Vocational rehabilitation clients with appropriate psychological on file only need to be retested when an area in which they were tested earlier may have changed. For example, a client previously tested who has since had a head injury, stroke, etc., would need to be retested with the intelligence test (Wechsler), as well as with the achievement test (Wide Range Achievement Test), the Adaptive Behavior Test (ABAS), and the Bender Gestalt Test to see if there has been a decrease in functioning in any of these areas. If academic achievement level is a pertinent factor in the case, a client who has had additional education or academic training since the last psychological would also need to be retested with the achievement and adaptive behavior tests to see if functioning in these two areas has changed.
Regarding secondary students in special education who are referred to VR or are VR clients, VR will rely on the schools for test results for eligibility purposes. The school psychological/psychometric report as well as a current certification or re-certification form should be included in the clients case file. Former special education students (no longer in school) who are self-referred to VR or are referred from a source other than school, should be retested if test results are not available or are out-of-date (the client has had at least one year of additional schooling since the last evaluation). Clients who have had personality measures should be retested as the various conditions dictate. The large number of psychological disorders requires that each case be handled individually. Generally, the counselor may request the client be retested with the psychological measure if he/she feels the client's condition has changed.
Theoretically, one's Intelligence Quotient (IQ) remains relatively unchanged throughout life. An IQ Score obtained from the WISC-R or WISC-III (given ages 6 through 16) is just as accurate as an IQ score obtained from the WAIS-R or WAIS-III (given ages 16 through 74). Counselors may use Stanford-Binet IQ scores. However, clients who are to be evaluated by VR evaluators may require retesting, upon request, by a VR psychometrist so the evaluator will have the Wechsler Subtest Scaled scores necessary to run the McCarron-Dial computer program.
32 Miss. Code. R. 22-3.16.2