Identify the various types of assessments used to gather authentic information about young children with delays. Give an example of how and when you would use each.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There are several types of assessments that can be done to collect "authentic" information about a young child with a disability. These include (1) observational assessments, (2) play-based assessments, (3) interviews, and (4) arena assessments. Observational assessments can be used to gather information about a child in his real-life settings. Student examples will vary, but a practitioner could observe how a child interacts with his or her parents, siblings, peers, or caregivers. Play-based assessments involve watching the child play in his or her natural environment to see how he or she reacts in various play situations such as when "playing house" or "play cooking." Interviews can be used to gather information from teachers, siblings, parents, or the child to gain information about a child that otherwise couldn't be observed but that can be used to make planned observations. Finally, arena assessments refer to teams (such as transdisciplinary teams) who usually sit around the child in a circle (arena) format. One or more team members then interact with the child as other team members observe.