Client assessment (mobility training)

Abstract

The problem of assessing a client's needs in respect of mobility training is a crucial one for MOs. This paper examines the ways in which assessment is undertaken. MOs use three sorts of data to arrive at their judgements — observational, interpersonal and clinical. The results of four experiments show that these data are unreliable and are probably also invalid measures of mobility performance. The value o f the largely subjective methods currently used in assessment is questioned, as is the lack of explicit awareness of an effective assessment methodology.