The Validity of Exploring Educational Attainment Levels and Occupational Skill and Physical Strength Demand Levels of Caregivers When Evaluating Loss of Earning Capacity in Pediatric Cases

Vocational rehabilitation counselors engage in litigated matters to determine the loss of earning capacity for injured individuals. Forensic assessments typically include individuals with established work and educational patterns. The individuals are sometimes children with no set education or work pattern. While pediatric models focus in part on using parental education and career patterns as a basis for establishing vocational opinions, there is a lack of research regarding the validity of these factors. This study focused on the relationship of the primary caregiver’s educational attainment and occupation to the adult child’s educational attainment and occupation. The findings suggested there was a significant positive association between the caregiver’s educational attainment and the child’s educational attainment, the caregiver’s occupation and the child’s occupation.