Evaluations Instruments Used Professionals References Discussion

When evaluating a child to determine qualification for special education, a variety of assessments may be used.  The following are types of tests that can be used to discover more information about an individual.  Not all tests are used or required to determine more information.  Testing determinations are made by professionals based on individual needs.

	Functional assessments involve interviews, questionnaires, observations and interactions with the individual in order to help determine reasons why certain behaviors, such as screaming, biting or head banging, are occurring.
	Play based assessments help to determine learning styles and interaction patterns of a child.  Generally the professional will interact with and observe the individual so information can be gathered.  Professionals can determine the level of the child's social, emotional, cognitive and communication development by using this method.
	Rating scales and developmental inventories help professionals to determine a child's social skills, coping skills and general self-help skills.  These types of evaluations are given to parents and people that have contact with the individual on a regular basis.
	Intelligence tests attempt to determine an individual's true abilities and potential to develop those abilities through verbal and nonverbal means.
	Achievement tests allow professionals to determine the level of development that individual has reached in his/her education.