1 Behavioral Observation and Screening in Child Care Module 1: Introduction and Overview

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Behavioral Behavioral Observation and Observation and

ScreeningScreeningin Child Carein Child Care



Module 1: Introduction and Module 1: Introduction and OverviewOverview

Behavioral Observation and Screening2

Observation & Screening___________ is when a child care worker recognizes

and notes an identifiable performance or behavior and uses instruments such as checklists, anecdotal records and running records. The instruments are used to measure progress against a standard and to share results with assessment experts.__________ means an instrument intended to identify and monitor normal development or possible developmental delay. Screening programs are not diagnostic, and are not based on whether a child has passed a certain curriculum.


Tommy• can stand on his tiptoes, but cannot yet turn

somersaults.• can sing much of the “ABC” song, but doesn’t yet

recognize letters.• is easily frustrated, and hasn’t yet begun to work on

showing emotion in more socially acceptable ways.• can scribble back and forth with a crayon, but cannot

yet use scissors.• is beginning to share, but is not yet very cooperative.

-does this sound like a familiar child?-are his skills about where you would expect them to be?-is this behavior normal?


Key Point

The caregiver must use a child’s ____ in order to interpret the child’s __________.

• National statistics show only ____ of infants has any ___________ disabling conditions at the time of their birth, but by school-age, approximately ___ of all children are found to have some degree of developmental ___________.

How can we identify those 10% of children earlier in life rather than later?

________________________________________________________________________________________________


Why Do We Need this Course? Required by ___________ Licensing

Standards; Child Care Facilities (1) __________ STANDARDS.--The department shall establish licensing standards that each licensed child care facility must meet regardless of the origin or source of the fees used to operate the facility or the type of children served by the facility. (a) The standards shall be designed to address the following areas: 1. The health, sanitation, safety, and adequate physical surroundings for all children in child care. 2. The health and nutrition of all children in child care. 3. The child development needs of all children in child

care.

AND…


(2) _________.--Minimum standards for child care personnel shall include minimum requirements as to: (d) Minimum training requirements for child care personnel. 1. Such minimum standards for training shall ensure that all child care personnel and operators … take an approved _____________ introductory course in child care, …


Key Point

The Florida ___________ has mandated that child care providers complete a course that covers the topic of ___________ of developmental behaviors, including using a checklist or other similar observation tools and techniques, to determine the child’s developmental age level.

Other reasons? Modern ________ & societal realities have

created the need for an ________ and aware care giver; it is entirely possible to have parents who are unfamiliar with their child’s evolving skills & abilities; it is often the child care worker who has the best opportunity to _______ the child between breakfast & dinner, which are the bulk of the child’s wakeful hours.


Activity: Parental Contact Hours Vs. Caregiver Contact

Hours6:15 a.m. Lucy wakes up, eats, gets dressed, brushes her teeth and hair

7:00 a.m. Lucy’s mom puts her in the car and they leave for child care – they talk and listen to the morning traffic report all the way to school,

7:30 a.m. Lucy’s mom carries her inside, signs her in, gives her hugs and kisses.

7:35 a.m. Lucy’s mom leaves for work.

Lucy spends the day in her child care program. 6:00 p.m. Lucy’s mom picks her up from child care

6:30 p.m. They arrive home – Lucy watches cartoons while her mom makes dinner and then they eat. Lucy watches television while her mom cleans up the dinner dishes.

7:30 p.m. Lucy and her mom either read books, watch television, or talk during bath time.

8:15 p.m. Lucy brushes her teeth and puts on her pajamas.

8:30 p.m. Lucy gives her mom hugs, kisses, and goes to sleep.


Key Point

Parents could be _______ of the signs of _____________ delay. It is the child care provider who can help identify a child who might _______ from professional intervention.


Key Benefits of Developmental Screening

• Early detection of problems allows for timely referral for ____________.

• The caregiver’s attention can be focused on activities that __________ the child’s skills.

• Increased volume and quality of information available to the parents regarding “in-the-home” activities that _______ normal development.

• Provides a common reference point and basis for

interaction for _______, __________ _______, and _____ development

specialists.


Key Point

Proper _________ leads to sound assessment so that early _________ of potential developmental delays will determine the correct ________ and intervention.

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Module 2: Child Module 2: Child Development and Development and

Developmental DelayDevelopmental Delay

Development in the Human Brain

A few years ago, some researchers tried an interesting experiment…

“_____________________” – period during which the development of specialized connections are favored.


Development in the Human Brain

- We learn throughout our lives, but it seems that there are early periods during which our brains most easily acquire the basic foundations for later ___ development.

