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Show n . r ... .. -:r:Tz. i ' v. ..... .- . 7 'i I I ' "'"" r ..; , ; i Jf . . . - . ' I . ' ... ;:. I i , 1 ....... : v" "i EVALUATION By TOM BUSSELBERG FARMINGTON - Clients 'torn many different tackgrounds make up the Davis County Development Center in Farmington. THE CENTER has been set UP to aid special education adults of all ages in obtaining 'e necessary skills to gain "nployment, either within te center itself or in a "fipetitive, outside work situation. si-tuation. But due to the variety of clients dealt with, the staff evaluates all comers with an "itial vocational evaluation Program where they are 8iven written and physical sl tests and prepared for Ptament in a job situation. "THE PEOPLE that are sent through the center are sPKial education students, rehabilitation education cients, basically anyone with Problems finding and keeping i 11." said Vocational Valuator Paul Swanson. Most are mentally retarded j we also have high school Wial education students 1 others who just can't get ePloyment. The first step is vocational filiation to help give direc-n. direc-n. ' he said. When a client " visits the center, he fills UI a referral form telling "y care is needed and what rvices he expects. THE SECOND step sees the l"nt returning for a first ..nation meeting, called an .."'ke interview." The U told about the center 8ram, faculty and other 01 "to make sure they un- Rulon Solis of Layton goes through part of the vocational evaluation evalua-tion offered at Monte Vista School in Farmington by performing skill tests on a special testing unit. derstand what happens," Mr. Swanson said. A week or ten days later, the client begins the formal evaluation program, including includ-ing three to five days in performing per-forming work samples with some psychiatric and academic testing. Tests range from coordination-related areas where pegs must be placed in correct holes to an assembly-line type machine that tests placement of several small objects in correct sequence on a peg within a time limit. "USUALLY WE try to get the best background and educational plans to know best where to start from," Mr. Swanson said. "Work samples are pieces of different jobs or a complete job taken from a real world situation." An attempt is made to measure for the wide variety of jobs available, with clients testing in areas as close to their reported ability as possible, he said. "We get a basic idea of their work ability and the types of work they like and their vocational interests." PART OF the evaluation includes client placement in jobs at the center workshop for observation and assessment assess-ment "We find out how they do for a full day on a particular par-ticular job and how they get along with different supervisors super-visors and groups. Some supervisors like to hover over their employees while others only respond when asked for help. Socially, we see if they get along with their coworkers. "I often observe how they are working and check their production and rate it against other clients," he continued. That goes on for five to eight days. AN ASSESSMENT staffing, combining interests and expertise ex-pertise of the client's parent or guardian, referring counselor, evaluator and production staff member and any others the client desires go over the client's performance. perfor-mance. "We look at the strengths and areas where the client needs work to make him employable," Mr. Swanson Swan-son said. "Specific recommendations are made as to the client's next assignment and that could be for placement in any of the workshop programs or selective placement in a competitive (non-center) job. It may also include suggestions sugges-tions that other services be used but it is rare we can't help a client," he said. Usually they can be placed in a center program and a job placement specialist works closely with evaluators in making placements. A FINAL evaluation report is completed one week after the assessment staffing where the client has worked regularly in a center program, Mr. Swanson said. "Specific recommendations are made and we work to see that those are carried out." |