ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the reasons for carrying out a comprehensive assessment before deciding on the appropriate intervention. It addresses the assessment of the individual. For an intervention for a traumatised person, there will be systemic issues to assess and plan for, and sometimes the trauma in others, for example parents. People who have experienced trauma must not be further traumatised. Vicarious trauma for therapist and staff must also be considered and guarded against. For some people, psychotherapy is the treatment of choice and may be the only approach that has any possibility of success. The Raven progressive matrices have a coloured matrices booklet which gives an indication of level of intellectual ability and is easy to administer, making it attractive for people who are reluctant to be tested. Many people with disabilities suffer from low self-esteem. People with disabilities endure all the same issues as other people in relation to sibling order, parental stability, and such like.