- If we miss an early window of opportunity, some later development is more difficult or even sometimes ___________ compromised.

- When we discover that a child is struggling with a developmental task, we can involve that child in activities and exercises that place _____ emphasis on the skills he

needs to acquire.

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What is a Developmental Disability?

Developmental disability –

Appropriate support in the first three years of life of a child with special needs is called __________________________, and the sooner intervention services begin the better.

Two specific developmental disabilities that you may see in children in your care are:•Autism –

•Down syndrome -

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Inclusion_____________________________________(ADA): a federal law that requires child care programs to comply with specific accessibility guidelines to support children with developmental disabilities. Achieving inclusion may require special training for staff members, enhanced learning opportunities for children, or adaptive or modified materials, toys, & equipment.The_______________________________________, IDEA, ensures that children with disabilities ages 3 to 1 receive a free & appropriate public education & that early intervention services are provided to eligible infants & toddlers.When child care programs fully support children with developmental disabilities, they are said to be ________________ Programs can be inclusive by:

• Using ____________________________________• establishing a routine and schedule• fostering __________________• nurturing _________________________________• facilitating imaginative play• assisting families in meeting their _________________

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Positive Behavior Supports The best way to guide the behavior of children with

developmental disabilities is to use ____________________________________ while providing developmentally appropriate individualized care.

3 Types of positive behavior supports are: •Prevention is a

•Redirection is a

•Positive reinforcement is a


Key Point

Caregivers must have a solid _____________ of child development in relation to age divisions and be aware that all interactions with a child have an ______ on the child’s development and learning. It is important to be conscious of what the child is ________ while in your care.


Principles of Child Development

Development in young children occurs _______ and typically progresses in ______.

Early childhood educators must recognize not only the existence of general stages and _________ of development, but also the enormous _________ that there is between children. It is quite normal for there to be variation in the patterns and timing of growth and development.


Key Point

All children _______ at their own rates because each child is ______. Heredity and environment work together to make each child special and different from all others. Together, these factors account for the individual variations you see in children.

Skills are acquired in a _______ sequence. A sequence or pattern of development consists of ___________ steps along a developmental pathway that is common for the majority of children.

A sequence of development is an important __________ that the child is moving steadily forward along a sound _____________ continuum.


Key Point

Developmental ________ is rarely smooth and even. Irregularities, such as periods of stammering, characterize development. Periodic __________ is normal and should be expected.


Key Point

_____ experiences and opportunities to ________ new skills are important.


Key Point

________ influences are important. The social setting and culture the child lives in __________ the ways the child grows and develops.

_______ is made up of all those factors in an environment that are ________ by the group as the norm. Culture includes _________, values, laws, beliefs, and ways of doing things, etc…


Developmental Domains

• _______________: refers to the changes in body shape and proportion; changes in weight, height, head circumference, visual perception, etc

• _________________: refers to a child’s ability to move about & control various body parts; such as grasping, rolling over, sitting, etc.

• _________ Development & General _________: refers to the child’s intellectual or mental abilities; such as finding, procession & organizing information, and using it appropriately; interpreting, sorting, etc

Developmental Domains• ________ & _____________: refers to a child’s ability to

express himself verbally and to receive and understand the verbal communication of others; ability to learn vocabulary & grammar; reading, writing & the ability to construct an understanding of things around them.

• ______ & _________: focuses on how children feel about themselves & their relationships with others; refers to children’s individual behaviors and responses to play and work activities, attachments to parents & caregivers, & relationships with siblings & friends.

• ______________________: refers to how skills & knowledge are acquired through the three qualities of eagerness and curiosity; persistence; & creativity &

problem-solving.


Age DivisionsFor the purpose of this course, we will

talk about children using the same divisions as the Florida __________________ Performance Standards

Birth to 8 months

8 to 18 months

18 to 24 months

24 to 36 months

3 year-olds (36 to 48 months)



School-Agers (+5 years)


Age-level Expectancies

• Age-level expectancies represent a _____ (rather than an exact point in time) when specific skills will be achieved.

• Age expectancies for specific skills should always be interpreted as approximate _________ in a range of months.

• It is ________ and not age that is the important factor in evaluating a child’s progress.

Refer to Cognitive Dev & Gen Know Chart p 478

Using Chart…what age?

• Laughs & shows pleasure at interaction

• Digs through sand to find hidden toys• Inspects own hands & feet• Repeats words over & over• Begins to smile as a social interaction• Reaches out when wanting to be

picked up.

