Determining Ability to Self-Report
We expect that most youth completing the assessments will be able to self-report. However, this may not be the case, depending on the nature of your caseload. Three primary components should guide your decision of whether to let the participant self-report. These are
- Concerns about reading level or reading ability
The items are all written at or below a 4th-grade reading level. If you sense that reading level is a potential concern, we recommend asking the person to read aloud the first item or two to determine whether self-reporting is appropriate. When reading level is the only concern, assisting the participant with their response is preferred to completing it on their behalf. - Concerns about reading comprehension
It is possible that a participant will be able to read the assessment items while being unable to comprehend their meaning or to comprehend how the items connect to the response options. If you sense that comprehension is a potential concern, we recommend talking the participant through the first couple of items to assess their level of comprehension as a means for determining whether self-report is appropriate. When reading comprehension is the primary concern, assisting the participant with their response or completing it on their behalf may be appropriate. - Concerns about self-awareness and the ability to accurately report current skill level
Some youth who are able to read and comprehend the items will not have an accurate perception of their own skills or abilities in a specific area. If you sense that a youth will provide self-ratings that are way too high or too low, we recommend talking the participant through the first couple of items to assess their level of self-awareness as a means for determining whether self-report is appropriate. When self-awareness is the primary concern, completing the assessment on their behalf is preferred to assisting the participant with their response.
Please be sensitive to the students' privacy and feelings when administering in a group setting.
Instruction and Resources for Guided Administration:
To assist a student with any one of the TRT assessments, it will be helpful if you are at least familiar with the items being asked prior to administration. In seeking to clarify questions or response options, avoid biasing students in their responses.
You may find it helpful to use a full-page printout of the response options. These can be found in the document titled Large Print Faces for Guided Assessment. We recommend printing in color whenever possible so that students can benefit from the both the symbol and the color coding. Use of a heavier cardstock or laminated paper is recommended for ease of use.