ebook img

ERIC ED418518: Early Childhood Special Education for Children with Disabilities, Ages Three through Five: Evaluation and Assessment Guidelines for Young Children with Special Needs. PDF

46 Pages·1996·0.83 MB·English
by  ERIC
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview ERIC ED418518: Early Childhood Special Education for Children with Disabilities, Ages Three through Five: Evaluation and Assessment Guidelines for Young Children with Special Needs.

DOCUMENT RESUME EC 306 325 ED 418 518 Early Childhood Special Education for Children with TITLE Disabilities, Ages Three through Five: Evaluation and Assessment Guidelines for Young Children with Special Needs. North Dakota State Dept. of Public Instruction, Bismarck. INSTITUTION Div. of Special Education. PUB DATE 1996-00-00 45p.; One of three main sections contained in EC 306 324. NOTE Non-Classroom (055) PUB TYPE Guides EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. Compliance (Legal); *Disabilities; *Disability DESCRIPTORS Identification; *Early Childhood Education; *Educational Assessment; Educational Legislation; Educational Practices; Eligibility; Evaluation Methods; Federal Legislation; Guidelines; Infants; Personnel; *Special Education; State Standards; *Student Evaluation; Young Children Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part H; *North IDENTIFIERS Dakota ABSTRACT This chapter from a North Dakota guide for early childhood special education personnel focuses on the evaluation and assessment of young children with special needs. Following an introduction, which summarizes requirements under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, overviews of infant development and early childhood special education programs in North Dakota and the application of federal law are provided. A section on identification of young children with disabilities discusses the Child Find program, screening, evaluation for eligibility, assessment for program planning, timelines, and team process. Next, the evaluation/assessment planning process is outlined, including obtaining background information and developing the child profile, facilitating family involvement, and formulating an evaluation/assessment plan. Conducting the actual evaluation is discussed next and includes arena evaluation, play-based evaluation, and using parents and caregivers as a source of information. The final section is on report writing. Subsections explain the Infant Development Report, the Early Childhood Special Education Integrated Written Assessment Report, and the dissemination of information. Appendices include: strategies for professionals working with families from various cultural and/or linguistic groups; questions for professionals to ask when conducting a culturally sensitive screening and assessment; selected evaluation and assessment instruments for early intervention; types of test reliability and validity; and arena evaluation. (DB) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, AGES THREE THROUGH FIVE: EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUC ONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent Prepared By official OERI position or policy. North Dakota Interagency Coordinating Council Evaluation and Assessment Subcommittee Published By ADAPTIVE SERVICES DIVISION NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Wayne G. Sanstead, Superintendent 1996 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Evaluation and Assessment Guidelines for Young Children with Special Needs Evaluation and Assessment Subcommittee North Dakota Interagency Coordinating Council TABLE OF CONTENTS iii FOREWORD A-1 INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW OF THE INFANT DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: A-2 FEDERAL LAW APPLIED TO NORTH DAKOTA A-4 IDENTIFICATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES A-4 Child Find A-5 Screening A-6 Evaluation for Eligibility A-8 Assessment for Program Planning A-8 Timelines A-10 Team Process A-11 EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT PLANNING PROCESS A-11 Background Information/Child Profile A-11 Family Involvement A-12 Formulation of an Evaluation/Assessment Plan A-18 CONDUCTING THE EVALUATION A-18 Arena Evaluation A-18 Play-Based Evaluation A-18 Parents and Caregivers as a Source of Information A-20 WRITING THE REPORT A-20 Infant Development Report Early Childhood Special Education Integrated Written Assessment Report A-21 A-24 Dissemination of Information A-25 REFERENCES i TABLES Comparison of IDEA Part B and Part H with Regard to Evaluation and Assessment 1. 2. The Process of Location, Identification, Evaluation and Assessment of Children, Birth Through Five, Who Are Eligible for Services APPENDICES Appendix A Strategies for Professionals Working with Families from Various Cultural and/or Linguistic Groups Appendix B Questions for Professionals to Ask When Conducting a Culturally Sensitive Screening and Assessment Appendix C Selected Evaluation and Assessment Instruments for Early Intervention Appendix D Types of Test Reliability and Validity Appendix E Arena Evaluation ii -Li FOREWORD North Dakota Interagency The Evaluation and Assessment Subcommittee of the 1992 to develop guidelines for the Coordinating Council was established in the fall of work of the subcommittee, which assessment of young children with special needs. The Infant Development Program, is represented by this document, covers both the Services, and the Early administered by the North Dakota Department of Human by the North Dakota Childhood Special Education Program (ECSE), administered Department of Public Instruction. special challenges to Creating one document that applies to both programs presented legislation that supports each the subcommittee due to inherent differences and members that this document will be program. It is the expectation of the subcommittee infant and early childhood useful as a resource and guide to assessment practices in special education programs in North Dakota. Mary McLean and Mary Stammen, Co-chairs iii INTRODUCTION Public Law (P.L.) 99-457 as re-authorized nature. In addition, evaluation and as- by P.L. 102-119 (known as Part H of the sessment procedures should: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act - IDEA) mandates each state system to 1. respect the unique developmental ensure that each public agency estab- nature and characteristics of the child lishes and implements procedures that and his or her family, meet the requirements for evaluation 2. include the active participation as of identified in IDEA. Such evaluations must parents and other significant care- take place prior to initial placement of a givers, child with disabilities in a program pro- 3. be sensitive to cultural and ethnic viding special education and related differences, and services. The evaluations must be timely, 4. utilize appropriate assessment proce- comprehensive, and multidisciplinary in dures and instruments. OVERVIEW OF THE INFANT DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION (ECSE) PROGRAMS: FEDERAL LAW APPLIED TO NORTH DAKOTA In North Dakota, early intervention ser- tains provisions for parent involvement, vices for children with disabilities ages the family unit is not viewed as the recip- birth through five and their families occur ient of the intervention. through state programs of two agencies, The terminology contained in the two