Assessments, IFSP’s & IEP’s

 Assess your own toy using the Universal Design for Play Tool.  Rate the universal design features of the toy based upon the Score Sheet.  toys.htm toys.htm  Evaluate your toy  Handout/Article- “Guidelines for Selecting Toys…”

 Using a ring stack, brainstorm ideas for its use to develop various skills within each discipline.  5 disciplines: cognitive/academic, communication/speech, gross motor, fine motor/sensory, social-emotional.

 assessment-the process of collecting information to answer a question  What do you need this information for?  doctor’s appointments  confirm diagnosis  as further referral to early intervention  to write IFSP/IEP’s  to gain information of child’s progress  How do you assess?  observe  gather information  record information

screening-identify children determining eligibility- does the child have an identifiable disability? do they qualify for services? determining services-what services do they qualify for (OT, PT, etc) planning the program- identify services needed, how they will be delivered and what skills/areas will be addressed monitoring progress-how is the child progressing? evaluating the program/effectiveness

 work samples  portfolios  checklists  standardized tests  criterion-referenced assessments  norm-referenced tests  IQ tests

 Criterion-referenced assessment-an assessment that describes a child’s developmental level and progress according to a prescribed set of skills, tasks, and activities (compared to pre-selected standards)  Norm-referenced assessment- an instrument that compares a child’s developmental level to a normative sample of same-age peers ▪ “how well does my child do compared to other children the same age?” ▪ not very reliable with young children  IQ tests-intelligence tests ▪ usually norm-referenced ▪ designed to determine how much a child knows, how well the child solves problems and how quickly a child can perform a variety of mental tasks

 Screening-the identification of developmental problems or the potential for such problems ▪ tests must be reliable and valid and developed specifically for young children ▪ results do not determine a diagnosis ▪ after a screening is performed, families should be encouraged to seek further assessment  When screening & assessing, remember…  families know their child best  they know what their child can and cannot do in everyday life  do not ignore parents’ observations; they are valuable  take into consideration the family’s culture, customs, language, values & beliefs—they can influence a child’s performance on the tests  the screening is only a “snapshot” of the child; they may not do well because of strange people administering the test, a strange situation, woke up too early, not feeling well, etc.

…Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Testing-EPSDT-(PL ) initiated in 1967 …is a priority for early childhood programs …allows for effective intervention …helps in the prevention of secondary disabilities …can lead to prompt treatment, which can reduce the severity of the problem

 Child Find  a program established in the 1960’s to identify children with developmental problems or delays  usually offered through pediatrician offices, health bureaus, social service agencies  main purpose is to screen children for delays  The Teacher’s Role in Early Identification:  conduct informal and formal objective observations  have the knowledge of child development  see the child in a natural environment  spend a lot of time naturally observing children

 checklists  frequency counts  duration measures  anecdotal records  running records  logs, journals or diaries  time sampling  language samples  portfolio assessment

 Assessment Tools  Take time to view various assessment tools presented on table (HELP, Peabody, ELAP, Rossetti, Sensory Profile, Transdisciplinary-Based, etc.)  Worksheet: “Assess the Skill”  Using the Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP) Birth – 3 yrs old and 3-6 years old, students will get into pairs and complete the worksheet by matching the developmental skill with the correct discipline and the age range of each skill.  Go over answers together.  If time permits, show the list of assessment instruments from Developmental Profiles book

 Due to Part C of the IDEA, the IFSP has been implemented to provide early intervention services for children birth to three years old.  The purpose of the IFSP is:  to create a collaborative effort between families and professionals  to identify priorities, resources and concerns  to plan, implement and evaluate services Highlight article entitled “Guidelines for the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Under Part C of IDEA” from Learning Disabilities Association of America website.

child’s parent/family service coordinator professionals (therapists) working with the child any community members who have a direct connection with the child during intervention sessions advocates the family may have

answer questions regarding child’s behavior sign the parental consent for the child to receive further assessments essential in identifying priorities and functional skills as related to the child and the family take ownership of their child’s goals invited to be as active as they wish have the right to practice confidentiality

provide the family with choices in the assessment process conduct assessment in natural environment avoid professional “talk” present information in a strengths-based and family- friendly manner provide time for questions provide information on child development, the child’s disability and/or legislation (their rights) provide any other resources that they may be interested in (i.e. respite) encourage participation of extended family & other family supports (according to Woods and McCormick, 2002)

 An IFSP needs to be evaluated every year, with a review occurring every 6 months.  The purpose of the evaluation and review is to evaluate the progress of the child and family relating to the objectives stated in the IFSP. At this time, the IFSP is updated and rewritten.

 Highlight article entitled “The Individualized Education Program (IEP)” from Learning Disabilities Association of America website.  The IEP is a document required through IDEA designed for any student, ages 3-21, who is eligible for special education services.  The main focus is switched from the child and family (IFSP) to the child and school (IEP).

child’s parent/family professionals (therapists) working with the child a representative from the intermediate unit a general education teacher special education teacher any community members who have a direct connection with the child during intervention sessions advocates the family may have

 The teachers:  participate in the assessment of the children  participate in the adaptation and modification of the environment & activities  participate in the development of the IEP  carry out the IEP  participate in the evaluation process and the ongoing evaluation of appropriateness of the child’s program

 Silently read article entitled: “Involving Parents in the IEP Process” by Stephen Smith.

 Watch video: The First IEP Parent Perspectives (13:15-28:06).  Share example of sample IFSP/IEP form and annotated form. Review the document.

 Bring in photo(s) of family for next class.  Using annotated IEP handout, complete ER/IFSP/IEP Scavenger Hunt (#’s 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 only) to get familiar with this document.  Read article: “Rights & Responsibilities of Parents of Children with Disabilities.”  ?? Transfer hand-written Kassandra observation notes onto actual blank observation worksheets in Kassandra packet.