chapter10 allen7e

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Chapter 10Assessment and the IFSP/IEP Process


Assessment of Young Children

• There are six interrelated steps:– Screening– Determining eligibility– Determining services– Planning the program– Monitoring progress– Evaluating the program


Assessment of Young Children (continued)

• Criterion-referenced assessment– A child’s progress is measured against a

preset standard.– These are helpful in planning.– The child is not compared to other children.



• Norm-referenced tests– A child is compared to other children of the

same age.– These are not as helpful with young children.– It is used as a screening process to begin

further testing.



• IQ tests– Most are norm-referenced.– The purpose is to attempt 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.

– Scores should be used with caution.– High scores as a young child are not a

determining factor of future intelligence.


The Process of Early Identification

• Case finding– Identifying children early to prevent further

developmental delays– Child Find

• Established in the 1960s• To publicize information to families on disability

services and where to find help


The Process of Early Identification (continued)

• Screening– This is a process to identify children.– It uses low-cost, easily administered tests to

identify children.– Screening tests need to be reliable and valid.– Results are not a diagnosis.– Follow-through is essential.



• Partnerships with families– Listen to the parents.– Parents know their child best and usually see

a problem first.– Ignoring parents can only delay a diagnosis

and early intervention.



• Cultural, ethnic, and linguistic differences– Assessment must be conducted in a child’s native

language.– Assessments must be designed for use in the native

language, not just translated.– Assessments should be given by a cultural mediator,

fluent in both languages.– Multiple forms of information should be collected.– Test items should measure a child’s strengths and

weaknesses.



• Types of screening instruments– DIAL 3– Denver II– ESI-R– ASQSE



• Who does the screening?– Professionals and paraprofessionals screen.– Depending on the screening, a certain level of

training may be required.– Little training is required for the Snellen Eye

Screening, but specialized training is required for a hearing screening.



• Limitations of screening– It is only a snapshot of the child at that time.– The child was probably in a new place with

new people and had difficulty focusing.– Use results to begin the evaluation process.


Teachers’ Role in Early Identification

• Teachers’ qualifications– Teachers see the children daily and

understand child development.– They are trained to notice the differences in

development.


Teachers’ Role in Early Identification (continued)

• Teacher as observer– The teacher is trained to observe all children

and record what they see.– They are able to note differences in daily

interactions as well as see problems over the long run.

– Teachers use facts when recording observations and not opinions or subjective statements.


Teachers’ Role in Early Identification (continued)

• Systematic observations– Teachers need to develop a system to collect

observation data.– All observations should include:

• Child’s name• Date and time• Setting• Initials of observer


Types of Observations

• Checklists– This is a list of skills in which the observer

records whether the child can or cannot do a skill.

– Often this is done throughout the day, not in a contrived setting.


Types of Observations (continued)

• Frequency counts– These are tally marks collected every time a

child does a behavior.

• Duration measures– When a behavior occurs, the observer notes

the time and then notes the time when the behavior ends.



• Anecdotal notes– These are short, concise notes taken about a

child while doing an activity.– These notes then are turned into recording

that a parent can read and comment on.



• Running record– This is a narrative recording of everything a

child did, said, and responded to.– They involve complete concentration of the

observer on the one child.



• Logs, journals, and diaries– These are similar to running records, yet not

as formal.– A teacher may use these for one-on-one

planning.– Notes to teacher not necessarily to be shared

with parents.



• Time sampling– Brief, periodic observations to determine the

presence or absence of a behavior

• Language samples– Verbatim recordings of what the child says or

what sounds the child makes

• Portfolio assessment– Samples of the child’s work collected over the

year



• Cautionary notes for teachers– Avoid making diagnoses.– Avoid labeling a child.– Avoid jumping to conclusions.– Develop a good relationship with families.– Listen carefully.– Make careful judgments.– Be culturally sensitive.


Individualized Family Service Plan

• The IFSP is designed to work with families of infants and toddlers with disabilities to identify priorities, resources, and concerns.

• Family is a key component.• Services are decided, and parents are given

support to utilize these services.• A service coordinator evaluates the processes

and ensures that the IFSP is working.


Individualized Family Service Plan (continued)

• Pre-referral and case conferencing– A parent and teacher meet to discuss

concerns, both share information, and a decision is made as to whether further screening is necessary.



• Identification of needs– Children are screened to see where they are

developmentally.– Strengths as well as concerns are noted.– Family input is given into prioritizing the

findings.



• Non-intrusiveness– The law protects families’ privacy by not

allowing professionals to ask questions that invade their cultural beliefs and practices.

– Families should not feel like they are in the hot seat through this process.

– They should instead feel like a vital member of the team.



• IFSP evaluation– It must be evaluated at least once a year.– Changes are made to goals that have been

met, and goals not met are re-evaluated for the new year.



• Service coordination– The service coordinator aligns all the services

and serves as the mediator between the professionals and the parents.

– Their job is also to help a parent find transportation to services needed by the child.



• Parents as service coordinators– Parents should be praised if they want this

role.– Training is required.– Leadership is a needed skill to help their child

in the future, so encourage parents to take this step now.



• Program-to-program transition– The law requires that planning for a new

program is written into the child’s IFSP.– It should be as smooth as possible, and

parents should have input.


Individualized Education Program

• IEP is the educational plan for students once they reach the school system.

• It looks more at the academic component than any other developmental domain.


Individualized Education Program (continued)

• The IEP team– Made up of professionals from various

disciplines– Parents– Child’s teacher– An IEP team—multidisciplinary,

transdisciplinary, or interdisciplinary



• Requirements of the IEP– Based on developmentally valid,

nondiscriminatory assessment information.– List child’s present level of functioning.– Identify short-term objectives and long-term

goals.– Specify the services to be provided and dates.– Ensure accountability.– Identify where and when services will be

provided.



• Assessment– Must be done over a period of time– Must include more than one assessment

showing a disability– Is used as a piece of the puzzle to identify

areas of need for the child



• Long-term or annual goals– These are broad goals to accomplish

throughout the year.– They are specific to that child.

• Short-term objectives– These are the ministeps that will be taken to

achieve the long-term goals.



• Specific services to be provided– Any specialized services that the child will

need are listed here.– They may be a PT, OT, SLT.– It should also list where the services will take

place.• Pull out• Naturalistic intervention



• Projected dates for service– The dates that the child will begin receiving

services is noted.– Also the ending date or re-evaluation date is

included.– It is required that a child be re-evaluated to

determine whether services are still needed or whether a change in services is needed.



• Discipline– A child with a disability cannot be suspended

from services for more than ten days.– If behavior is an issue, a functional behavior

plan can also be developed as part of the IEP.



• Evaluation– At least once a year a child’s IEP needs to be

evaluated and new goals written for the new year or old goals revised.

– Every three years the child is re-evaluated to determine if services are still necessary.

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