A Review of Picture Interest Inventories: Implications for Vocational Assessment of Students with Disabilities

Abstract

School psychologists have begun to assume greater responsibility for the vocational interest assessment of students with disabilities. Picture interest inventories frequently are administered to these students to avoid the reading demands of verbal inventories. By use of an evaluation system designed by Hammill, Brown, and Bryant (1992), we determined that six frequently administered commercial inventories were technically inadequate. In contrast, there are several verbal interest inventories that are psychometrically sound. We discuss ways in which examiners can determine whether the student with mild disabilities can successfully complete a verbal interest inventory, as well as ways in which verbal inventories can be modified for use with special needs populations.