Assessments

Assessments by Developmental Educators should only be carried out by appropriately trained and credentialed persons. To carry out many of the assessments listed bellow you will need a User Level B classification from Pearson Clinical. Professionals must liaise with Pearson to achieve this classification. For each assessment you must adhere to the training and practice requirements.

Developmental Educators should only work within the Scope of Practice for Developmental Education. Where necessary professionals should refer on to, or work in a transdisciplinary team with, more appropriate allied health practitioners.

This information is provided for reference only DEAI does not endorse any particular assessment product and due care should be taken to formulate an appropriate assessment plan for each individual based on their needs.

 

Pearson Clinical offers a range of formal assessments which may be of relevance to Developmental Educators. Developmental Educators can register for a Level B classification (needed to purchase assessments with Pearson Clinical) if they can demonstrate they have undertaken Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods as part of their Tertiary Training. Visit their website for further information – https://www.pearsonclinical.com.au/.

Acer – offers educational assessments that may have relevance to Developmental Educators.

The informal / formal assessments listed below may be of relevance to Developmental Educators. The DEAI expects that, in line with the Code of Ethics and  Practice, all Developmental Educators practice within their scope of skills and experience, and become familiar with any assessments before administration, interpretation and making recommendations.

 

GENERAL and DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENTS/SCREENS

Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) – The PEDI-CAT is designed for use with children and youth (birth through 20 years of age) with a variety of physical and/or behavioral conditions. Application: Identification of functional delay; Examination of improvement for an individual child after intervention.

Young Children’s Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM) – The YC-PEM is a parent-completed measure that looks at the different activities of children aged 0-5 years by evaluating the level of participation and qualities of the environment in which these activities take place. The results are then to be shared with the child’s health professional and therapy team to determine any adjustments to be made to help reach goals.

Participation and Environment Measure: Children and Youth (PEM-CY) – The PEM-CY is a measure that evaluates participation in the home, at school, and in the community, alongside environmental factors within each of these settings. Can be used for children and youth between the ages of 5 to 17 years-old, with or without disabilities.

Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales III – Accurately assessing a person’s adaptive behavior is crucial to get them the services needed to function effectively in daily living.

Adaptive Behavior Assessment System: Third Edition (ABAS-3) – Provides a complete assessment of adaptive skills across the life span.

Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ:3) – A developmental screening tool that pinpoints developmental progress in children between the ages of one month to 5 ½ years.

Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ:SE-2) – A parent-completed developmental screening tool that focuses solely on social and emotional development in young children.

The Red Flags Early Identification Guide (for children aged birth to five years) – a health resource for professionals (including general practitioners, child health nurses, allied health professionals and early childhood educators) working with families, to help identify developmental concerns early, so families can receive support from the right professionals at the right time (Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service).

WHODAS 2.0 – A generic assessment instrument for health and disability A tool to produce standardized disability levels and profiles Applicable across cultures, in all adult populations Directly linked at the level of the concepts to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). User Agreement Form.

Compendium of Resources for Positive Behaviour Support – This compendium of resources provides behaviour support practitioners with a comprehensive list of positive behaviour support assessment tools that can be used for the purposes of behaviour support assessment, planning, intervention, monitoring and review (NDIS Q+S Commission).

Contextual Fit Checklists for Families & Schools – These checklists are for any family or school who are receiving a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) service. The aim of the checklists are to empower families & teachers to ask key questions that will ensure good ‘contextual fit’ for those who are receiving a PBS Service or strategies (Aspect Positive Behaviour Support).

 

FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOUR ASSESSMENTS

Functional Behaviour Assessment Interview Form – Kansas Institute of PBS

Functional Analysis Screening Tool (FAST) – The Florida Center on Self-Injury

Functional Behaviour Assessments – PBIS World (tools and resources).

Guided Functional Behaviour Assessment (online) Tool – This tool is designed to help you understand, effectively respond to and prevent frequent minor behaviours (Qld Government).

