Douglas Watson, Ph.D.

1
Guidelines for the Psychological Vocational
Assessment of Persons who are Deaf

• Douglas Watson, Ph.D.
• Presentation at
• Region VII Conference on
• Issues in Deafness Deaf Blindness
• University of Missouri RCEP
• Kansas City, Mo
• September 2006

2
Role of the Deafness Rehabilitation Specialist in
Evaluation

• Vocational evaluation of deaf persons usually
  involves two primary classes of professionals
• Providers of evaluation services-
• Psychologists and evaluators
• Purchasers or consumers of evaluation services-
• Rehabilitation personnel with deaf caseloads

3
Evaluation Objectives and Process

• Vocational Evaluation is the
• Process of observing behaviors and interpreting
  them against some criterion
• Process of assessing what an individual does and
  how well she or he does it against some
  criterion
• Process of obtaining and utilizing information
  pertinent to an individual to assist the person
  in arriving at a vocation objective.

4
Model for the Vocational Evaluation of Deaf
Persons

• The rehabilitation evaluation workshop
• Effective communication achieved between
  evaluator and person being assessed
• Knowledge, Skills Abilities in field of
  deafness on part of evaluation personnel
• Personal, Social, Vocational Adjustment
  services are integral part of evaluation process

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Recommended Model for Evaluation of Deaf Persons
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Evaluation of Biographical Characteristics
History

• Personal Data
• Medical Information
• Opthalmological and Optometric
• Audiological and Otological
• Education Information
• Communication Skills
• Client Family and Home Community

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The Evaluation Interview

• Important first impressions are formed
• Establishment of rapport and communication
• Explanation of program and what to expect
• Follow up to ascertain referral information/goals
• Opportunity to assess communication skills,
  mental status, interpersonal skills,
  self-concept, goals and aspirations to set stage
  for assessment
• Prepares and furnishes preliminary data to team

8
Psychometric Assessment

• Evaluation practices with adult deaf persons
  depend primarily on tests procedures which
  minimize verbal instruction content
• Need to consider guidelines examiner can use to
  guide their work with deaf persons
• Valid assessment requires meaningful
  communication between examiner and evaluee
• Communication skills assessment is a prerequisite
  first step in testing any person

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Nine Communications Modalities for Assessment in
Deaf Persons
Receptive
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Nine Communications Modalities for Assessment in
Deaf Persons - 2
Receptive
11
Nine Communications Modalities for Assessment in
Deaf Persons - 3
Receptive
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Nine Communications Modalities for Assessment in
Deaf Persons - 4
Expressive
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Nine Communications Modalities for Assessment in
Deaf Persons - 5
Expressive
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Nine Communications Modalities for Assessment in
Deaf Persons - 6
Expressive
15
Clinical Tests for Cognitive Dysfunction and
Learning Disabilities
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Clinical Tests for Cognitive Dysfunction and
Learning Disabilities - 2
17
Clinical Tests for Cognitive Dysfunction and
Learning Disabilities - 3
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Selected Personality-Projective Tests
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Selected Personality-Projective Tests 2
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Selected Personality-Projective Tests 3
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Selected Personality Inventories
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Selected Personality Inventories - 2

• 16PF Personal-Career Development Profile
• Computer-generated report of 16PF response
  patterns
• Style for coping with personal work
  environments
• Sources of major gratifications satisfaction in
  life
• Work settings structure preferences
• Leadership preferences and styles
• Problem-solving abilities patterns
• Patterns of coping w/stress conditions
  experiences
• Preferred way coping w/conflict opposition of
  others
• Patterns of interaction with people
• Patterns of career, occupational vocational
  interests

