Individualized assessment is more cumbersome, but more specific to the needs of the test taker and the environment. It can provide more detailed information. However, it can also be highly subjective, so it is not necessarily more accurate. On one hand, noting the demeanor of the test subject and his or her attitude can be helpful. For example, in autism screening the child's attitude to the test may be just as important as the test itself (Schopler 1990). However, this type of data can often be more revelatory of the assessor's perspective than the test subject. The accuracy of the test will depend upon the ability of the assessor: of course, this is also true for standardized assessment, but by definition an individualized assessment is reliant upon a personalized approach has not been as rigorously screened and normed in an objective fashion.
In individualized assessment, the child or adult's unique needs are evaluated, and less emphasis is placed upon comparison with existing norms. Another argument for individualized assessment is that it can bring to light deficits and strengths not revealed by the areas tested by widely-normed test batteries. The test subject can offer reported life events, in a manner he or she cannot in a more structured format. The test is not often broken down into subsets, and allows for a holistic perspective of the individual's abilities. In the case of autism screening, the subject may appear more or less cognitively or socially proficient to an observer than he or she might using a conventional battery. For example, demeanor and...
They might also be the only way for a school district to assess a child, if there is inadequate funding for specialists capable of doing individualized assessments. Testing entry-level workers is often only possible through standardized batteries. But for certain population groups, such as students with special needs, individualized assessment seems like the most effective and appropriate approach to creating a treatment plan. A special needs student by definition learns differently, and requires a more holistic overview of his or her strengths and weaknesses.
References
McGrew, Kevin. (2004, January 16). The Cattell-Horn- Carroll (CHC): Past, present, and future.
Institute for Applied Psychometrics. Retrieved March 16, 2010 at http://www.iapsych.com/CHCPP/2.EvolutionofCHCTheory.html
Rickman, David. (2010). Special services, psychology, and Section 504 information.
Van Dyke Public Schools. Retrieved March 16, 2010 at http://www.vdps.net/special/test.html
Schopler, Eric. (1990).Individualized assessment and treatment for autistic and developmentally disabled children: Psychoeducational profile-revised (Pep-R). Division TEACCH.
