The use of goal attainment scaling to evaluate a ward treatment program for disturbed children

Abstract

Goal Attainment Scaling was used with behaviorally disturbed inpatient children. Staff generally underpredicted success of outcome, but were overly optimistic with four types of presenting problems and three types of goal areas. The evaluation procedure made important contributions to the processes of diagnosis and treatment planning.

Goal attainment scaling: Clinical implications for paediatric occupational therapy practice

“…Initially, use of GAS with children was aimed at gaining experience, using the new technique to support the process of goal setting and to collect data regarding outcomes (Holroyd & Goldenberg, 1978). Holroyd and Goldenberg focused on intervention outcomes reflecting accuracy of staff predictions rather than on progress of the client.…”

“…Holroyd and Goldenberg focused on intervention outcomes reflecting accuracy of staff predictions rather than on progress of the client. The popularity of GAS as an assessment strategy for children increased with literature documenting its use in special education settings (Carr, 1979;Maher, 1983;Shuster, Fitzgerald, Shelton, Barber & Desch, 1984;Simeonsson et al, 1982) in addition to children with behavioural difficulties in a hospital setting (Holroyd & Goldenberg, 1978).…”

Paediatric Application of Individualised Client-Centred Outcome Measures: A Literature Review

“…The use of GAS appears to help clients and families to set realistic goals and to focus their attention on the target, thus facilitating actions towards the achievement of the goals (Holroyd and Goldenberg 1978, Maloney et al 1978, Young and Chesson 1997, Mitchell and Cusick 1998. However, authors have cautioned that bias in the identification of goals and the assessment of goal achievement could affect the validity of GAS (Simeonsson et al 1982, Cytrynbaum et al 1997, Steenbeek et al 2007.…”

“…......Wallin.............✓..........✓..........✓..........✓..........................................✓.....................✓..............................................✓.....................✓.......... 1978........Holroyd..........✓..........✓ ............................................................................................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1978....................................................✓.......... 1983........Clark ...........................Not reported .............................✓....................✓.....................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1983........Maher ...................................................✓...................✓....................✓.....................✓.......................✓............................................✓.......... 1984........Bonaguro ..............................................✓..................................................................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1986........Cookfair ................................................✓...................✓......................................................................✓......................................................... 1991........Simeonsson.....✓ .................................................................................✓ ..............................................................................................✓.......... 1991........Stephens........✓ .........................................................................................................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1992........Palisano .........✓ .........................................................................................................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1993........Mackay........................Not reported............................................................................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1993........Palisano .........✓ .........................................................................................................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1997........Young ............✓..........✓..........✓..........✓..................................................................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1998........Brown............✓..........✓..........✓..........✓...................✓....................✓.....................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1998........King...............✓..........✓..........✓..........✓..........................................✓.....................✓......................................................................✓.......... 1998........Mitchell.......................✓.............................................✓....................✓.....................✓......................................................................✓..........…”

A Reliability Analysis of Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) Weights

“…Because of its adaptability across micro, mezzo, and macro client systems, and because of its secondary use as a communication tool between program provider and participant, GAS has been encouraged as a method of choice across a wide array of disciplines (Emmerson & Neely, 1988). Beyond mental health, for which the method was developed (Kiresuk & Sherman, 1968;Kiresuk, Smith, & Cardillo, 1994;Maher & Barbrack, 1984;Woodward, Santa-Barbara, Levin, & Epstein, 1978), this array includes social work practice (Rock, 1987), interventions with children (Dreiling & Bundy, 2003;Holroyd & Goldenberg, 1978;Mailloux et al, 2007;Simeonsson, Huntington, & Short, 1982;Young & Chesson, 1997), rehabilitation services (Hurn, Kneebone, & Cropley, 2006), various aspects of education (Glover, Burns, & Stanley, 1994;Roach & Elliott, 2005;Schmidt, Haugaard, & Timmons, 1986), students' academic social skills (Roach & Elliott, 2005), and working with the elderly (Hartman, Borrie, Davison, & Stolee, 1997) and with sex offenders (Hogue, 1994) along with interventions in general (Becker, Stuifbergen, Rogers, & Timmerman, 2000). In his comprehensive critical review of the method, Schlosser (2004) recognized this wide use of GAS across so many disciplines as an indicator of the valuable role it is fulfilling.…”