tools of Assessment

Ecomap

Eco map is a paper and pencil assessment used to asses specific troubles and plan interventions for clients. The eco map the drawing of clint's family in its social environment, is usually drawn jointly by the social worker and the client. it helps the both parties achieve a holistic and ecological view of the client's family life and nature of the family's relationship with groups, associations, organizations and other families and individuals.
The eco map has been used in a variety of situations including marriage and family counselling, adoption and foster care home studies. its a short hand method for recording basic social information.this techniques helps client and workers to gain insight into clients problems by providing a snapshot view of important interactions at a particular point in time.
A typical ecomap consists of a family diagram surrounded by a set of circles and lines used to describe the family within an environmental context. eco map users can create their own abbreviations and symbols.

ref : The practice of SW, Charles Zastrow, pg : 179
http://socialwork.msu.edu/koehler/docs/AboutEcomaps.pdf

Genogram

The Genogram is a graphic way of investigating the origins of a client's or client family's presenting problem by diagramming the family over at least 3 generations. The client and the worker usually jointly construct the family genogram.,which is essentially a family tree.

Murray Bowen is the primary developer of this technique. the genogram helps the worker and the family members examine problematic emotional and behavioral patterns in an inter generational context that tend to repeat themselves. since what happens in one generation often occurs in the next. Genograms help family members identify and understand family relationship problems. 

 

The eco map and genogram has various similarities. with both technique users gain insight into family dynamics. some of the symbols used in the two approaches are identical. there are differences however, the eco map focuses attention on family's interaction with groups , resources, org etc but the genogram focuses attention on inter generational patterns particularly the dysfunctional ones. 

ref : http://www.genopro.com/genogram/rules/

http://www.genograms.org/components.html

Sociogram

while eco map and genogram are used for family assessment , sociogram can be used to understand group dynamics. 

ref : http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/sociogram-definition-examples-quiz.html#lesson