Preschool Assessment
This chapter describes the challenges that are unique to the assessment of the young child. A preschool child may not respond to standardized testing in a predictable way. A solid understanding of the developmental patterns of young children is necessary to accurately interpret evaluation results. The difficulties inherent in this process are described, as well as the benefits. The domains of the assessment process are outlined, including cognitive and learning ability, preacademic skill development, motor skills, and speech and language development. Issues related to behavior and attention are also addressed. Various approaches to preschool assessment are presented, including observational approaches in the natural setting as well as standardized testing, outlining benefits and cautions when working with this population.