Understanding Psychological Assessments

When I wished to write about assessments, I thought it was a good idea to ask around to see what parents thought about them and whether they would proceed if their child was referred for one. While most parents did agree they would go ahead, the responses and explanations given by all of them clearly indicated one basic reason for clients to stay away from assessment sessions: nobody knew what assessments were all about.

Psychological assessments are scientific tools designed to aid in the diagnosis of a psychological disorder or ailment. Most of them are designed to suit the Indian population. The tests are mostly paper and pen, while some are in the form of questionnaires, and some of the children’s tests are similar to blocks and puzzles. The performance is scored, analyzed, and then interpreted to aid diagnosis.

While assessments surely aid in diagnosis, another important feature of assessments is to highlight the strengths of the person being assessed and also provide appropriate guidance to cope with the diagnosis with the help of the strengths discovered during the assessment. Assessments in no way LABEL. Assessments accurately indicate the diagnosis and also the path to recovery.