The ultimate purpose of an evaluation is to accurately determine one's assets and needs, allowing for informed recommendations and effective intervention. In addition to specialized interviewing by trained professionals, formal assessment (in the form of testing) provides additional information about an individual's functioning and allows comparison to others his or her age. Many programs require this degree of evaluation prior to admission as it helps to determine the appropriateness of a student for a particular program (and thus the program's ability to be effective). Formal evaluation often occurs at home, but can occur in the context of an initial placement in a therapeutic wilderness program or acute psychiatric setting. At home, a young person's lack of cooperation, or their use of substances, may prevent an accurate assessment of their assets and needs.
A thorough evaluation by an experienced professional uses research supported techniques, and integrates information from multiple sources, providing a thorough and useful understanding of an individual's assets and needs. The following factors are routinely considered in a psychological evaluation:
- Intellectual/Cognitive functioning
- Learning styles and achievement (depending on presenting issues)
- Personality functioning
- Emotional issues
- Behavioral Issues
- Substance abuse
- Neuropsychological issues (depending on presenting issues)
- Personal strengths and resources
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