1

Running head: SHARING ASSESSMENT RESULTS WITH SCHOOLS

Psycho-educational Assessment of Children:
The Psychologists Responsibility When Parents Refuse to Share Results with the School




Shelina Hassanali (00273150)
EDPS 604: Applied Ethics in Psychology
August 4
th
, 2012
2
SHARING ASSESSMENT RESULTS WITH SCHOOLS
Psycho-educational Assessment of Children:
The Psychologists Responsibility When Parents Refuse to Share Results with the School
As professionals and parents alike are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of early
intervention for learning difficulties in children, the use of psycho-educational assessments is becoming
increasingly important. There are many benefits to psycho-educational assessment, however the extent
to which assessment results can be beneficial for a student is dependent on who has access to these
results as well as how the information gleaned from the assessment is used to increase the chances of
academic and personal success for the child. This paper will focus on the ethical dilemma faced by
psychologists when parents refuse to share assessment results with the childs school, including
information in the literature as well as an in-depth study of ethical decision making based on a relevant
vignette.
What is Psycho-Educational Assessment and Why is it Important?









You are a psychologist working in a school board in which there is a policy that parents must give
informed consent before results of a psychological assessment can be discussed with school staff, or
before a report on the results can be placed in the childs file. After assessing a child who had been
experiencing learning problems since beginning school and discussing the assessment results with the
parents, you are dismayed to discover that the parents refuse to have the assessment results discussed
with school staff because the results indicate that the child needs special resource help in basic skill
areas. The parents say that only dummies have to get that kind of help and that they are not willing to
have their child labelled as a dummy. Although you try to explain the potential benefits of such help
and to negotiate at least a partial sharing of information with school staff, the parents adamantly refuse
and walk out of the interview. You are aware that, even if the child cannot receive special resource help,
there is much information from the assessment that could help the teacher provide a more successful
academic program (Sinclair & Pettifor, 2001, pg. 158).
3
SHARING ASSESSMENT RESULTS WITH SCHOOLS
If I were faced with this situation as the psychologist, I would engage in the steps of the ethical decision-
making process as outlined by the CPA (2000), which are discussed below.
1. Identification of the individuals and groups potentially affected by the decision.

There are many individuals and groups who could potentially be affected by the decision I
choose to make. First and foremost, the decision would undoubtedly affect the child. According
to the vignette, this child has been struggling ever since he started school. My decision could
result in either negative or positive consequences for this child, including his school experience
and educational outcome, along with potential consequences in many other aspects of his well-
being. Second, the decision would affect the parents because my decision will directly impact
their child, and depending on what decision is made, it might impact their interactions with
teachers and school administration. Third, the school staff (including teachers, support staff, and
administration) would be affected because information would be either shared with them or
withheld from them, thus impacting their teaching practices, classroom environment, and future
interactions with the parents. Fourth, my decision may affect the school board itself, in the
event that the parents are unsatisfied with my actions and pursue further steps with the board.
Fifth, the decision that I make will impact me both personally and professionally, and possibly
even legally. Last, the decision I choose to make has potential to affect the regulatory body as
well as the reputation of the profession of school psychology in general, in the event that a
formal complaint is filed.

2. Identification of ethically relevant issues and practices, including the interests, rights, and any
relevant characteristics of the individuals and groups involved and of the system or
circumstances in which the ethical problem arose.

