Rehabilitation counselors' assessments of applicants' functional limitations as predictors of rehabilitation services provided

The predictive relationships between assessed functional limitations and vocational rehabilitation (VR) services provided were examined for five relatively homogeneous client groups. Results indicated that specific functional limitations are determinants of some VR services but are largely irrelevant to the provision of other services. Also, the predictive relationships between specific functional limitations and services provided were more logically consistent for clients with orthopedic and chronic medical disabilities than for clients with psychiatric disabilities, mental retardation, and learning disabilities. The results constitute direct evidence for the validity of rehabilitation counselors' diagnostic judgments, indicating that counselors use functional assessment data differently in providing services to clients with different primary disabilities. Implications for rehabilitation counselors' assessments of clients' service needs are discussed.