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Module 3: Observation and Module 3: Observation and Screening BasicsScreening Basics


Do’s

DO NOT’s

Does supervision of several 4 year olds in a child care classroom require the same type of attention as observing one 4 year old child for developmental progress? _____

Caring for a group of children & ________ a specific child during a screening are very __________ tasks that require different levels of care & attention. This is an __________ distinction to keep in mind when thinking about observation.

Penny Observation

• Front of Penny:

• Back of Penny:

Video: Observing Young Children: Learning to

Look, Looking to Learn


Penny Observation


Key Point

Participants should always make _____ during the observation process. Making notes before or after the ___________ process can compromise results.

Playdough Observation


Key Point

Participants must be _________ in their observations. __________ information is open to interpretation and is not useful for describing behavior.

Do’s & Don’tsDo’s:

Don’ts:


General Observational Guidelines for Caregivers

1.

2.

3.

4.


Tools for Recording Observations of Children

• __________

• _________________

• _______________

All of these tools use written words or checklists to record the behaviors that have been observed.

__________

Are ____ tools to guide your observations and to record them. Can be standardized or can be developed by the teacher to ________ behaviors that are going to be observed & then to record the observations by checking the box that best _________ the behavior that has been observed.

Example: Make eye contact with the pictures? Always Sometimes Never

_________ Records

Short, _______ narrative descriptions of a child’s ________. Should be fact-based and should not include judgements.

Example: “Jimmy, age 4, played in the library center today and selected a book. He sat with the book for 5 minutes turning the pages and looking at the pictures.”

_______ Records

_______ to anecdotal records; during a specific period of time, the observer ______ everything the child does and says; especially helpful in looking at ______ behaviors.

Example: 1:00 pm Jimmy sits in the library center 1:05 pm Jimmy picks “Polar Bear, Polar Bear” 1:07 pm Jimmy turns the book so the cover is facing him. 1:08 pm Jimmy opens the book & tells the story in his own

words. 1:10 pm Jimmy puts the book on the shelf & goes

to the block center.


Tools for Recording Observations of Children

• Record only _____.• Record every ______ – don’t leave out

anything.• Take _____ notes throughout the day,

but fill in the details as soon as possible.

• Use ______ words that describe but do not judge.

• Record the _____ in the order they occur.

These are DO’S!


Key Point

Observing of children in _______ settings lets the observer report what the child is able to do in an environment that supports the child to _______ her best.


Observation Skills• The observer must be totally _________.• Make sure there is ______________ for the

observation.• Make sure that ____________ are kept to a

minimum.• Use an area that is ________ to the child.• Make sure you build a relationship with the _____

and the _______.

• Do not try to observe more than _______ at a time.

• Do not influence the child’s _________ by your presence.

Screening Scenarios

Q1. You are preparing to screen your favorite student. She is always happy. Her parents always pick her up on time. Her lunches from home are always nutritious. She always gets along with the other children. She even sleeps at nap time. Is there anything you need to be careful of during the screening?

A1.

Q2. You check the screening schedule and realize that you are two children behind. It is a slow day and you are fully staffed. You take those two children, plus the child scheduled for today into the office where you will not be disturbed. You knock out all three screenings in 20 minutes. Do you believe your results truly represent the children’s abilities? What are the problems with this observation?

A2.

Q3. A screening item asks the child to cut a piece of paper in half using safety scissors. You realize that you only have left-handed adult scissors, which are inappropriate for the task. Instead of endangering the child, you mark on the checklist that the child is “not yet able” to perform the task. What kinds of problems are there with this decision?

A3.

Q4. There is a new child in your child care program. He started two days ago. He is shy and stands near the wall a lot, especially when adults are around. Right before lunch, you begin a screening and find that he did not perform well at all. What kinds of mistakes were made in this screening?

A4.

________ Observation

• Allows you to interact with children directly and ask them to do certain things.

_____ Observation• You do not hide the fact that you are observing a child’s actions.

___________ Observation

• The observer is concealed behind a screen or a 2-way mirror and does not interact with the child.

______ Observation• When the children are not told that they are being observed.


Key Point

The ___ major developmental domains are: ________ Health, _____ Development, _________ Development & General Knowledge, ________ & Communication, Approaches to Learning, and _______ & Emotional.

Behavior-Dev Domain

• Child not able to balance on one foot

• Child played alone during outdoor activities for 4 days in a row.

• Child was able to tell you what snack he was eating

• _______

• _______ & ____________

• ________

Behavior-Dev Domain

• Child able to identify the colors red, yellow, blue.

• Child has a healthy appetite.

• Child able to stay on task while learning a new skill.

