When we “listen to family members, encourage them to share their knowledge, and clarify their concerns, priorities, and goals for their child,” we support them in playing a vital role in their child’s assessment. This two-page handout describes eight key principles in family-centered assessment, everything from setting up the interaction to asking open-ended questions about the child’s day and interests to checking in with the parents about the accuracy of what was observed and how typical it was for the child. Engaging Families as Assessment Partners, developed by the Puckett Institute, offers pointers on how to know if the practice is working as well as a two-minute video example to review.
Engaging Families as Partners in Their Child’s Assessment Checklist, based on the DEC Recommended Practices, outlines eight observable behaviors practitioners can use to assess how consistently they implement the suggested strategies. This and countless other resources can be found on the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early intervention. Click here to access the ESPM. Scroll down to find the ESPM entry.
This resource is related to the following ESPM knowledge-level competencies:
- Identification and Referral (IR):
- IR2 (EIA): Knows how to implement and document play-based and culturally and linguistically appropriate observations.
- Evaluation and Assessment (EA):
- EA2 (EIA): Knows the goals, benefits and uses of assessment and observation.
- EA3 (EIA): Understands roles and responsibilities for team members including parents/caregivers in the evaluation and assessment process.
- EA4 (EIA): Knows strategies that support parents/caregivers in identifying and articulating their concerns about their infant/toddler’s development and needs.