ECRI: Manuscripts
Toward a Technology of Dynamic Indicators of Communicative Expression for Infants and Toddlers
(47 pages)
Abstract: Proficiency in expressive communication is an
important outcome in early childhood necessary for cognitive
and social development. In two studies, this manuscript
reports the development of an experimental measure for
assessing growth in expressive communication in children
birth to three years. The measure was developed using
general outcome measurement (GOM) procedures (Deno, 1997;
Fuchs & Deno, 1991). GOMs are uniquely appropriate for use
in the identification of children having difficulty
acquiring a socially valid outcome, like expressive
communication, and evaluating the effectiveness of
interventions for these children. Results from a sample of
25 infants and toddlers in Study I demonstrated the
development and feasibility of these measures. Results from
a sample of 50 infants and toddlers repeatedly assessed for
nine months in Study II indicated that the measure displayed
adequate psychometric properties of reliability and validity
and was sensitive to growth over time. Implications for use
are discussed.
Best Practices in Assessment of Intervention Results with
Infants and Toddlers
(31 pages)
Overview: Public policy (PL 99-457, amended by PL
102-119) mandates that preschool aged children with
disabilities and their families receive early intervention
services, and many states have extended these services to
families with infants and toddlers (DEC, 1993). While states
vary with regard to the ways in which they identify and
serve infants and toddlers with developmental needs, the
school psychologist often serves a key role in determining
eligibility for services, linking children and families to
appropriate interventions, and then determining whether
interventions are truly meeting children’s and families’
needs. This chapter focuses on the role of the school
psychologist in carrying out those functions. Specifically,
the paper will describe the basic knowledge and skills
school psychologists need in addressing the unique
challenges in assessing infants and young children. Then the
chapter focuses on the emerging area of assessing early
intervention results and offers a specific approach for
progress monitoring for infants and toddlers being developed
by the Early Childhood Research Institute on Measuring
Growth and Development (ECRI-MGD).
Best Practices in Measuring Growth and Development of
Preschool Children
(32 pages)
Overview: This chapter describes Individual Growth and
Development Indicators for preschool-aged children.
Preschool Individual Growth and Development Indicators (or
IGDIs) are quick, efficient, and repeatable measures of
correlates or components of developmental performance
designed for use with children 30 to 66 months of age.
Preschool IGDIs sample child performance in each major
developmental domain (i.e., language, social, cognitive,
motor, and adaptive), with a special emphasis on assessment
related to long-term developmental outcomes that are common
across the early childhood years, are functional, and are
related to later competence in home, school, and community
settings. Preschool IGDIs are one of a growing class of
general outcome measures (like curriculum-based measurement)
for monitoring child development and achievement and for
producing data that support an ongoing and comprehensive
decision-making or problem-solving model of assessment and
intervention.