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Selected Personality Inventories - 3
24
Selected Personality Inventories - 4
25
Selected Intelligence Tests used with Deaf
Children
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Selected Intelligence Tests used with Deaf
Children - 2
27
Selected Intelligence Tests used with Deaf
Children - 3
28
Selected Intelligence Tests used with Deaf
Children - 4
29
Selected Intelligence Tests used with Deaf
Children - 5
30
Selected Intelligence Tests used with Deaf Adults
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Selected Intelligence Tests used with Deaf Adults
- 2
32
Selected Intelligence Tests used with Deaf Adults
- 3
33
Selected Intelligence Tests used with Deaf Adults
- 4
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Selected Vocational Interest Tests used with Deaf
Persons
35
Selected Vocational Interest Tests used with Deaf
Persons - 2
36
Selected Vocational Interest Tests used with Deaf
Persons - 3
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Selected Dexterity Tests used in Vocational
Evaluation of Deaf Persons
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Selected Dexterity Tests used in Vocational
Evaluation of Deaf Persons - 2
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Selected Dexterity Tests used in Vocational
Evaluation of Deaf Persons - 3
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Selected Aptitude Tests used in Vocational
Evaluation of Deaf Persons
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Selected Aptitude Tests used in Vocational
Evaluation of Deaf Persons - 2
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Selected Aptitude Tests Vocational Evaluation of
Deaf Persons - 3
43
Selected Aptitude Tests used in Vocational
Evaluation of Deaf Persons - 4
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Analysis of Selected Work Sample Systems
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Analysis of Selected Work Sample Systems
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Dynamic Assessments-Ecological

• Evaluations performed in environment where person
  lives, works, and/or attends school
• Collects information from case folders,
  perceptions of significant others, and
  observations over time of person engaged in their
  normal daily routines
• Person is informed active participant in
  evaluation process and is provided a summary
  report at completion of the evaluation

47
Dynamic Assessments-Situational

• Performed on site rather than in clinical setting
• Conducted in particular location class or work
• Observations over time, utilizing actual jobs in
  work activity centers to determine physical
  tolerance, frustration tolerance work behaviors
• Assesses productivity, response to supervision,
  co-workers, peer relationships workaday
  knowledge, skills abilities

48
Creative uses of Dynamic Assessments

• The Rehabilitation Workshop
• Work Activity Center Work Assignments
• Performance in Career Exploration and Job Club
  Activities
• Vocational Training Classes/Work Stations
• On-the-Job Evaluations
• Supported Employment Trial Situations
• Long-term follow-along

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Recommendations to Evaluators

• Development of Evaluation Tools
• Available tests and tools need to be modified,
  standardized, normed validated for deaf persons
• If existing tests dont meet need, develop new
  tools
• A Total Adjustment Environment
• Appropriate evaluations are best done in context
  of total adjustment process which promotes
  improved client adjustment simultaneously with
  assessment of potential.

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Recommendations to Evaluators - 2

• Social and Work Adjustment Guidelines
• Need for guidelines on procedures, techniques,
  and tools which are effective for use in social
  and work adjustment training with deaf persons
• Information Sharing and Dissemination
• Need more effective system for sharing and
  dissemination of information between personnel in
  vocational evaluation and deafness respectively

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Recommendations to Evaluators - 3

• Training in the Vocational Evaluation of Deaf
  Persons, particularly LFD individuals
• Field need in-service and pre-service training
  programs that combine expertise in vocational
  evaluation with expertise in deafness
  rehabilitation
• Establish Viable Evaluation Centers in Each State
• Few states currently have appropriate evaluation
  programs for deaf persons leading to long
  waiting periods or a large number of deaf persons
  not receiving needed services in a timely way

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Recommendations to Evaluators - 4

• Knowledge of Deafness and Manual Communication
  Skills
• Evaluation of deaf person requires that
  evaluators not only be skilled in ASL, but also
  have extensive training, experience and knowledge
  in direct service with deaf persons
• Evaluation of LFD or At-risk Deaf Persons
• Many LFD present issues of such severity that may
  need an 18-month extended evaluation program in
  rehabilitation evaluation and adjustment workshop
  as setting of choice

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Contact Us
Douglas Watson dwatson_at_uark.edu Research
Training Center For Persons Who are Deaf or Hard
of Hearing 26 Corporate Hill Drive Little Rock,
AR 72205 Fax [phone] Telephone
[phone] RT-31 Web site http//www.uark.ed
u/deafrtc