Main Body
3 Child characteristics to consider in assessment planning
Learning Objectives
- Identify potential child factors that need special consideration in the assessment setting.
- Understand how to appropriately support children’s needs in order to maximize the potential for successful engagement in the assessment.
As with all assessments, it will be very important to thoroughly review the child’s history and records, interview caregivers and teachers, and if possible observe the child in a familiar environment prior to your assessment. Through this process, you will learn about the child’s communication methods, interests, and interaction style. Some things to consider when evaluating children with multiple, severe disabilities are as follows:
Many children with neuromotor conditions are easily fatigued. For some children, they are expending significant effort on tasks that for many others come with little or no effort. This includes things like maintaining upright posture, listening, walking, and talking. Therefore, consider whether you need to offer:
- Multiple short sessions
- Frequent breaks
- Appropriate seating support
- Materials presented in an ergonomically appropriate manner
It is common for children with neuromotor conditions to take longer to understand and respond (slow processing speed). To support these children, consider the need to:
- Pause to wait for the child’s responses
- Allow more time for the assessment
Children with neuromotor conditions may show a limited attention span and therefore may benefit from the following:
- Table free of distractions
- Presentation of only one thing at a time
- Brief, frequent “rewards”
New situations and new people may be stressful. If possible:
- Visit with the child prior to the day of the assessment or send a photo of yourself and the assessment room ahead of time
- Have a parent or other familiar caregiver in the room
- Ask about the child’s interests ahead of time so that you can have objects or toys of interest available
- Visit the child in a familiar environment, or request a video of them in a familiar environment
Some children with neuromotor conditions have special needs for personal care or accessibility which may mean you need to:
- Accommodate breaks for toileting, tube feeding, medications, or suction
- Have a caregiver present during the assessment to support medical needs
- Offer a later start time depending on the morning routine
- Have a wheelchair accessible office, table, and washroom. Your table should be tall enough so the wheelchair’s arms can fit underneath, and be at the right height for the person to work comfortably. If your table is not set up to have the arms of the wheelchair fit underneath, ask the family to bring a tray that attaches to the wheelchair. More information on this can be found in the next chapter.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding a child’s particular needs in terms of energy levels, attention, processing speed, and comfort in new situations is essential to assessment planning.
- Pay attention to wheelchair accessibility in your office (and particularly the work surface).