• ________

• ________

• __________ to ________


Key Point

_________ means an instrument intended to ________ and monitor normal development or possible developmental _____. Screening programs are not __________, and are not based on whether a child has passed a certain curriculum.


Developmental Screening• The _________ process can not confirm a

disability. • Screening helps to ________ children that

could benefit from early childhood intervention programs.

• Most screening instruments are _______ into the categories of physical, cognitive, language, and social/emotional.

• The social/_________ developmental domain is more difficult to test.

Important because they indicate possible ______ and identify children who may _______ from early ____________.


Considerations When Choosing a Screening Instrument

•The screening instrument should _______ a comfortable and positive experience for the child.

•The screening instrument should have a report on the ___________ and validity of the data.

•The screening instrument should provide score data from a tested population that is used to _______ against the results of the children in your care.

•When choosing the screening instrument ____ is an important consideration. ______ minutes is the standard amount of time for a preschool child.

Choosing instrument cont

•Consider the ____ of the instrument. The instrument should be effective and affordable.

•Choose an instrument that is designed to test children ___ at a time, not in ______.

•The person that ________ the screening should have an understanding of the screening process and some __________ in child growth and development.

•Consider your ________ process. The results of the screening should be useful to the specialist who performs the assessment.

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Module 4: Screening Module 4: Screening InstrumentsInstruments


ScreeningThe main purpose of any good screening tool is to identify children who are in need of further evaluation to determine whether they are candidates for _________________________. However, useful screening tools need to do more than just describe behaviors. A useful first-level screening program should be practical for assessing large numbers of children, and do so:

– __________– __________– __________


Key Point

The Florida Legislature has mandated ________ for developmental delays but has not mandated the use of any specific instrument. Child care providers are encouraged to use whichever __________ _____ works best for them.

Types of Screening Tools Used to Identify Learning Issues with Young

Children• ______________ screening instruments:

focus on observation & provide initial information that can facilitate learning.

• ___________ screenings: measure knowledge or skills a child has learned.

• Social-emotional/__________ screenings: brief screenings that target social-emotional issues.

Types of Tools cont.

• __________ screenings: brief achievement type screenings geared to screen whether a child is ready to benefit from a specific program.

• _____________ assessments: assessments based on children’s work in the classroom focused on measuring a child’s performance.

Types of Tools cont.• ______ or Multi-domain: screening focuses

on a single or several domains. (Brigance Diag Inv of Ear Dev)

• ______ Completed assessment: parents write a narrative of their child’s skills as they have observed them, & then child care providers convert this info into measurable information.(Ages & Stages)

• ____________/Norm Referenced: child compared to others who are similar to him in age & level of dev. (Battelle Dev Inv)

• ____________: a child’s emotional state in a variety of situations is tested clinically.

Examples of Screening Instruments

• Four popular instruments used in child care environments: The ____ & ______ Questionnaire (ASQ); ________ Screens; the ________ Developmental Inventory Screening Test; and the ______ __________ Inventory-Revised (ESI-R).

Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)

Categories: Standardized/Norm Referenced, Parent Assessment, Multi-Domain

Ages: ___________________________-cost, reliable way to screen infants &

young children for developmental delays during the __________. Takes only about 10-15 minutes, covers 5 key developmental areas:communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, & personal/social.

Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI-2)

Categories: Standardized-Norm Referenced, Multi-Domain

Ages:________________________Purpose is “screening, diagnosis, &

evaluation of early development and measures the following areas: personal-social, adaptive, _____, communication, & _________ ability.” Takes 10-30 minutes for screening, 1-2 hours for complete inventory.

Brigance Screens

Categories: Standardized-Norm Referenced, Multi-Domain

Ages:_______________________Uses 9 separate forms, approx one for

each 12 month age range; tap ______-language & general knowledge, & for the youngest age group, ______-emotional skills; the K & I screens measure reading and math skills.

Early Screening Inventory-Revised (ESI-

R)Categories: Standardized-Norm Tested

Ages:______________Brief developmental screening;

available for two age groups-_________ and kindergarten; includes _______ questionnaire.

Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

Categories: Standardized/Norm Tested

Ages:___________________Designed to be short (one minute)

_________ measures used to regularly monitor the development of ___________ and early reading skills.

The Florida School Readiness Uniform

Screening System (SRUSS)

• Collection of screening tools chosen by _________

• To obtain information about all children entering _______ school.

• Administered within the first ________ of each school year


Instruments that are not standardized or norm-referenced may not be _________ indicators of dev delays, learning challenges or disability.

Sound screening tools are: • ________• ________• ________


Common Elements of

Screening Instruments • A ______________ system for tracking the individual

children as they progress through the program;• ___________ sheets where you record the child’s name,

parents’ names, the child’s age at the time of the screening, name of the screener and their relationship to the child (parent, child care provider, nurse, doctor);

• A series of _________ you answer reflecting the child’s abilities;

• ________ sheets on which you record the child’s actions and responses;

• ______________ scale for locating the child’s data in relation to the norms of other children their age;

• ___________ guide to help with the screening results (continue screening at next

interval, referral).


Key Point

There are many _________ tools available. A child care program’s style, staffing, approach to learning, _________ and level of parental involvement are all important factors in choosing an instrument.


Key Point

__________ used for observation and screening activities must match the age of the child being screened.


________ Age

When using a screening instrument, we need to make adjustments for children under the age of 2 who were born premature. We call this calculation a child’s adjusted age.

To calculate: _____________ Age

- # of weeks _________ Adjusted Age

Using a Screening Tool.


Key Point

Many items in specific _______ are representative of children’s skills at specific ages. Observers use common sense, avoid literal ____________, and occasionally make substitutions when tools mention a ________ tool or toy.

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Module 5: Screening Module 5: Screening ProceduresProcedures

Involving ________

Amount of ________ involvement is dependent on the type of instrument you are using.

Important to engage parents: parents must give __________; have information to share on child’s ________ at home & other settings; key in appropriate resources if further __________ is needed.


Key Point

It is important to involve ________ as full partners in the ___________ observation and screening process.


Four Basic Tasks• _________: Planning the process you will use,

identifying how you will engage parents and at what points in the process, obtaining the materials if any are needed, developing forms.

• ___________: Identifying the time and location for the activity, scheduling staff or substitutes if the activity requires 1:1 attention to an individual child.

• __________: Obtaining permission from parents, conducting the activity, recording the activity, scoring the activity if appropriate, working with parents.

• _______________: Talking with parents, beginning to identify the next steps.


Key Point

The four basic tasks involved in __________ and maintaining a successful __________ observation and screening process are: organizing, scheduling, executing and follow through.


Identifying __________ that Work

• ____________ with Parents: gain support & permission

• Planning and __________ Screening Activities: basic info from enrollment form; keeping records in child’s folder

• Initial ________-through: let parents see copy of screening tool; what’s next?


Key Point

Obtaining parental __________ to screen is the first step of any observation and screening activity. Obtaining this ___________ should be built into the enrollment process.


Key Point

It is important to ___________ the results of the __________ activity with the parents and to help parents identify the appropriate next step.

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Module 6: Referral Process Module 6: Referral Process and Resourcesand Resources


Next Steps

Remember, child care professionals screen children. We do NOT ________ children. Child care professionals share their ____________ and screening with families for further evaluation by other professionals. Trained professionals will complete formal assessments and make a diagnosis, NOT child care professionals. ____________ your scoring.


Key Point

_____________ to screen a child does not give you permission to make a ________ or to share the results of the screening with another professional outside your organization without the parent’s permission.

Communicating Screening Results with

Parents• ________ a specific time to discuss results & concerns with parents.

• Explain that the screening identified some concerns about the child’s ______________ & further assessment is in order.

• Explain you are using a “__________” screening tool.

• Show where child did well; _______ strengths• ________ scores & ask for confirmation of

your observations; do they see same at home?

• Use understandable ___________; be prepared to explain some technical terms.

• Inform them that for preschool age children, further __________ is available at no cost to the family.

• _______ that within your program the results will be kept ____________.

• Talk about any other concerns you have.• ______ all the questions you can.• Request __________ to contact a service

provider or local agency.• Ask parent to sign a release of

information form, to give info to another agency.


Key Point

_____________ with parents is important. You must be clear about the need for assessment and its ________ to the child.

Talking to Local Service Providers

• _________ the parents to make the first call to service providers. If the parent wants you to make the contact, be sure you have obtained parental permission.

• You may also be asked to ___________ in any subsequent evaluations

• You may be asked to make your program center available for visits from various __________.


Key Point

It is a best ________ to encourage parents to make the _____ call to the service-providing agency.

Referral Resources(be familiar with these programs)

• EIP(________________________________________________)

• FDLRS/Child Find (_____________________________________)

• For Children Less than 3 years old (_________________________)

• For Children Older than 3 years old (_________________________)


Key PointFollow-up __________ services are available to all Florida children, when indicated by observation and screening through the _____ ____________ Program operated by the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System. The specific providers differ from region to region so you must identify referral sources in your local area.

Documents

1 Behavioral Observation and Screening in Child Care Module 1: Introduction and Overview