EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSESSMENT Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES The importance of early childhood assessment Legal foundations for assessment procedures The challenge of early childhood assessment Working with the family in early childhood assessment Early childhood assessment UNDERSTAND

Early Childhood Assessment Early childhood intervention (a.k.a. early intervention) is a very important part of the special education process. The goal of early intervention is to derive information to facilitate decision making with respect to that individual. One problem is that many special educators have limited, if any, training with the birth to five year old population.

Six Standards of Assessment Materials for Use with Young Children 1.Authenticity 2.Convergence 3.Collaboration 4.Equity 5.Sensitivity 6.Congruence

Legal Foundations for Assessment Procedures PL : The Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act PL : Amendment to 94:142 PL : re-titled 94:142 to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) PL : IDEA ‘97

The Challenge of Early Childhood Assessment

Development Developmental- having to do with the steps or stages in the growth of a child Factors that can influence a child’s early developmental course: –Quality of mother’s or father’s verbalization –The toys or variety of activities available in the environment –The restrictiveness of discipline –Freedom from danger

Eight Fundamental Goals 1.Determine the eligibility for services and the appropriateness of alternative environments 2.Identify developmentally appropriate and functional intervention goals 3.Identify the unique styles, strengths, and coping strategies of each child 4.Identify parents’ goals for their children and their needs for themselves

Eight Fundamental Goals 5.Build and reinforce parents’ sense of competence and worth 6.Develop a shared and integrated perspective on child and family needs and resources 7.Create a shared commitment to intervention goals 8.Evaluate the effectiveness of services for children and families

FIVE STAGES 1.Casefinding/child find 2.Screening 3.Assessment for diagnosis and determination of eligibility 4.Program planning 5.Program evaluation

IFSP Individualized Family Service Plan

SERVICE MODELS Home and community-based visits Facility or center-based visits Parent-child groups Family support groups Group development intervention

Working with the Family in Early Childhood Assessment Interview the parents/caregivers- often done during a home visit. 10 Practical suggestions for special educators when conducting parent interviews in early intervention.

Early Childhood Assessment Measures Bayley Scales of Infant Development- 2 nd Edition (BSID-II) Preschool Language Scale- 3 (PLS 3) Metropolitan Readiness Test – 6 th Edition (MRT-6) Boehm Test of Basic Concepts- Revised (BTBC-R) Bracken Basic Concept Scale (BBCS)

Early Childhood Assessment Measures The Preschool Evaluation Scales (PES) Kindergarten Readiness Test (KRT) DeGangi-Berk Test of Sensory Integration (TSI) The Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) Columbia Mental Maturity Scale (CMMS) McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities (MSCA)

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES The importance of early childhood assessment Legal foundations for assessment procedures The challenge of early childhood assessment Working with the family in early childhood assessment Early childhood assessment UNDERSTAND

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