Using the Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation

Measure SEAM™ with young children

Jane Squires, Ph.D.Misti Waddell, M.S.

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What is the SEAM?Social-Emotional

Assessment/Evaluation Measure

Programmatic tool for use with children and their adults/caregivers to foster positive social-emotional development

Curriculum-based assessment

3-Tiered Approach to Supporting Social- Emotional Development

Tier 3

Tier 2

Tier 1

Tier 2: Targeted Social-Emotional Support

“Systematic approaches to teaching social- emotional skills can have a preventive and remedial effect.”

Assists practitioners in • prevention and early identification of

social-emotional difficulties and behavior disorders

• development of functional, meaningful, measurable, high-quality goals and intervention content for children and caregivers

• optimizing positive parent-child interactions in the first years of life.

SEAM Purpose

The Linked System Framework

ASQ:SE™Screening

SEAMEvaluation

SEAMGoal

Development

SEAMIntervention

SEAMAssessmen

t

SEAM Components

SEAM

SEAM with Ages

SEAM Family Profile

Environmental Screening Questionnaire (ESQ)

3 Developmental Intervals:• Infant (2-18 months)• Toddler (18-36 months)• Preschool (36-66 months)

10 Benchmarks included in each interval• 3 - 8 items per benchmark

Completed by caregiver or by professional through interview with caregiver

SEAM

Toddler Cover Sheet

Generic Cover Sheet

1. Demonstrates healthy interactions with others

2. Expresses a range of emotions

3. Regulates social-emotional responses

4. Shows empathy for others

5. Shares attention and engagement

6. Demonstrates independence

7. Displays a positive self-image

8. Regulates attention and activity level

9. Complies with daily routines & requests

10. Shows a range of adaptive skills

SEAM Toddler Benchmarks

Allow caregiver to:• rate child’s performance on developmental items• indicate whether item is a concern• select item as a focus area (i.e., intervention goal)

SEAM: Child Assessment Items

SEAM ToddlerBenchmarks

1.0 Toddler participates in healthy interactions. (4)

2.0 Toddler expresses a range of emotions. (4)

3.0 Toddler regulates her social-emotional responses. (3)

4.0 Toddler begins to show empathy for others. (3)

5.0 Toddler shares attention and engages with others. (5)

SEAM Assessment Item Toddler (for developmental range 18-36 months)

✓ ✓✓

SEAM with AgesInfant (for developmental range 2-18 months)

✓ ✓ ✓

1. Prepare with the caregiver for the SEAM assessment process

2. Complete the SEAM assessment

3. Review results

SEAM Assessment Process

Identify administration procedure that meets family preferences and program requirements.

Possible administration methods include:• Home visit

• Parent/child group

• Send home with family

• Parent/teacher conference

Explain assessment purpose and procedures(see following slides)

Preparing with the Caregiver

The SEAM is a tool that provides a way to take a close

look at a child’s social-emotional development.focuses on skills children need to learn in order

to get along well with others, regulate their own emotions and behaviors, and develop a positive self image.

Helps to identify and support your child’s social-emotional development

Explaining SEAM purpose to caregivers

Read each item, consider the examples, and think about your child’s behavior before selecting an answer.

For some items, you may want to observe your child before selecting your response.

Remember, examples are there just to give you ideas about how the behavior might look. Your child may display the skills in a slightly different way.

Explaining SEAM procedures to caregivers

Response Options:There are four options for rating your child’s

behavior:• Very True (Consistently or most of the time)• Somewhat True (Sometimes, though not

consistently)• Rarely True (Only once in a while)• Not True (Doesn’t yet show skill)

Answer based on your personal experiences and what you know about your child.

There is also a place for you to indicate if any particular item is a concern for you or if you would like it to become a focus area or intervention goal.

Explaining SEAM procedures to caregivers

Completing SEAM Assessment

The SEAM and SEAM Family Profile can be completed by caregiver

Interview format is recommended

Include family members / friends if desired

Tailor caregiver participation to match individual needs and desires

Explain SEAM interval’s developmental range and omit questions developmentally irrelevant or culturally inappropriate

