Several developments in vocational rehabilitation have led to a reexamination of the assessment process and an interest in expanding the scope and variety of assessment methods. This article describes and examines naturalistic assessment as an important family of alternatives to traditional standardized testing in the rehabilitation process. Five examples of naturalistic assessment are presented - interviews, portfolios and productivity samples, on-the-job assessments, person-centered planning, and narratives and graphic organizers - and the complementary strengths and weaknesses of naturalistic versus traditional standardized testing approaches to assessment are outlined. Finally, strategies for the complementary use of a combination of naturalistic assessment and traditional testing in vocational rehabilitation are discussed.
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