The paper is designed to lay the foundation for a traditional assessment program in a systematic research effort on the identification of and intervention with at risk and handicapped infants and young children. Initial sections review literature on the qualities of traditional psychometric assessment and on the qualities of a behavioral…

This article (1) defines areas in infant and preschool evaluation where clinical judgment is typically used; (2) argues that judgment-based assessments are only as good as the objectivity, reliability, and validity of its data collection and use; and (3) offers examples of procedures and clinical methods to increase diagnostic accuracy. (Author/DB)

The variety of methods available for the assessment of hyperactivity in preschool populations is reviewed. Specific procedures for assessment are presented from a multidisciplinary perspective, integrating biophysical, behavioral, cognitive, and ecological models. (Author/JDD)

This paper reviews the role and practice of functional-status assessment in young children with neurological impairments, examines issues in selection of functional assessment measures, and describes functional assessment approaches developed in the fields of special education and pediatric rehabilitation, including adaptive scales,…

Alternative systems are suggested for appraising preschoolers for possible inclusion in early special education programs. Frequency sampling, in which diagnosticians analyze performance of certain tasks predictive of school performance, are seen to be potentially valuable but lacking in accuracy. Examination of co-occurrences--interactions between…

The article describes the assessment procedure (statementing) to identify and plan for children with special educational needs in England and Wales as required by the Education Act of 1981 and the Education (Special Educational Needs) Regulations of 1983. The increased responsibilities of Local Education Authorities are outlined. (Author/DB)

Disadvantages of traditional intelligence tests with handicapped children are discussed, and an alternative approach, The "Assessment of Basic Competencies" (ABC) is presented. The background and design of the ABC and the three domains of the model (language skills, math reasoning skills, and information processing skills) are…

The Montgomery County Maryland, public school system utilizes a bilingual assessment team as a means toward achieving nonbiased, cross cultural assessment to identify handicaps in limited English proficient students. Special education placement begins with referral from a teacher, parent, counselor, or the student himself; moves to consultation…

The Structure of Intellect approach for assessing and treating learning disabilities is presented, including a behavior checklist and suggested home and school learning activities. The Meeker paradigm identifies three areas of student functioning: cognitive/academic, social/emotional, and physio-neurological. Procedures are outlined for using the…

The preliminary report--two-thirds of which consists of tabular data--describes an early identification system used in London, Ontario (Canada) for kindergarten and first grade high risk students, and provides some data bearing on the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the system. Simple descriptive summaries of some characteristics…

A review of existing emotional disorder assessment techniques confirmed that they are inappropriate for most children and adolescents with developmental disabilities and pay inadequate attention to affective symptoms in these subjects. A new instrument designed to evaluate mood and affect which has shown good interrater agreement is described.…

To reduce Rhode Island's high percentage of students being classified as learning disabled, an advisory committee recommended development of a statewide Learning Disabilities Identification Process (L.D.I.D.), to prepare evaluation teams to consistently consider regulatory criteria and to justify their decisions when making learning disability…

This article describes instruments and methods to assess the primary characteristics that define attention deficit disorder (ADD) for the purpose of identification. Issues in ADD assessment include identifying co-occurring disabilities, defining the severity of ADD, and determining the pervasiveness and situational nature of the behavioral…

This article examines the role of assessment in developing Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP) under Part H of the Education of the Handicapped Act. Emphasis is on determining eligibility, collecting assessment data for describing developmental performance, and establishing desired outcomes. (PB)

The Precise Identification and Remediation for Learning project identifies kindergarten pupils at risk for serious learning problems. The project involves identifying target skills, developing assessment materials, conducting initial assessments, identifying children with performance deficits, providing small-group remedial instruction,…