Assessment during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ethical, Legal, and Safety Considerations Moving Forward

The COVID-19 crisis and the subsequent social distancing measures have imposed numerous challenges on school psychologists balancing public health and students' right to a free and appropriate education. This article addresses one of the most contentious issues for school psychologists during the pandemic: how to ethically conduct valid psychoeducational assessments without placing anyone's health at risk. Legal guidance and regulations pertaining to special education evaluations during the pandemic are first delineated, followed by a discussion of the feasibility of tele-assessment from ethical, legal, and implementational perspectives. Lastly, based on the epidemiological knowledge of COVID-19 transmission and practices implemented in other countries, a protocol for special education assessment is introduced that aims at assisting school psychologists to conduct necessary assessments in face of the ongoing pandemic.