knowledge bridges where possible to enhance their ability to be successful on our normative assessment standards.

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.

Clinical Assessments

The discussion in Chapter 13 was really timely for me this week, as I recently had a conversation with a colleague about her experiences working as a community counselor in a walk-in clinic. She interacted with a variety of clients who had serious issues such as anxiety and depression, eating disorders, and suicidal symptoms. After our conversation, I wondered how I would cope if presented with clients with these sorts of issues and was glad that I had the opportunity to learn more the tools available for assessing and then treating clients with mental disorders. Because I do not have any experience in this area, I appreciated knowing that there are structured interview questions available to determine whether a person meets the criteria for a certain disorder. Even the semi-structured interview questions are fairly specific, such as the SCID-CV Mood Disorder Module which appears in the book and ask questions about changes in general mood, weight, and interests. Unstructured interviews would be more difficult because they are counselor-directed, but they still assess some general domains, such as the presenting problem, family history, social and academic performance, medical background, and past experiences with substance abuse. Counselors are also encouraged to ask questions about the client's problems in three main areas, examining the onset/course of the problem, the severity of the issue, and the characteristics of the stressor itself (Drummond & Jones, 2010). I would really appreciate having these prompts available if I was ever in the position of having to diagnose a particular client on my own. The Mental Status Exam (MSE) is an important tool in clinical assessment, and it is one that I think that I would be fairly comfortable with as it is really descriptive, outlining specific questions in categories like appearance, attitude toward examiner, affect and mood, thought, orientation, memory, and concentration and attention. The book outlines a description of several general categories of MSEs which are fairly comprehensive in their own right, so I do wonder how long and cumbersome an actual assessment would be. In cases where a quick survey of functioning is required, the mini mental status exam may be more appropriate as it only focuses on cognitive questions and does not contain questions pertaining to mood and thought processes. It is commonly used in the evaluation of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, but I think that it could be helpful in evaluating other disorders which impact cognitive functioning (Drummond & Jones, 2010). Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping Professionals. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Clinical Assessment

Although this week's reading of Chapter 13 doesn't directly affect us as school counselors, it is an important area to consider when using referrals and working with other professionals to help a child.  Drummond and Jones (2010) did a good job laying out the purpose of clinical assessments and different instruments that may be beneficial for a majority of individuals.  For example inventories and checklists are popular ways to quickly and efficiently check for symptoms with a client.  An inventory such as the Beck Depression Inventory can provide a quick analysis of whether or not a client may be showing signs of depression and from there you can determine the severity and move forward (Drummond and Jones, 2010).  Another inventory that seemed to be a useful assessment was the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory.  This can be used to indicate those individuals who are showing a high risk for abusing substances.  An inventory like this can be a great indicator to future behaviors and areas to focus on during a session.

Another section of this chapter that I appreciated was going into detail about the DSM-IV-TR.  In undergrad I took a course on abnormal psychology in which we learned all about the DSM and how it is used to diagnose individuals.  Being a school counselor, it will be important to understand what diagnoses mean and how to read the codes given.  Drummond and Jones (2010) did a good job reviewing how the DSM is used and what information it provides.  This will also be helpful with the news of the DSM-V-TR coming out!

The last part of the chapter that I really related to was the observation portion of assessment.  It never really occurred to me what clinicians need to do in order to gather information through observation.  As a school counselor, we are lucky to have all the resources and opportunities that we do to interact with our students and gain different perspectives of their lives.  As a clinician who is observing a client, there is little variation in gaining new information.  Interviews can be done and assessment tools can be given but they are only being observed in one place, the office.  The chapter described how important it is to note different aspects of your client when they are with you during a session.  Things such as facial expressions, eyes, body, movements and clothes can tell a lot about an individual and I think even as a school counselor these could be important areas to consider.

 Knowing the process that clinicians go through in order to diagnose and work with clients gives me a new perspective on how I need to work with my students as well.  It really is important to keep so many areas in mind and to use any and every resource and opportunity you have in order to provide the correct help and interventions for a client.  In the future, I know that I will be able to work well with different professionals in the field having a basic understanding of what they do and what they can provide for a student.  The student's best interests are at heart.

Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment procedures for counselors and

helping professionals. (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Clinical Assessments

There were many clinical assessments presented in chapter thirteen.  Clinical assessment determines whether or not a person has a mental disorder and if so diagnosis’s them.  According to Kessler (2005), it is estimated that 26.2 Americans over the age of 18 suffer from a mental disorder each year.  I never realized that diagnosing these disorders have become an integral part of a counselor’s job.  I knew that we would possibly come across various assessments but not to the extent of determining whether a child has a mental disorder.  In my mind that was a school psychologists or an outside agency that would determine that type of diagnosis.  Related to a diagnosis of a child, interviews were discussed and I feel as though with any type of assessment this is a vital piece.  Through interviews you are able to gain valuable insight and information pertaining to the client.  When completing the interviews I believe that you should be asking a variety people that come in contact with the person such as teachers, school personnel, parents, etc. as well as the child themselves.   

Next, one of the instruments that stood out to me was the suicide risk assessment.  The reason being is because when working in the high school I had a handful of students that made a threat to harm them self.  Even though they took it back and stated that they didn’t mean it, I explained that they still needed to talk with someone before I sent them home.  They didn’t understand what they big deal was and I told them that if they would go home and hurt themselves I would be liable and I would never be able to live with myself.  After hearing that they began to understand the steps I took.  Drummond and Jones (2010) state that health professionals strive to find accurate ways to assess suicide risk.  When thinking I could potentially be in the position to determine whether or not a student will harm themselves scare me.  I know that in the elementary school it is less likely but it still occurs.  Last year there was a fifth grader that wanted to take her life and the necessary steps were taken to help her.  They say that there is no “one size fits all” when determining the risk so there are many signs to look out for and behaviors you must be aware of.  Some warning signs that were mentioned in the chapter were giving away prized possessions, putting personal affairs in order, and radical changes in characteristics in behavior and/or moods.  In conclusion, being knowledgeable of the many assessments and warning signs is important when working with children.  Through this class, I was able to learn information related to assessment that I was never aware of.     

Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment procedures for counselors and helping professionals. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

Assessment

The chapter on assessment in education was very interesting due to the push of various assessments being administered to look at the students’ progress.  There are many reasons why schools use assessment such as kindergarten readiness, determination of whether or not a student has mastered a skill, placement, and identifying students with special needs.  Throughout this process, there are many people involved and it is important that everyone plays a role in the students’ education.  Next, it was noted the importance of the steps that should be followed in designing an assessment program.  First and foremost, it is vital that the goals and purposes be identified.  There has to be a reason and rationale behind the assessment or it will not be taken seriously.  Then, the information that is needed needs to be identified along with the instruments that will used to gain this powerful insight.  There are a variety of tests and you want to ensure that you are giving the appropriate test in order to receive the information you are looking for.  Next, you need to ensure that all staff members are properly trained and aware of their responsibilities in this program.  Finally, one of the most important steps is that the program is continuously monitored so that you are able to determine the effectiveness.  As a school counselor, you are required to present evidence of the success that comes out of the program and should be reviewing components regularly.

            The next important section that that stood out to me was the competencies for school counselors.  It makes me wonder how counselors are held accountable for these competencies.  When reviewing the areas that a counselor should be aware of, I question how knowledgeable the counselors are in my district due to assessment being a limited role they play.  The school psychologists are the ones that administer the various assessments and discuss the results.  I feel that as teachers we analyze data all the time and determine what we need to do next.  As practicum is right around the corner, I am interested to see the difference of the classroom compared to the counselor’s world.  After taking program development as well as this class, there have been many questions that I am curious about in terms of what happens within my district and what I will have to do as a future counselor.  In conclusion, there has been more of a focus on assessment and we need to be conscious when looking at data that will be presented to us and determine what the next steps are.  It is very important that everyone plays a vital role in a child’s education and as a school counselor we can advocate for that to ensure success.

Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment procedures for counselors and helping professionals. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.