How is the relationship between assessment and diagnosis best described?

• A. Assessment is the label used to identify a disorder
• B. Diagnosis is the information-gathering process
• C. Assessment is the information-gathering process; diagnosis is a label based on criteria from the assessment
• D. Assessment and diagnosis refer to the same thing

Answer: (C)

The relationship being tested is that assessment is the information-gathering process, while diagnosis is a label assigned when the gathered information meets established criteria. In practice, you collect data from interviews, observations, rating scales, and records to understand how the child is functioning across settings. Then you compare those data to diagnostic criteria (such as DSM criteria) to decide whether a disorder is present and which one it is. The resulting diagnosis is not just a summary of data—it’s a clinical label that informs treatment planning, prognosis, and communication with families and schools. So, assessment provides the information; diagnosis uses that information to apply a standardized label.