There are quite a few relevant issues regarding the interests and rights of the various parties involved
which can be examined using the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (2000). These are discussed
below.
Principle 1 of the code discusses various aspects related to respect for the dignity of persons. Principle
1.8 states that psychologists must respect the right of clients to safeguard their own dignity. In this case,
the parents believe that their child may be labelled as a dummy and it could be hypothesized that they
do not want this to happen for many reasons, one of which may be the fact that such a label would be a
threat to their childs (and maybe also to their own) dignity. Principle 1.16 requires psychologists to seek
active participation from others in decisions that affect them and to integrate their wishes as much as
possible. This means that although I might disagree with the parents, I should still consider their wishes
in decisions that affect them and their child. 1.30 states that consenting parties have the option to
withdraw consent at any time without prejudice, which needs to be heavily considered in this case as
the parents have the right to withdraw any consent they initially gave to have their child assessed and to
have those reports shared with the school. Finally, 1.45 under this principle states that psychologists are
required to share confidential information with others only with the informed consent of those involved.
4
SHARING ASSESSMENT RESULTS WITH SCHOOLS
Therefore, I would need the consent of the parents before I share the assessment results with staff who
work with their child.
Principle 2 of the code discusses responsible caring. Under this section, 2.1 requires psychologists to
protect and promote the welfare of clients, and 2.2 states that we must avoid harm to clients. An
important consideration at this point would be to answer the question of whether the child or the
parent is the client in this situation. Although the school or the parents may have requested this
assessment, in this case the client is the child. Therefore, my actions must protect the welfare of the
child and avoid harm to the child.
Principle 3 focuses on integrity in relationships. In 3.1, it is explicitly stated that psychologists will not
participate in or be associated with dishonesty. In addition to other parts of the code, this principle
would be violated if I decided to share the information with school staff without consent of the parents.
3.40 requires psychologists to seek consultation from colleagues or appropriate groups and committees
when faced with difficult situations, and this would be an option which may be available to me.
The fourth principle in the code of ethics is that of responsibility to society, which mainly focuses on
promoting positive societal change. This principle is less relevant in this particular case study.
3. Consideration of how personal biases, stresses, or self-interest might influence the development
of or choice between courses of action.
In addition to the ethical requirements/considerations to be made in this scenario, it is also important to
consider how personal biases and self-interest might come into play. I personally feel that the sharing of
this information with the childs teachers is extremely important because it has the potential to affect
his academic and overall development and educational outcomes, and this has implications for his
future. My own bias in this area may lead me to make the decision to somehow convince the parents to
consent to the release of information or to find some other way to ensure that the teachers have the
most information possible in order to best support this student. Self-interest may also come into play in
this situation because I would also be inclined to protect myself professionally, including avoiding
potential censure from the school board as well as from the regulatory body with which Im registered.
This would be a difficult consideration, especially if the school board and the regulatory body differ in
opinion regarding what the best course of action would be.
4. Development of alternative courses of action
There are a number of possible courses of action for this scenario. One possible action would be to
simply accept the decision of the parents and refrain from sharing the results of the assessment with
anyone as long as they withhold consent to do so. Another possible action would be to share the results
of the assessment only with those staff members who teach the child directly, if it is determined that it
is in the best interests of the child. A third option might be to keep the results confidential for the time
being, and contact the parents at a later date to discuss options or to see if they may have changed their
decision, or wait until the parents contact me themselves. Yet another action might be to keep the
results confidential but somehow provide tools and strategies for the classroom teacher to use, perhaps
5
SHARING ASSESSMENT RESULTS WITH SCHOOLS
via general staff professional development for all staff. Finally, perhaps general parent information
sessions can be held for all parents regarding various student difficulties and the supports which can be
put into place for all children, thus providing an opportunity for the childs parents and all other parents
to gain knowledge in the area.
5. Analysis of likely short-term, ongoing, and long-term risks and benefits of each course of action
on the individual(s)/group(s) involved or likely to be affected
Depending on which course of action is chosen, there are many potential risks and benefits for the
various parties involved. If it is decided to refrain from sharing the assessment information with the
school until the parents consent, there are many risks. The child may continue to struggle and as he gets
into higher grades, his struggles may only increase. This could potentially cause academic failure which
may be detrimental also to his self-confidence and could also affect social relationships. Long-term, this
has implications for his future career options, financial stability, and overall quality of life. A personal risk
to me might be censure and loss of employment if I keep the information confidential and the school
board determines that they were privy to the assessment information. The only benefit to this choice is
that the parental wishes and right to withhold/revoke consent will be upheld. The parents may see
another benefit in that the child will not be labelled, however given the history of constant struggles in
school, the child may already be informally labelled as a struggling student by teachers and peers. The
lack of a label could in fact be seen as a risk because in many cases a label helps a child to receive
financial and other supports at school.
There is also the option of sharing the assessment results with the school despite the withholding of
parental consent to do so. There are many risks to this decision, the first of which is that it goes directly