Review information with the parent/caregiverExplore differences between

teacher and parent perceptionsDiscuss concernsIdentify possible resources

and strategies Administer SEAM Family Profile

Reviewing SEAM Results

SEAM ScenarioAndrew

Using the SEAM results:1. Summarize Andrew’s strengths

2. Identify two possible intervention goals using the SEAM

SEAM Scenario: Andrew

Andrew’s SEAM

✓

✓

✓

✓

Andrew’s SEAM

✓

✓

✓

✓

SEAM Scenario: AndrewAndrew’s Strengths

• Andrew is curious and active and enjoys playing.• Andrew is affectionate and talks and plays with

others.• Andrew is a happy child; he smiles and laughs.• Andrew likes attention from his family and

engages in activities with them• Andrew seems to feel good about himself and his

accomplishments• Andrew looks at books and listens to stories that

are read to him• Andrew eats a variety of foods• Andrew cooperates with requests

Andrew’s SEAM

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

SEAM Scenario: Andrew

Intervention goals identified from caregiver-selected SEAM Toddler focus areas: After getting upset or engaging in exciting activity, Andrew will

learn to calm himself within 5 to 10 minutes.

While at the childcare center, Andrew will make a smooth transition between activities (e.g. going from to outdoor play to circle time).

After a bedtime story and good-night hug and kiss from his mother and/or father, Andrew will learn to fall asleep and remain asleep throughout the night.

Each morning when his mother drops Andrew at the childcare center, Andrew will separate with minimal upset after she gives him a hug and says good-bye

SEAM Family Profile

SEAM Family Profile

Assessment items address adult knowledge and behaviors that foster social-emotional development in children Assessment identifies areas where caregivers / parents need support and resources in order to provide a safe and responsive environment for their children.

SEAM Family Profile

Uses caregiver-friendly language

Allows caregivers to:• rate their understanding

of, and ability to foster their child’s development in, several developmental areas

• indicate whether they need more information about an assessment item

• select assessment items that are “focus areas” or areas of concern

Family Profile Benchmarks

Benchmarks

1.0 Responding to my child’s needs.

2.0 Providing appropriate type and level of activities.

3.0 Providing predictable schedules/routines.

4.0 Providing a safe home and play environment.

SEAM Family Profile Toddler (for developmental range 18-36 months)

✓

Check the “Not sure/need more info” box if the caregiver needs resources or more information from a professional.

Check the “Focus Area” triangle next to an item if the caregiver(s) would like to target the content addressed in the item.

Consider cultural appropriateness of each item and omit items that caregivers may find intrusive, disrespectful, or inappropriate.

Follow-up with the Environmental Screening Questionnaire (ESQ) if needed.

SEAM Family Profile Considerations

• To develop family outcomes

• To gather new information

SEAM Family Profile: How practitioners used the information--

SEAM Summary Form

SEAM Research

Test-retest Reliability

Inter-rater Reliability

SEAM Interval

DECA 2-12 months

ITSEA 12-36 months

ASQ:SE 3-36 months

Total score Compliance Negative Emotion

Pro-social Total score

Infant .754** .628** -.415* .651** -.557**

N 13 27 26 24 860

Toddler NA .564** -.261** .652** -.516**

N 119 120 120 162

* p < .05, Pearson two-tailed. ** p < .01, Pearson two-tailed.

Concurrent Validity

Mean Scores and Correlation with Age

Age in months N M r

SEAM for infants

235 .35**

0-6 49 84.32

7-12 153 93.49

13-18 33 97.61

SEAM for toddlers

56 .39**

19-24 20 82.39

25-30 19 86.83

31-36 17 92.59

N = 339Average time to complete: 9.38 minutesParents agreed or strongly agreed with

statements:• Questions were appropriate: 92.6%• Questions were useful: 95.3%• Items were clear: 90.6%• Alerted to skills caregiver was unsure about:

59.2%

Utility

From Parents:

• “The SEAM allowed me to put my thoughts out there.”

• “(Our conversation) felt non-judgmental because of the tool.”

• “If there is a concern it can be a helpful way to bring a parent on board.”

Utility

From Providers:

• “I liked having a tool to build from…”• “The SEAM helped me explain what to expect.”• “It felt more like a discovery tool than

judgment.”• “Using the SEAM took out the emotions and

allowed us to be objective—it brings the parent up to the ‘expert’ level.”

• “The SEAM makes it easier for the professional to ask the right questions.”

Utility

SummarySEAM™

Items are all competence skills (i.e., skills we want children to learn or develop)

Non-judgmental assessment (i.e., does not “identify” children)

Can promote conversations with parents focused on social-emotional development

Can be used to develop goals and monitor progress

Includes Family Profile that allows parents/caregivers to identify areas of strength as well as areas of needed support

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Questions and Answers

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