Example and Modelling

Example: Prepare for the Assessment
Learning Objective
Perform the steps required to adequately prepare for the assessment of the chosen domain.

Context
James’s collaborative team chose to assess the Social Interaction Skills domain and the Eating and Drinking Skills and Dressing Skills subdomains. James’s resource teacher, Mrs. Cole, concluded that the Level 1 development profile was appropriate for James.

Before starting the assessment process, Mrs. Cole takes the time to read the Social Interaction Skills and Daily Living Skills Administration Guides and to review the skills lists. She learns that the Daily Living Skills domain will be assessed using the questionnaire and the interview, while the Social Interactions Skills domain will be assessed using the questionnaire and observation.

Mrs. Cole reads the instructions relating to the questionnaire. She understands that she must give two questionnaires to James’s parents and two to his teacher, Mrs. Brown: a first questionnaire to assess the Social Interactions Skills domain and a second to assess the Daily Living Skills domain.

Mrs. Cole also reads the instructions relating to observation. She knows she has to schedule at least one session in school to observe James’s interactions.

Lastly, Mrs. Cole reads the interview instructions and concludes that she must schedule an interview with the parents and possibly with Mrs. Brown.

Mrs. Cole then prints a copy of the Social Interactions Skills Scoring Protocol - Level 1 and Daily Living Skills Scoring Protocol - Level 1. These scoring protocols contain copies of the questionnaires that she must give to the persons concerned, the questions for the interview, and the grid that she must complete during the observation session. Mrs. Cole crosses out the sections that will not be assessed.

Since she will not use structured assessment as a means of assessment, Mrs. Cole does not consult the Preparing for the Structured Assessment guide.

She prepares the questionnaires to be given to James's parents and teacher. Only the subdomains Eating and Drinking Skills and Dressing Skills will be assessed, so she only includes those sections of the Daily Living Skills questionnaire. She puts the parents’ questionnaires in one envelope, and the teacher’s questionnaires in another.

She decides to observe James during recess and plans two sessions on her schedule. She informs the people who supervise the students outside.

She is now ready to do the assessment.