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Age-expected, immediate foundational, or foundational?

Important developmental concepts for understanding how to use the COS rating process are the concepts of age-expected (AE), immediate foundational (IF), and foundational (F) skills. Some of the skills and behaviors that develop early serve as the foundation for later skills and behavior. In several instances later skills build upon earlier skills in predictable ways. For example, children typically roll over, sit, crawl, and stand independently before they walk. Early childhood development proceeds through several levels of foundational skills, with skills and behavior becoming more complex and more proficient as children get older. All skills that lead to higher levels of functioning are foundational; however, the set of skills and behavior that occur developmentally just prior to age-expected functioning can be described as the immediate foundational skills in that they are the most recent set of foundational skills that children master and move beyond. Foundational (F) skills lead to immediate foundational (IF) skills which then lead to age-expected (AE) functioning.

A child with functioning like that of a slightly younger child is probably showing immediate foundational skills, as her functioning does not meet age expectations, but she demonstrates skills and behaviors that occur during typical development just prior to age-expected functioning (and are the basis on which to build age-expected functioning). A child with functioning that might be described as like that of a much younger child does not meet age expectations, nor does she demonstrate skills and behaviors that immediately precede age-expected functioning. She has foundational skills, but is not yet at an immediate foundational level.

It is also important to note that some foundational skills get replaced by newer skills whereas others continue in children's (and adults) repertoires throughout life. The nature of interacting with other children changes fundamentally as children get older. On the other hand, skills like making eye contact, turn-taking, and eating with a fork get incorporated into more sophisticated routines, but never really disappear.

Can you identify the skill that is foundational, immediate foundational, and age expected?

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Understanding the age established expectations for development and how it fits with the 7-point rating scale is critical to determining a child's progress during the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) process. Maryland developed the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Ratings and Maryland COS Descriptors with Buckets resource to assist teams in arriving at a child rating and in determining the child's progress. Take a moment to visit and bookmark this resource. Review each rating and description, noting the language in bold that guides you to think about age-established expectations for children. We will return to this resource and how it can be used to facilitate the rating process during the upcoming training.