Ethics in evaluation in occupational therapy.

The need for thorough and sound evaluation of clients has been a mandate for occupational therapy since the early 1980s (Ywca, 1981). Several treatises have been printed on the subject in various publications of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) (e.g., American]ournal of Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy News, and Mental Health Focus· Skills for Assessment and Treatment [Robertson, 1988]). The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) has funded several evaluation development research projects in the past decade and states as one of its funding priorities the development and standardization of instruments for clinical practice and research (AOTF, 1990). An official AOTA document has been published outlining the scope and nature of competencies required in evaluation and assessment in occupational therapy (Maurer, Barris, Bonder, & Gillette, 1984). The recently revised "Essentials and Guidelines for an Accredited Educational Program for the Occupational Therapist" (American Medical Association [MlA]lAOTA, 1991a) includes requirements for the provision of instruction in basic measurement concepts at the professional level. These efforts by the professional association and individuals reflect the concerns that (a) evaluation instruments and techniques used by occupational therapy personnel are able to serve the purpose for which they were intended, and (b) occupational therapy personnel are prepared to effectively use and understand them. These concerns underlie the belief that we as occupational therapy personnel must be competent evaluators in order to best serve our clients. They are similar to the concerns that affect testing and assessCarol A. Leonardelli Haertlein