Client/Treatment Matching

Matching, the idea that treatment outcomes can be improved by tailoring treatments to specific client characteristics and needs, is not a new concept. It is a cornerstone of modern medical practice that is becoming even more prominent as recent advances in human genetics have raised the possibility of tailoring treatments for specific diseases to specific patients based on the patient's genetic characteristics. In education, as well, the notion of using instructional methods tailored to specific student learning needs is a longstanding practice. Thus, the idea of matching interventions to client characteristics represents a general approach to human change and treatment efforts.