Infant Assessments PSY 417

Types of Assessment Norm Referenced: designed to determine ability relative to normative group. Validity is always dependent on appropriate administration and comparison to appropriate normative group. Validity is always dependent on appropriate administration and comparison to appropriate normative group. Standardization is necessary to make tests meaningful. Standardization is necessary to make tests meaningful. Uniformity of procedure in administration and scoring.

Validity and Reliability Reliability Test-retest Test-retest Interrater reliability Interrater reliabilityValidity Content Content Concurrent Concurrent Predictive Predictive

Bayley Scales of Infant Development - III 1 Month to 42 Months Items grouped by chronological age] Standardized Gender, race, socioeconomic status, rural vs. urban areas Gender, race, socioeconomic status, rural vs. urban areas 1700 children in 1-3 month intervals 1700 children in 1-3 month intervals Norms for premature infants, HIV-positive, substance exposure, hypoxic, developmentally-delayed, autistic, Down Syndrome, frequent ear infections Norms for premature infants, HIV-positive, substance exposure, hypoxic, developmentally-delayed, autistic, Down Syndrome, frequent ear infections

BSID-III 5 Major Developmental Domains: 1) Cognitive Attention and anticipatory behavior; exploration of environment; object retention; cause and effect; object permanence; relational play; imitation; grouping; classification; memory, problem solving, etc. Attention and anticipatory behavior; exploration of environment; object retention; cause and effect; object permanence; relational play; imitation; grouping; classification; memory, problem solving, etc. 2) Language Receptive: responds to name/voice; identification; follows directions; Receptive: responds to name/voice; identification; follows directions; Expressive: vocalizing mood; vowel and consonant sounds; expressive jabbering; use of words; naming objects; questioning Expressive: vocalizing mood; vowel and consonant sounds; expressive jabbering; use of words; naming objects; questioning 3) Motor Quality of movement, motor planning, fine and gross motor, sensory integrations Quality of movement, motor planning, fine and gross motor, sensory integrations

BSID-III continued 4) Social-emotional Appropriate social responses, imitation, initiates interactions, etc. Appropriate social responses, imitation, initiates interactions, etc. 5) Adaptive Behavior Communication: attends to others; follows directions, expresses feelings Communication: attends to others; follows directions, expresses feelings Community Use: walks on sidewalk, uses restroom in public places Community Use: walks on sidewalk, uses restroom in public places Functional pre-academics: colors, counting, knowing name and age Functional pre-academics: colors, counting, knowing name and age Home living: feeds self, cleans up Home living: feeds self, cleans up Health and Safety: follows directions for safety; expresses when hurt Health and Safety: follows directions for safety; expresses when hurt Leisure: plays alone, with adults or in groups; follows game rules Leisure: plays alone, with adults or in groups; follows game rules Self care: feeds self; drinks from cup, washes hands, etc. Self care: feeds self; drinks from cup, washes hands, etc. Self-direction: controls temper, follows adults rules Self-direction: controls temper, follows adults rules Social: smiles, responds differently to familiar and unfamiliar persons, shares toys Social: smiles, responds differently to familiar and unfamiliar persons, shares toys

Bayley Scales of Infant Development Subscales – standard scores (M=100, SD=15) High test-retest reliability Weaker reliability in lower ages, better in older Weaker reliability in lower ages, better in olderValidity? Good for low-scoring infants (below 70) Good for low-scoring infants (below 70) Bad for middle/high scoring infants (above 70) Bad for middle/high scoring infants (above 70)

Criterion-Referenced Tests Based on specific performance skills rather than comparison to performance of other infants. Measured on ability to meet criteria of mastering items – proficient or not proficient on each task. “Can complete 80% of 2-year language items” “Can complete 80% of 2-year language items” Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale Birth to 36 months Birth to 36 months Preverbal and verbal areas of communication and interaction Preverbal and verbal areas of communication and interaction

Curriculum-based Assessment Can be used to translate tests results into intervention plans. Test items are similar to curriculum goals. Test-teach-test approach Carolina Curriculum Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP): developmental activity sheets for professionals to give parents. Birth to 36 months Birth to 36 months 650 developmental skills 650 developmental skills Step by step instructions for specific needs Step by step instructions for specific needs

Play-based Assessment Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment Linder – model for systematically observing and assessing infants/toddlers through play interactions. Linder – model for systematically observing and assessing infants/toddlers through play interactions. Based on research showing that play encourages thinking skills, communication and language skills, movement proficiency, and social-emotional development. Based on research showing that play encourages thinking skills, communication and language skills, movement proficiency, and social-emotional development.

Ordinal Scales Based on Piagetian theory of cognitive development Tests increasingly complex levels of sensorimotor competence Assesses Piagetian concepts – object permanence, means-ends schemes

Uzgiris-Hunt Ordinal Scales of Psychological Development 6 Subscales Visual Pursuit and the Permanence of Objects Visual Pursuit and the Permanence of Objects Means for Obtaining Desired Environmental Events Means for Obtaining Desired Environmental Events Development of Vocal and Gestural Imitation Development of Vocal and Gestural Imitation Development of Operational Causality Development of Operational Causality Construction of Object Relations in Space Construction of Object Relations in Space Development of Schemes for Relating to Objects Development of Schemes for Relating to Objects

Sample Items from U-H Ordinal Scale – Object Permanence 1. Noticing the disappearance of a slowly moving object Does not follow to point of disappearance Does not follow to point of disappearance Loses interest as soon as object disappears Loses interest as soon as object disappears Lingers with glance on point of disappearance Lingers with glance on point of disappearance Returns glance to starting point after several presentations Returns glance to starting point after several presentations Searches around point of disappearance Searches around point of disappearance

Judgment Based Assessments Interviews/observations Hypothesis Generating More natural for child and parent Easier to integrate into practice Results are less comparable across children, clinicians, and settings (poor reliability)

Judgment Based Assessments More focus on “objective” evaluation from government, schools, parents… Norm-referenced testing is “deified” and non- norm referenced testing is “denigrated” Both are central to work with young children Interpret results with caution Be aware of own biases “I can spot an (autistic child, abused child, etc.) a mile away” Be aware of own biases “I can spot an (autistic child, abused child, etc.) a mile away” Remember that your biases are, by nature, invisible to you. Remember that your biases are, by nature, invisible to you.