Distinctive Features of the Clinical DA Approach

Abstract

The distinctive features of DA can be presented using the following example of Jacob, an adolescent boy who was referred for dynamic assessment in 1989 after a failure in a standardized group-test and subsequent enrollment in a secondary high school. Jacob, a sensitive 14-year-old, was referred by his parents with the aim of finding an appropriate educational setting after his 6 years in a primary school. The family was of medium socioeconomic status and lived in a developing town in northern Israel. The parents tried to enroll Jacob in a prestigious high school in a neighboring town but were informed that Jacob would have to be tested by a conventional group test administered at a well-known institute for vocational counseling in Jerusalem. The conventional group test is required by all candidates as part of the registration requirements.