DCF Behavioral Observation & Screening

What are the three main reasons child care programs observe and screen children?

facilitate growth & development of every child, detect early signs of developmental growth or delay, identify signs of abuse & neglect

What is an assessment?

ongoing procedures used by approriate & qualified personnel throughout the period
of a childs eligibility

Documented Evidence

written data collected by the child care program.

Definition of Developmental Domains

categorize a kids skills/abilities.

What are the developmental domains?

1) Physical Health and Motor Development, 2) Cognitive Development & general knowledge, 3)Lang & Communication, 4) Social/Emo, 5)Learning Approaches

Evaluation

process that determines eligibility for federal/state/local assistance.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

research based frame work based on meeting kids where they are individually, chronologically, and culturally.

Observation

ongoing process in which child care professionals recognize & document milestones using checklists, anecdotal records, etc.

Give examples of professional groups that perform each of these four activities: observation, screening, assessment, and evaluation.

Childrens Forum Central Directory, FL Diagnostic & Learning Resource, Childrens Medical Services

Relate the four guidelines for observations and screenings that take place in child care settings.

be informed, be objective/accurate, be honest/fair, be focused.

Name characteristics seen in effective child care professionals who observe and screen children

they review appropriate developmental general info, study the childs file, & read instructions for the observation or screening tool.

List characteristics shared by quality screening instruments.

easy to use, accurate, affordable, available, reliable, readily available, and sensitive

Explain how to select a screening tool for specific children.

ask what the instrument screens, what is the target age range, what languages are available,
how is it implemented & scored

List observation methods commonly seen in child care settings.

checklist, anecdotal record, running record, frequency count, standardized test, rating scale, work sample, time sample

When do you use a checklist?

when the goal is to notice the presence or absense of a skill

when do you use an anecdotal record?

after it happens, you use it to to write about the development of a skill or ability.

when do you use a running record?

while it is happening, you use it to to track a childs choice of activities or behaviors over a short period of time

when do you use a frequency count?

to ID behaviors to be encouraged & those that need to be addressed or accommodated

when do you use a time sample?

to document attention span.

when do you use a standardized test?

to document development of a child compared to other kids
of the same age.

when to use rating scale?

when you want to quantify a kids performance

when to use a work sample?

allow others to observe kids or work

Describe best practices used by skilled practitioners when data supports further assessment and evaluation.

prepare for a meeting, begin with overview, give blank sample of tools used, give childs results in writing, active listening, keep the meeting positive. talk about the programs role, provide info

Explain how to help parents appropriately and responsibly after learning their child may be at risk of developmental delay or disability.

refer them to someone if needed, report suspicions of abuse & neglect if needed.