Assessing Infants and Preschoolers With Special Needs

9780130986627

0130986623

The organization of this book is similar to that of the previous edition. The first four chapters provide basic information on the assessment process. Chapter 1 includes information on the legal basis and recommended practices in assessing young children with special needs. Chapter 2 provides the foundation of information on tests and measurement. Chapter 3 reviews procedural considerations in assessment of young children. Chapter 4, written by Eleanor Lynch and Marci Hanson, provides the reader with information on ensuring cultural competence in assessment. The next five chapters cover special concerns in the assessment of young children. Chapter 5 presents information on Child Find, screening, and tracking. Chapter 6, written by Beth Langley, presents detailed information on assessing sensory processes in young children. Chapter 7 addresses assessment of family concerns, resources, and priorities. Chapter 8 provides information on assessing the environments in which young children function. Chapter 9, written by Mary McEvoy, Shelly Neilsen, and Joe Reichle, is new to this edition and focuses on the functional assessment of behavior. Chapters 10 through 15 are organized according to developmental domains. Chapter 10, written by Katherine McCormick and Leah Nellis, addresses cognitive development. Chapter 11, written by Martha Cook and Jennifer Kilgo, provides information on assessing motor skills. Chapter 12, written by Elizabeth Crais and Joanne Erwick Roberts, addresses, communication skills. Chapter 13, written by Sam Odom, Hannah Schertz, Leslie Munson, and Bill Brown, addresses social interaction skills. Chapter 14, written by Ann Garfinkle, presents information on assessing play skills. Chapter 15, written by Eva Horn and Amy Childre, provides information on assessing adaptive skills. In Chapter 16, the process of using assessment information to plan instructional programs for infants and young children is addressed. The final chapter of the book, Chapter 17, provides information on assessment for the purpose of monitoring child progress. As indicated in the preface to the first edition (Bailey & Wokery, 1989), reading this book will not make one competent in the assessment of infants and young children. The instructor who has chosen to use this text is advised to carefully plan field-based experiences for students who are learning to assess children, work with families, and engage in collaborative decision making as a member of an assessment team. There is no substitute for quality field experiences. We would like to thank the following reviewers: Brent A. Askvig, Minot State University; Cynthia A. Dieterich, Cleveland State University; Helmi Owens, Pacific Lutheran University; and Pam Robinson, Oklahoma Baptist University.