Kaplan University

Psychology / Applied Behavior Analysis / Early Childhood Development

CE300: Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood

Discussion post and two replies.

Topic: Interpreting and Using Assessment Results

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TUTOR INSTRUCTIONS:

   The student is required to answer the case study questions below to make a new discussion post, then make a reply comment to two other student’s posts. So, one new original post, and two reply comments (one comment about Student 1’s post, and one comment about Student 2’s post).

   References that should be used and cited for this assignment are:

1.    “Early Childhood Assessment: Why? What? and How?”; http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/early_child_assess.pdf

   In Part 1 (Early Childhood Assessment), you are to read Chapter 1, titled “Introduction”; (pp. 23-30) as well as Chapter 2, “Purposeful Assessment”; (pp. 31-40).

2.    Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework at

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. (2010, Dec). The Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework. Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/sr/approach/elof

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Case study

Roberto is a 3-year-old boy in the childcare center where you work. Your center uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) to screen all children in your care. Roberto scored above the cutoff point in all areas on the ASQ-3 except for communication, where his score was far below the cutoff point, which indicates a need for further assessment. Please answer the following questions (please do not read other classmate responses until you have responded).

As early childhood professionals, we can always use additional assessment data to form a complete assessment on a child.

1. Based on the scores on the ASQ-3, what would you recommend for further assessment and why?

2. Please be sure to discuss the limitations of a screening instrument such as the ASQ-3 and appropriate uses of screening results. Further assessment indicated that Roberto had a significant language delay, and qualified for language intervention from a speech pathologist through the public school system.

3. How could you as the early childhood professional in the home childcare center link these assessment results to your instruction?

4. Please give specific examples and be sure that these are based on developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) and scientifically based practice.

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Student 1’s post:

 “Assessment, defined as gathering information in order to make informed instructional decisions, is an integral part of most early childhood programs” (National Research Council (2008).

Based on the scores on the ASQ-3, what would you recommend for further assessment and why?

First, I would tell Roberto’s parents how he score above the cutoff in all areas of Gross and fine motor, problem solving and personal social.  However, we noticed that he scored below the cutoff in the area of communication.  Next, I would need to know what language is spoken in the home. Was the test given in the child’s first language.  Are there any cultural differences?  What are the environmental factors?  Has there been something different gig on that may have affected Roberto’s performance.  I would relay this information in private with compassion.  I would remind the parents that the screening is not a diagnosis but the need for further assessment.  I would listen to the parents input as to why this was, discuss their concerns and offer specific examples of my concerns.  I would give them learning activities that they can do at home and reassure them that I will be doing them here at school so we are on the same page.  Then, I would suggest that we re-screen in 2-3 months.  By doing this we can see if there is an improvement before I refer her to their family doctor or a community referral.     

Please be sure to discuss the limitations of a screening instrument such as the ASQ-3 and appropriate uses of screening results.  Further assessment indicated that Roberto had a significant language delay, and qualified for language intervention from a speech pathologist through the public school system.

Some of the limitations would be that it depends only on the parent’s report.  It included how the child acts at home, but what about at school.  What if the child has a bad situation at home or there is stress at home?  In the Early Childhood Assessment Why? What? and How?  They state the child may not be able to stay focused, may have difficulty responding to situation cues and verbal directions, and young children do not respond consistently when asked to do something for an adult. • In some cultures, direct questioning is considered rude. And the parent may be biased and does not tell the correct answer because they are scared of having their child labelled. 

How could you as the early childhood professional in the home childcare center link these assessment results to your instruction?

I would come up with a developmental action plan that both the teachers and parents could work on together. Give the child certain words to word on while doing the action.  Then, add on a word to create a two word sentence and continue adding words.  

Please give specific examples and be sure that these are based on developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) and scientifically based practice.

If a score is below the cutoff, I might make a referral for further assessment in 2 to 3 months or intervention.  Taking into account certain factors that may have influenced the child’s scores, such as setting/time of day of screening, health, and family or cultural factors. If a score is near but not below the cutoff (in the monitoring zone), I would talk to the parent about their concerns and I may decide to refer for further assessment. Otherwise, I would provide follow-up activities and plan to screen again. If the child scores above the cutoff, I would tell the parents how great their child is doing and provide advanced activities to excel the child even more.

References:

National Research Council. (2008). Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How?

            Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments for Young Children, Catherine

            E. Snow and Susan B. Van Hemel, editors. Board on Children, Youth and Families,

Board on Testing and Assessment, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and

Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/early_child_assess.pdf

Ages and Stages Questionnaire 2016 | Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

http://agesandstages.com/products-services/asq3/

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Student 2’s post:

Good Evening Professor and Classmates,

 1. Based on the scores on the ASQ-3, what would you recommend for further assessment and why?

On the Ages and Stages Questionnaire that was performed on Roberto who is a 3 year old little boy he showed that he scored above the cutoff point in all areas other than the communication section in which he score below, which shows that he needs further assessment. The further assessment I would recommend is the diagnostic testing.  According to Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How?,  screening assessments indicated a child’s performance is outside the expected range so then further diagnostic assessment is needed to better show the problem, to locate a cause or both. With a diagnostic testing for a child that has delayed speech will better assist in finding out if it is intellectual function or cognitive processing and whether there are obvious causes as to why the child’s speech maybe delayed. For instance how is his speech at home? Does his parents work with him and help him use his words and sound them out for him, does he have siblings who speak for him or no not allow him to talk and just give him what he wants. He may have even had some troubles at birth or in his growing. The diagnostic testing will be able to dig into his speech delay even deeper than just an assessment can.

2. Please be sure to discuss the limitations of a screening instrument such as the ASQ-3 and appropriate uses of screening results.

Further assessment indicated that Roberto had a significant language delay, and qualified for language intervention from a speech pathologist through the public school system.

            The limitations that may occur with the ASQ-3 is that it is a questionnaire that is filled out by the parents so it could not be as accurate as a another type of assessment maybe and hence the reason it would need to be applied with another form of assessment. Some parents maybe in denial or may not answer truthfully out of fear of them not wanting their child to have to have help in certain areas and seem as if their child is not where they should be or not as smart as other children their age. To get an unbiased answer the assessment would get a more accurate result if someone who has knowledge in this area performed it.

3.    How could you as the early childhood professional in the home childcare center link these assessment results to your instruction?

I would first talk to the parent and get to know a little more about their home life and see if the parents have any concerns or questions in this area. Being as the child scored below the cut off from the answers that they parents have given I would first have him seem someone who is more knowledgeable in this area and give a reason as to why he is below the cut off on where he should be for communication. Would also encourage the parents to start pointing out certain items around the house and help him try to pronounce the word and also to encourage them to read to him daily or frequently and to speak to him in whichever language is his more dominate language if they are a bilingual family.

4.    Please give specific examples and be sure that these are based on developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) and scientifically based practice.

Would have him seen by a speech therapist. After having further diagnostic testing performed I would then sit back down with the parents and discuss the results. If it is something that the childcare center can help him with or if it is help that he may need to receive outside of the center. Would still encourage the parents to be highly involved in the process of getting his speech to the level it should be and to stress the importance of helping him earlier on instead of waiting till he is older.

References:

Snow, C. & Van Hemel, S (2008) Early Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How? URL Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/early_child_assess.pdf