Assessment Feedback With Parents and Preadolescent Children: A Collaborative Approach

Psychologists routinely provide feedback to parents (and sometimes children) after conducting psychological assessments of children. The authors review the literature on sharing feedback from child assessments. They then present a rationale, grounded in the theory and principles of collaborative assessment, for why it is useful to discuss assessment results with parents and children. Citing available research evidence, they propose a conceptual framework for understanding the potential therapeutic impact of feedback. Next, they present detailed guidelines-illustrated with case examples from a research project and an independent assessment practice-for how to prepare for and give oral and written feedback to parents and children. The authors encourage assessment professionals to consider the insights and techniques derived from collaborative assessment when providing feedback.