against many of the points in the Code of Ethics (2000), including the principles of informed consent to
share information and the right of the parents to withdraw consent at any time. Another risk to me
personally would be potential censure and subsequent loss of employment from the regulatory body if a
complaint is brought forth against me from the parents. I may also suffer a poor reputation in the
profession. Additionally, I may be putting myself at risk for future law suits in the event of emotional or
other damages caused by my decision to break confidentiality. The parents have indicated that they feel
their child will be at risk of labels if this information is shared. Regarding benefits, if the information is
shared with the school, an appropriate plan and academic supports can be put into place immediately to
support the childs growth and development. This could mean improved academic outcomes and
improved possibilities for the childs future. The information would also be beneficial to the teacher who
will be provided with instructional and other strategies, which may be beneficial to the classroom
environment in general. As mentioned previously, a label could also be beneficial as it may open the
doors to increased resources to support the child.
The third possible option is to keep the results confidential as per the parents request, but contact
them at a later time to discuss the potential of sharing the results with the school and the benefits of
doing so. The risks of this choice are that the child will continue to struggle in school for the time being,
and that the school board which employs me may feel that I have gone against my duties as a
psychologist who is employed by them. The potential benefits are that the principles of informed
6
SHARING ASSESSMENT RESULTS WITH SCHOOLS
consent to share information and the right to withhold consent are upheld. A short-term benefit is that
the parents will have some time to process the information prior to me attempting to discuss it with
them again, which may change their perspective. In this scenario, I would be upholding the ethics of the
profession while still engaging in due diligence regarding the best interests of the child.
Another option is to keep the results confidential so as to uphold the parental rights to informed
consent, but still increase staff competence in the area by holding professional development sessions for
all staff at the school. The risk of this option is that the child will not receive a formal diagnosis which
may mean that there will not be additional resources available to support him. However, the benefits
are that the parental right to informed consent to share information will be upheld, and school staff will
still receive teaching strategies and ideas which may help to support not only this particular child, but
also potentially help other students as well. Other benefits include the fact that I will be acting according
to the ethical principles to which I am held, while still providing supports to the school as part of my job
with the school board.
The final option is to once again keep the results confidential as per the parents request, but to hold
parent information sessions for all parents whereby the general process of psycho-educational
assessment, including referral, assessment, outcomes and interventions could be explained to and
discussed with parents. Risks include the fact that once again, the child will not receive the tailored
support in the classroom. Additionally, teachers would not receive information which would help them
to support the childs learning. However, the benefit to this option is that all parents will receive
information about psycho-educational assessment and the benefits of it, including the benefits of
sharing information with the school. If the parents in this particular situation chose to attend one of
these sessions, another potential benefit might be that they could change their mind and agree to share
the results without coercion from myself or the school.
6. Choice of course of action after conscientious application of existing principles, values, and
standards.
After considering all of the ethical principles involved as well as engaging in a thorough risk/benefit
analysis, I would finally make my decision. I would not simply file the assessment results away and forget
about this student because this could have serious detrimental effects for him. It would not be in the
best interests of the child, and to me personally, withholding information which could tremendously
help this child would be somewhat unethical, too. On the other hand, I also would not decide to go
against the parents wishes and share the information with the school because this would be extremely
unethical and would go against basic principles of the right to revoke consent at any time as well as the
right to informed consent prior to sharing of information with a third party. My decision would be to
proceed with a combination of the third, fourth, and fifth options. I would respect the parental decision
not to share information with the school, and would keep this information confidential. After a period of
time, however, I would attempt to arrange a meeting with the parents to re-consider their decision, if
they are open to doing so. In the meantime, I would hold staff professional development sessions for all
staff related to best practices to support various learning needs in the classroom. I would also hold
parent information sessions on the topic of psycho-educational assessment.
7
SHARING ASSESSMENT RESULTS WITH SCHOOLS
Steps 7-10: Action, Evaluation, Assumption of responsibility for consequences, and Appropriate
action to prevent future occurrences of the dilemma
After making my decision, I would act on it as discussed above. I would assume all responsibility for any
consequences which arise as a result, both personally and professionally. I would rely on the profession
and its ethical guidelines and processes which I have worked through, in hopes that I have come to the
best possible solution. The parent education sessions which I will facilitate will help to ensure that future
occurences of this nature are reduced, because parents will have a wealth of information related to
psycho-educational assessment, including all of the steps involved. They will have a better
understanding of learning difficulties and strategies which can be used to support their children, as well
as the positive effects of identifying difficulties early and of early intervention. In future meetings with
parents who are initially consenting to psycho-educational assessment for their child, I will discuss the
possible outcomes (including labels) and the benefits of sharing results with the school.

Bell, S.M. (n.d). Psycho-educational Assessment: How to Read, Understand, and Use Psycho-educational
Reports. Retrieved from http://www.cls.utk.edu/pdf/keys_ld/chapter2_pa.pdf
Sinclair, C., & Pettifor, J. (2001). Companion manual to the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists (3
rd

ed.). Ottawa, ON: Canadian Psychological Association.