Judgment-Based Assessment

Abstract

Clinical judgment is an important part of the professional repertoire of any diagnostician or treatment specialist. Collection of multisource data should be an essential feature of clinical work in order to substantiate judgments, prevent diagnostic or treatment errors, and protect clients. This is particularly important in the field of early intervention where many professionals work with the same child and family. Because these professionals represent various disciplines in the field and bring with them diverse skills and points of view, it is essential that these be examined and integrated to provide consistency. This article will (a) define areas in infant and preschool evaluation where clinical judgment is typically used, (b) argue that judgment-based assessment is only as good as the objectivity, reliability, and validity of its collection and use, (c) illustrate the necessity of operationalizing all aspects of clinical functioning, and (d) offer examples of procedures and clinical methods that have been designed to increase the probability of diagnostic accuracy. Examples of sources of error in individual and team judgments are provided to highlight the importance of protecting children and families by preventing clinical errors.