Putting It All Together

Evaluation and assessment in early intervention and preschool special education is a complex process of gathering and synthesizing multiple sources of information to make data-informed decisions impacting eligibility determination, IFSP/IEP development, and specialized interventions/education for infants, toddlers and preschool children with disabilities and their families.

The rich information gathered throughout the initial and ongoing evaluation and assessment process helps the family and team identify priorities and develop meaningful, functional IFSP outcomes or IEP goals.  While knowing the regulatory requirements and recommended practices involved in evaluation and assessment is critical, gathering and synthesizing evaluation and assessment information utilizing family-centered practices can provide the most authentic information for identifying and enhancing natural learning opportunities for children and families.

Putting evaluation and assessment results all together can assist team members to make on-going data-informed decisions about a child’s progress on IFSP/IEP outcomes and monitor how the child is functioning in relationship to typical peers.