Motivational Assessment Scale (Durand & Crimmins, 1992) – Description by Scope Victoria.

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) – a brief behavioural screening questionnaire about 3-16 year olds. It exists in several versions to meet the needs of researchers, clinicians and educationalists.

The Behavior Problems Inventory for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: Short Form – an informant-based behavior rating instrument to assess maladaptive behaviors in persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Overt Behaviour Scale – This scale is designed to clarify the types of observable challenging behaviours that can occur following acquired brain injury (ABI). This can help to show how behaviours may have changed over time and can inform decisions related to clinical interventions. This scale can also be used to measure the frequency of challenging behaviours and the impact that they have on people living and/or working with the client. Kelly, G., Todd, J., Simpson, G., Kremer, P., & Martin, C. (2006). The overt behaviour scale (OBS): A tool for measuring challenging behaviours following ABI in community settings. Brain Injury, 20, 307-319

Overt Behaviour Scale (OBS) Guidelines for administration

Behaviour monitoring form – Adapted from: Special Projects Team: Directorate of Learning Disability Services, Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust 2010, A hitchhiker’s guide for the specialist behaviour team (operational guidance), GIG CYRMU, Wales.

 

ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING ASSESSMENTS

Pathways to Independence: Checklists of Self-help Personal and Social Skills – These checklists bring together the competency skills necessary to lead an independent life in the community, from basic skills of eating and dressing to using everyday amenities. They provide a basis for assessing and recording progress and for determining the level of support required (For purchase).

RBI Report Form – This form is designed to be used to report the findings from the McWilliam model of conducting a routines-based interview. The Routines-Based InterviewTM (RBI) is a semi-structured clinical interview designed to help families decide on outcomes/goals for their individualized plans, to provide a rich and thick description of child and family functioning, and to establish an immediately positive relationship between the family and the professional.

Functional Assessment Summary – Victoria (Word and PDF).

The REAL: The Roll Evaluation of Activities of Life – A useful screening instrument to help assess children’s self care abilities at home, at school, and in the community. This standardised rating scale provides information on the activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) most common among children ages 2:0–18:11.

The Guernsey Community Participation and Leisure Assessment – Revised 2016 – © (2016) Tizard Centre

 

COMMUNICATION ASSESSMENTS

Communication Matrix – a free assessment tool to help families and professionals easily understand the communication status, progress, and unique needs of anyone functioning at the early stages of communication or using forms of communication other than speaking or writing.

The PRAGMATICS PROFILE of Everyday Communication Skills in Children – The Profile is an approach to gaining information about how a child communicates in daily life. It consists of a structured interview, which is carried out in an informal way with a parent, teacher or other carer. It provides a qualitative picture of the child’s typical communicative behaviours (Hazel Dewart and Susie Summers).

The PRAGMATICS PROFILE of Everyday Communication Skills in Adults – The Profile is concerned with how language is used in day-to-day communicative interactions (Hazel Dewart and Susie Summers) .

The Pragmatics Profile for People who use AAC – This Profile should be used with individuals who have used AAC in the past, are currently using AAC, or where you feel that an individual is using informal modes of AAC and you wish to introduce more formal methods (Martin, S., Small, K., and Stevens, R. 2017).

Cognitive Communication Checklist for Acquired Brain Injury (CCCABI)  – An SLP Screening and Referral Tool
Sheila MacDonald SLP (download references here).

 

SOCIAL SKILLS ASSESSMENTS

Social Networks Social Networks A Communication Inventory for Individuals with Complex Communication Needs and their Communication Partners – by Sarah Blackstone and Mary Hunt-Berg (2012), is an assessment as well as an intervention planning tool. It addresses the entire social network of the individual, covering 5 circles of communication partners, communication modes used, topics of communication, personal preferences, and types of communication–all of which are important factors in the quest to develop meaningful communication goals.

Social Skills Assessment Tools – students and adults.

SSIS Social: Social Emotional Learning Edition (SSIS-SEL) – A comprehensive, evidence-based, social–emotional learning system that also assesses key academic skills and integrates the different components with an aligned, multi-tiered intervention. 3 – 18.

Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) – The Social Skills Rating System allows you to obtain a more complete picture of social behaviors from teachers, parents, and even students themselves. Evaluate a broad range of socially validated behaviors-behaviors that affect teacher-student relationships, peer acceptance, academic performance, and more. Ages 3-18 and for elementary students with and without disabilities.

 

EMOTIONAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS

Macquarie University – The child and adolescent questionnaires listed are free to access and to use with clients/patients for either research or clinical purposes (Anxiety/depression).

Depression in Adults with Intellectual Disability Checklist – The Depression Checklist is for use by carers, in particular paid support staff. It is intended to be completed on behalf of adults who are unable to report their own feelings or symptoms because of severe communication impairment (Centre for Developmental Disability Health).

Rosenberg Self Esteem ScaleOnline checklist

 

SENSORY ASSESSMENTS

Sensory Checklist – From Raising a Sensory Smart Child, © Biel & Peske, 2005.

Sensory Profile™ 2 (Winnie Dunn) – a family of assessments which provides standardized tools to help evaluate a child’s / adult’s sensory processing patterns in the context of home, school, and community-based activities (Available from Pearson Clinical).

 

HEALTH ASSESSMENTS

Non-communicating Children’s Pain Checklist – Revised (NCCPC-R) – Designed to be used for children, aged 3 to 18 years, who are unable to speak because of cognitive (mental/intellectual) impairments or disabilities.

Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP) – to enable improved identification and documentation of the health needs of adults with an intellectual disability (Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors, Qld). (QLD only, pls note, you need to Request CHAP access).

Abbey Pain Scale – The Abbey Pain Scale is an instrument designed to assist in the assessment of pain in patients who are unable to clearly articulate their needs.

Distress and Discomfort Assessment Tool (DisDAT) – aims to identify distress in people with severe communication difficulties.

 

SLEEP ASSESSMENTS

Sleepability – A range of sleep diaries for children and teens.

SA Health – Sleep diary (Insomnia Management Kit).

Sleep Australia – Sleep diary (7 days)

National Sleep Foundation – Sleep Diary

 

QUALITY OF LIFE ASSESSMENTS

Personal Wellbeing Index: Intellectual Disability (PWI-ID) – The PWI scale contains seven items of satisfaction, each one corresponding to a quality of life domain as: standard of living, health, achieving in life, relationships, safety, community-connectedness, and future security (Australian Centre on Quality of Life).

Directory of Instruments – Intellectual disability / Disability (Australian Centre on Quality of Life).

 

COMMUNITY ACCESS ASSESSMENTS

The Community Integration Questionnaire-Revised (CIQ-R) – The CIQ was designed to be a brief, reliable measure of community integration that could be administered directly to the person with a TBI, either face-to-face or over the telephone. It was able to be completed by a proxy, was weighted towards measuring behaviours as opposed to feelings, was value-neutral and sensitive to a wide variety of living situations. (Callaway, L., Winkler, D., Tippett, A., Migliorini, C., Herd, N. & Willer, B. (2014). Melbourne, Australia: Summer Foundation Ltd.

 

RISK and NEEDS ASSESSMENTS

Needs assessment – This resource provides a definition of ‘needs assessment’ and outlines how to undertake one. This resource is for practitioners and policy makers who want to learn more about the needs assessment process or how to conduct a needs assessment. Part one and Part two. Jessica Smart. Families and Children Expert Panel practice resource, March 2019.

Vulnerablility Indicator Guide –  has been developed for use by disability service organisations. It can assist staff in service organisations to identify specific areas of vulnerability or risk for people with disability who access services (National Disability Services).

 

GENERAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

How to choose a measurement tool? by Child, Family, Community Australia. Deciding which tools to use to measure outcomes for a program relies on clearly identifying what you will measure (e.g. attributes, behaviours, feelings, skills) and then framing these concepts in a way that is measurable.