From Paige Tidwell, University of Georgia:

As a professional vocational evaluator, I am very pleased to see your inquiry. I am on the board for VEWAA & PVE. If you are not familiar, PVE is currently the only national credential new evaluators can obtain. I encourage you to check out our website www.pveregistry.org. It would be great if the state VR required your evaluators to have a credential and/or concentrated training specifically in evaluation.

Regarding your specific question, mcarron-dial publishes the CVES, which is a complete evaluation system for individuals who are blind or have low vision. I highly recommend any evaluators who do this, obtain the specific certification training available with Dr. Jack Dial, who is based in Texas. Georgia VR contracts with CRPs who utilize this system. unfortunately, many of the existing testing publishers do not make their pencil-paper assessments JAWS readible, but often when we call the publishers directly, we have been able to work something out.

CareerScope has an audio component, but not sure if all subtests can be administered with the audio.

From Pamela Brauchli, PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation:

The McCarron Dial Systems identify relative strengths and needs in up to five areas of functioning: Verbal-Cognitive Language, Learning Ability and Achievement Sensory Perceiving and Experiencing the Environment Motor Muscle Strength, Speed and Accuracy of Movement, Balance and Coordination Emotional Response to Interpersonal and Environmental Stress Integration-Coping Adaptive Behavior

• for Vocational Evaluation (Community, Supported, and/or Sheltered Employment)
• for Neuropsychological Evaluation
• for the Blind/Visually Impaired
• for Transition Planning/School-to-Work
• for Early Childhood
• for Vocational Interest
• for Personal/Social Adjustment

Assessment batteries provide data from these five factors which may be used to estimate the appropriate program level for serving individuals in a preschool, transitional planning, prevocational or vocational setting. Computer programs are available for quantifying/analyzing data and providing various reports ranging from recommendations for educational management to job placement. Individual educational, vocational, remediation and/or accommodation plans may be drafted by considering relative strengths and needs among the five factors. A comparative analysis of the individual’s performance on the five factors can be made to normative references.

You may contact us at:

McCarron-Dial Systems, Inc.
P.O. Box 35285
Dallas, TX 75235-0285
Telephone: 214/634-2863
Fax: 214/634-9970
e-mail: mds@mccarrondial.com

From Elizabeth Sammons, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities:

Most would have at least one test, like a WRAT/TABE, CAPS/COPES/COPS, or Compass (Interest) test. We don’t have a lot of specialized tests but we do have the CVES on there for visually impaired participants. I don’t think we have a deaf specific but there are some reading-free options. We use the following quite a bit:

• Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation
• Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation System (for those visual impairments)
• Community Based Assessment

In addition to vocational evaluations – we have many of our BSVI consumers participate in the following:

• Clinical Low Vision Evaluation
• Functional Low Vision Evaluation

 

Posted in: Vocational Evaluation