As an occupational therapist in the school system, I assess all aspects of a student's daily life within the educational setting. If I am doing a formal evaluation, I will use standardized assessments to give basic percentiles, but that is not what gives me the most information. It is most important to observe the student throughout the school day, or at least during the time of day that has been noted by the student and/or student's teachers to be a concern. Detail what the student does and how they respond to the environment. Use that to determine the best ways to adapt the setting or activities as needed.
Using GAS - Goal Attainment Scaling. Collaborative Goal Setting: Begin by working closely with the patient (and their family, if applicable) to establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. These goals should be tailored to the patient's individual needs, preferences, and functional abilities. Example: A goal for a stroke patient might be to independently dress themselves within six months. Define Outcome Levels: For each goal, define multiple levels of possible outcomes, ranging from much less than expected to much more than expected. Typically, this includes: -2: Much less than expected outcome -1: Less than expected outcome 0: Expected outcome +1: Better than expected outcome +2: Much better than expected outcome Example: -2: Requires full assistance to dress. -1: Requires partial assistance to dress. 0: Independently dresses with minor difficulty. +1: Independently dresses with ease. +2: Independently dresses and helps someone else. Regular Monitoring and Assessment: Regularly review and assess the patient’s progress towards their goals. This can be done during scheduled therapy sessions or at specific intervals agreed upon during the goal-setting phase.