Key Terms

Focused assessment

Refers to observations using adult-structured interactions to elicit specific behaviors that usually occur within the context of familiar activities and situations. The assessor concentrates multiple behaviors across different areas into a single situation and uses specific strategies to elicit targeted skills.

Structured play observations

Structured assessments that are specifically designed to assess play behaviors. They usually consist of checklists or rating scales and involve predefined procedural protocols specifying the environment, toys used, and strategies for eliciting behaviors. Some may also use normed scales or developmental levels to rate a child’s behaviors.

Nonstructured play observations

A type of observation in which play is most often used as a context for assessing behaviors across multiple domains of development. The child is observed in spontaneous play with a caregiver or another adult without restrictions on environment, toys, or timing.

Judgment-based assessment

A systematic method for rating behaviors based on professional judgment and expertise rather than on explicit criteria. It focuses on assessing broad dimensions of behavior, including tolerance for frustration, task persistence, attention, engagement, and motivation.

Arena assessment

A type of transdisciplinary assessment in which one person interacts with the child while other team members observe, record observations, and score on identical or different tests. Observers are typically seated in a circle around the child.

Concentrated encounters

Assessment situations that represent real-life events and familiar interaction experiences but are condensed and focused by teacher direction to yield more information in less time.

Nonstandardized elicitations

An assessment approach in which the adult takes an active role within naturalistic situations by suggesting certain tasks and probes in order to elicit particular responses from the child.