the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Human Services. sections of the law relevant to the as- State formula grants for infants and tod- sessment process, also varies. This was dlers with disabilities (Part H of Individu- necessitated by the differences in focus- family-focused versus child-focused. als with Disabilities Education Act - IDEA) and preschoolers with disabilities (Part B, Section 619 of IDEA) are used to facili- In contrast to Part H, Part B regulations utilize the terms identify, locate, and tate the statewide systems developed to address these respective populations. evaluate. The terms identify and locate refer to child find, screening, and referral Although Part H and Part B, Section 619 processes, while evaluation refers to all are similar in intent and serve popula- of the procedures used to determine whether or not a child has a disability tions with similar needs, their focus dif- and to identify the individual program- fers. Part H of the law addresses service provision to infants and toddlers, with ming needs of the child. disabilities ages birth through 2 years. It views the family unit as the recipient of Congress, in enacting Public Law 101- the service. The family centered-ap- 476 (IDEA), demonstrated the clear in- proach contained in Part H includes a tent that all children in need of special provision for the assessment of family services be identified, located, evaluated and served. The intent is further en- needs and results in an intervention plan addressing not only the needs of the hanced through strengthened coordina- infant with disabilities, but also the needs tion of child evaluation, assessment and of the family unit. This plan is referred to services regulated under Part H and as an Individualized Family Service Plan Part B. This promotes a seamless sys- (IFSP). Part B, Section 619 of IDEA, tem of services for children with disabili- addresses service provision to disabled ties from birth through five years of age children, ages three through five years. It and their families. is consistent with the approach used throughout the remaining sections of North Dakota meets the federal intent IDEA and includes a child-focused ap- with its unified approach for children proach. The Individualized Education ages birth through five. Various efforts Program (IEP) is designed to provide have been initiated to establish a seam- intervention directed to the child. Alth- less system in North Dakota. One such ough this section of the law also con- effort has been the establishment of an These efforts have identified a set of tasks and Under Part H, evaluation re- opportunities immediately fers to the information gath- relevant to evaluation and assessment ered to determine eligibility, that need to be addressed and resolved maintaining a statewide seamless while assessment addresses in the information gathered to approach. These tasks include: determine intervention and support needs- The assess- identifying young children with disabil- ities, ages birth through 5 years of ment process under Part H also specifically addresses age; family resources, priorities and concerns. In North Da- planning evaluation and assessment strategies for young children kota, the term assessment with process is used to encom- disabilities using a multidisciplinary pass both evaluation and approach; assessment activities for pre- conducting the school and school-age popu- utilizing evaluation parent input; and lations. preparing a written report including an Interagency Coordinating Council repre- integrated summary. senting agencies serving children birth through five. Other efforts include the The reader will notice that these tasks, with their unique programmatic differ- development of a state level interagency agreement among numerous agencies ences, are addressed throughout each and programs serving children from birth section of the document. through five, the development of transi- tion agreements and procedures be- tween infant development and early childhood special education programs, a community approach to selective screen- ing, and the establishment of a regional North Dakota Early Childhood Tracking System -NDECTS). EST COPY AVAILABLE IDENTIFICATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES of young children ment of a universal logo, brochures, and with Identification packets. The campaign informational disabilities can be undertaken for a multi- material may be used by clinics, hospi- ple of purposes through various activi- tals, public health centers, human ser- ties. Activities such as locating, screen- ing, evaluating, and assessing can be vice agencies, educational agencies, and early childhood programs. Implementa- distinguished as serving definite purpos- tion of the campaign is facilitated by the es in the identification of young children North Dakota Early Childhood Tracking with disabilities. Each activity has a fo- System, which consists of teams of local cused purpose and strategies for imple- and regional agencies serving children mentation, although the overall philos- ages birth through five. (See Resources ophy of evaluation and assessment will section of this document.) be consistent throughout all activities. Child Find is an ongoing process that CHILD FIND operates on a daily basis rather than as a once or twice a year effort. The poten- The term Child Find refers to North Da- tial for locating unidentified children with kota's system of procedures for locating maximized through children who are in need of early inter- disabilities is all public awareness and interagency col- vention. Child Find encompasses the laborative efforts. Certain times during age range birth through 21 years, al- the year may be designated for special though the emphases in this document recognition of the Child Find system, as is the birth through five year age range. is the case during the third week in Sep- tember when the Department of Public The Child Find system encompasses all coordinates Instruction activities with efforts aimed at identification of children local agencies in publicizing Child Find with disabilities including public aware- ness/education activities, screening pro- efforts. grams, and interagency efforts. Educa- tion of the general public is an integral Ongoing public awareness/education is critical to the success of Child Find pro- part of identification efforts. cedures. Activities aimed at increasing public awareness of infant and early The North Dakota Department of Human childhood special education services for Services, through the Interagency Coor- children with disabilities may take many Council, dinating Child Identification Subcommittee, has developed a cam- forms. Formats that may be used include the printed media, radio, television, and paign designed to supplement the activi- public presentations. The State Health ty of the Department of Public Instruction Department operates a toll-free tele- that targets families of children ages birth phone number for individuals who have through five years. The purpose of this questions or concerns relevant to refer- campaign is to educate parents and the rals. Ongoing planning and evaluation of general public regarding typical develop- public awareness/education efforts will ment in young children. The campaign is ensure an effective Child Find system. multifaceted and includes the develop- A-4

See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.