CFS132T - Ch.6 (Exam 2)

Barriers to family participation:

• special education jargon

• technical testing language

• difficulty interpreting results

• different cultural or linguistic backgrounds

• not understanding their rights

• passive participation because the process feels intimidating or too technical

Screening

• Used to identify children who may need further evaluation to determine whether there is a delay or disability

• More of an early check than a full diagnosis

Evaluation

• Evaluation is used to determine whether a delay or disability actually exists

  • & to identify the child’s strengths & needs in all areas of development

Assessment

• Used to determine the child’s present level of performance & educational or early intervention needs

Types of assessments used across the lifespan:

• standardized assessments

• norm-referenced tests

• criterion-referenced tests

• classroom-based measures

• observations

• interviews

• alternative assessments

  • A good assessment process is multifaceted, not based on a single measure

Questions to check validity of assessment:

• The MDT should ask:

  • Are diagnostic or eligibility procedures clearly identified?

  • Are assessment procedures linked to intervention?

  • Are professionals trained to implement the assessment?

  • Are the instruments valid & reliable?

  • Are all MDT members involved?

  • Is there adequate time to plan & complete the assessment with the family?

  • Are assessments conducted in familiar settings with family present?

  • Is the assessment done in a variety of ways?

  • Are the child’s strengths & needs considered?

  • Are family concerns, priorities, resources, & diversity considered?

Developmental assessment

• focuses on milestone progress

• especially important in early childhood

• families play an important role because they observe daily development

Interviews

• Conducted in the home

• Take time, but provide:

  • developmental history

  • family concerns

  • information about routines

  • information about the child in natural settings

Ecological assessment

• Observing the child in the natural environment & comparing the child’s current skills w/ the skills needed for independence in that environment

Play-based assessment

• Standard practice in early childhood

• MDT sets up the environment to evoke specific skills through play

• These might include:

  • object permanence

  • language

  • communication

  • social skills

  • cognitive skills

• Skills may be recorded as:

  • no evidence

  • present

  • emerging

• ex: Transdisciplinary Play Based Assessment (TBPA)

Arena assessment

• All members of the MDT, including the family, are involved

  • One person facilitates while others observe & record

  • Skills may be evoked through play during this process

Specific structured assessment measures

• Involve multiple professionals because all major developmental domains need to be assessed

• Each domain may use its own measurement tools (some are norm-referenced while others are criterion-referenced)

Standardized assessments

• Given under the same conditions across students

• Protocols must be followed so the results stay valid

• Often measure aptitude, intelligence, & achievement

Norm-referenced tests

• Compare the child to a norm group of same-age peers

Criterion-referenced tests

• Compare the child’s performance to a fixed standard or developmental criterion, not to other children

Curriculum-based measures

• Data collected every day in the classroom

• Professionals often see these as some of the most useful information because they show:

  • present levels of performance

  • day-to-day functioning

  • progress in multiple areas & disciplines

Secondary school years: transition assessment

• Must begin before age 16, with more detailed planning by age 16

• Types of transition assessments:

  • vocational / aptitude / ability testing

  • job skill assessments

  • self-determination assessment

Vocational / ability testing

• motor skills

• communication

• physical endurance

• work habits

• attitude toward work

• ability to follow directions

• tolerance for stress

Self-determination assessment

• autonomy

• self-regulation

• self-concept

• self-esteem

• problem-solving

• decision-making

Specialized behavioral assessments

• For students with challenging behavior, the assessment process involves:

  • data collection on behaviors of concern

  • interviews from multiple sources

  • observations

  • descriptions of behavior

  • frequency

  • antecedents

  • consequences

Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)

• Includes techniques like interviewing & observation, but it puts special emphasis on the factors that influence behavior & on creating a positive behavior support plan

• The MDT should end up with:

  • a clear description of the behavior

  • identification of antecedents

  • identification of consequences / reinforcers

  • better understanding of when the behavior does & does not occur

  • support for designing positive interventions

Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS)

• Must be considered when a child’s behavior impedes learning

  • Tier 1 = primary / universal

  • Tier 2 = secondary / targeted

  • Tier 3 = tertiary / intensive individualized (5%?)

Disability-specific assessments

• Some disabilities require specific assessments or professionals

• ex:

  • children w/ visual or hearing impairments need sensory-related screenings

  • ADHD may require a doctor’s diagnosis

  • school psychologists may conduct IQ testing

  • OT/PT may assess functioning if those services are being considered

Alternative assessments

• For some children, especially those with significant disabilities, traditional standardized measures may not show what the child can really do

  • Alternative assessments are a better fit

  • These are aligned with curriculum & IEP goals

Types of alternative assessments

• Performance assessment

• Authentic assessment

• Portfolio assessment

Performance assessment

• The child performs or demonstrates a task under defined conditions & standards

  • ex: task analysis of hand washing for a child with intellectual disabilities

Authentic assessment

• The child demonstrates skills in real-world situations, not just artificial classroom tasks

Portfolio assessment

• The teacher evaluates a planned collection of student work to show growth, progression, or skill development across subject areas or IEP goal

6 elements of a good portfolio procedure:

1. purpose & focus

2. design

3. collection & analysis

4. use for educational decisions

5. use for intervention decisions

6. assurance of reliability & validity

Evaluation / assessment report

• Includes:

  • reason for referral

  • background history

  • behavioral observations

  • tests & procedures used

  • results

  • conclusions

Assessment to intervention

• The whole point of assessment is to guide intervention (should not just label the child)

• It should help the MDT decide:

  • what supports are needed

  • what goals should be developed

  • what services make sense

  • how to best communicate with & support the family