Multidimensional Approaches

There are numerous multidimensional approaches utilized during evaluation and assessment of birth through five year olds and their families.

Two broad approaches to evaluation and assessment, quantitative and qualitative, emphasize different procedures, methods and tools to review a child’s abilities and challenges and performance in daily activity settings.  Diagnostic assessment results, anecdotal observation notes, and parent discussion and report are representative of quantitative and qualitative measures.  These measures are utilized in all of the five developmental areas in early intervention and in all of the required areas and indicated domains in preschool special education.

Collaborative teaming approaches function as a vehicle for multidimensional assessment.  Models for collaborative teaming are typically either multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary. The federal requirement for a multidisciplinary team evaluation implies at least this model of team functioning.  However, interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary models may also be utilized to optimize collaborative team functioning.