CDS Disability Assessment & Diagnosis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 changed the definition of disability primarily by:
- Narrowing the scope to include only physical impairments
- Broadening the definition and rejecting restrictive Supreme Court interpretations (Correct answer)
- Removing episodic conditions from coverage
- Requiring medical documentation for all accommodations
Correct answer: Broadening the definition and rejecting restrictive Supreme Court interpretations
The ADAAA explicitly broadened the ADA's definition of disability to reverse Supreme Court rulings that had narrowly interpreted the law.
Question 2: When assessing an individual with a psychiatric disability for vocational potential, which assessment tool is specifically designed to measure work-related functional limitations?
- Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II)
- Work Personality Profile (WPP) (Correct answer)
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
- Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90)
Correct answer: Work Personality Profile (WPP)
The Work Personality Profile (WPP) is designed to assess work-related behaviors and functional limitations in vocational rehabilitation contexts.
Question 3: A disability specialist is assessing a client with epilepsy. Which environmental factor is most critical to address in the workplace accommodation assessment?
- Proximity to coworkers
- Trigger identification and seizure safety protocol (Correct answer)
- Dress code requirements
- Commute distance to the workplace
Correct answer: Trigger identification and seizure safety protocol
Identifying seizure triggers and establishing safety protocols are the most critical environmental accommodations for workers with epilepsy.
Question 4: In the context of disability assessment, ecological validity refers to:
- Using environmentally-themed assessment materials
- The degree to which test results predict real-world functioning (Correct answer)
- Conducting assessments outdoors
- Environmental modifications recommended after assessment
Correct answer: The degree to which test results predict real-world functioning
Ecological validity describes how well assessment results reflect a person's actual functioning in their natural environment.
Question 5: Under Social Security disability determination, which of the following constitutes a 'severe' impairment?
- Any diagnosis listed in the DSM-5
- An impairment that significantly limits basic work activities for at least 12 months (Correct answer)
- A condition requiring hospitalization
- Any impairment documented by a physician
Correct answer: An impairment that significantly limits basic work activities for at least 12 months
SSA defines a severe impairment as one that significantly limits basic work activities and is expected to last at least 12 continuous months or result in death.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of a 'hidden disability' that may complicate traditional assessment processes?
- Paraplegia requiring wheelchair use
- Chronic fatigue syndrome with fluctuating symptom severity (Correct answer)
- Congenital limb difference visible on examination
- Complete hearing loss documented by audiogram
Correct answer: Chronic fatigue syndrome with fluctuating symptom severity
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a hidden disability because symptoms are not visibly apparent and may fluctuate, making standardized assessment challenging.
Question 7: Which scoring approach is used in the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) to rate a client's level of assistance needed?
- Binary scale of dependent vs. independent
- 7-point ordinal scale from total assistance to complete independence (Correct answer)
- Percentage-based scale from 0% to 100%
- Letter grade system from A to F
Correct answer: 7-point ordinal scale from total assistance to complete independence
The FIM uses a 7-point ordinal scale where 1 represents total assistance and 7 represents complete independence across 18 functional items.
CDS Disability Assessment & Diagnosis 3
The ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 changed the definition of disability primarily by: