Jeryn Waldera

Scavenger Hunt-Assessments used in Hudson School District

Informal Assessments
All informal assessments listed below can be used with students
who are diagnosed with Learning Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities,
Autism, and Emotional Behavior Disabilities. The School Psychologist or
Special Education Teacher may complete this type of assessment.
Observations
Observations are used to observe students in their natural
environment. They are used because they can show how a student
operates in the environment. It can provide behavioral, sensory, motor,
academic, and social data. Many observations are conducted
throughout the day, month, or year. Observations are easy to conduct
and can be easily incorporated into a classroom routine.
Interviews (parents, teachers, student)
Interviews can be used to ask more specific questions. It can also
shed light on how they perform at home and how the student
themselves feels they perform.
**With students diagnosed with learning disabilities, it may also
be important to look at their attendance, office discipline referrals, and
appropriate instruction.

Formal Assessments
Academic Achievement Measures
Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement
This test is used to assess students with Learning Disabilities,
Intellectual Disabilities, Autism, and Emotional Behavior Disabilities.
This test is a norm-referenced test that is administered individually. It is
conversational in nature and given orally. The Woodcock-Johnson
includes five subtests to assess reading recognition, reading
comprehension, math, and science, social studies, and humanities.
Children are assessed at their appropriate level. They are not confined
to questions based on their chronological age, which means they can
work towards higher material. Once a child receives 3-6 consecutive
incorrect answers (depending on the subtest), that subtest is complete.
Once the test is scored, it provides a grade equivalency and percentile
score in each subtest area. The School Psychologist or the Special
Education Teacher can complete this test.
Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement

This test is used to assess students with Learning Disabilities,

Intellectual Disabilities, Autism, and Emotional Behavior Disabilities.
The School Psychologist or Special Education Teacher administers this
test. It is administered to students in 1st grade through 12th grade. The
brief form takes a sample in reading, math, and spelling. The
comprehensive form is a criterion-referenced assessment that
measures specific skills in reading decoding and comprehension, math
applications and computations, and spelling. Once scored, the results
can be easily compared to previous IQ scores. This test provides
academic information about the student.
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test
This test is used to assess students with Learning Disabilities,
Intellectual Disabilities, Autism, and Emotional Behavior Disabilities.
The School Psychologist or Special Education Teacher administers this
test. The purpose is the measure academic strengths and weaknesses
of a student. It can be given to students 4 years to 19 years. It includes
16 subtests: listening comprehension, oral expression, early reading
skills, word reading, word decoding, reading comprehension, oral
reading fluency, alphabet writing fluency, spelling, sentence
composition, essay composition, math problem solving, numerical
operations, and math fluency (addition, subtraction, multiplication).
The format is direct assessment.
Test of Early Mathematics Ability, Test of Early Reading Ability, Test of
Early Writing Ability
This test is used to assess students with Learning Disabilities,
Intellectual Disabilities, Autism, and Emotional Behavior Disabilities.
The School Psychologist or Special Education Teacher administers this
test. The Test of Early Reading Ability is administered to students ages
4-9 to measure reading ability. The test of Early Mathematics Ability is
administered to students ages 3-8 to measure math performance. The
Test of Early Writing Ability is administered to students ages 4-10 to
measure written language skills.
Cognitive Measures
These tests are completed only if the person who made the referral or
team member believes there are cognitive concerns.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children
This test is used to assess students with Learning Disabilities,
Intellectual Disabilities, Autism, and Emotional Behavior Disabilities.
The School Psychologist administers this test. It is administered orally
and does not require reading or writing. It can be given to students as
young as 6 years old. This test, once scored, yields the students IQ.
There are 16 subtests that include: block design, similarities, digit

span, picture concepts, coding, vocabulary, letter-number sequencing,

matrix reasoning, comprehension, symbol search, pictures completion,
cancellation, information, arithmetic, word reasoning, and perceptual
reasoning index.
Stanford Binet
This test is used to assess students with Learning Disabilities,
Intellectual Disabilities, Autism, and Emotional Behavioral Disabilities.
The School Psychologist administers this test. This is a popular
intelligence test that measures intelligence (IQ). It can be used with
children as young as 2 years old. This test measures verbal reasoning,
abstract/visual reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and short-term
memory. The score of this test can estimated the level at which the
student is functioning.
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children
This test is used to assess students with Learning Disabilities,
Intellectual Disabilities, Autism, and Emotional Behavioral Disabilities.
The School Psychologist administers this test. It is administered to
students ages 2.5-12.5. The purpose is to provide planning and
placement in an educational setting, assesses neurological functioning,
and research. The test score estimates the level at which the student is
currently functioning.
Adaptive Measures
Adaptive Behavior Assessment System
This test is used to assess students with Autism or Intellectual
Disabilities. It is a behavior rating scale that is completed by a
parent/caregiver and/or teacher. Self-rating is available for adults. It is
used to assess adaptive skills across a students life span. It can be
given from birth to 89 years of age. The three major areas are
conceptual, social, and practical. The skill areas assessed are
communication, community use, functional academics, safety and
health, living in home and school, leisure, motor abilities, self-care, selfdirection, social, and work. The tests main focus is everyday activities
that meet environmental demands and independence.
Behavior Measures
Autism
Autism Diagnostic Observation System
This test allows the administrator to assess the communication,
social interaction, and play skills of student diagnosed with autism. It
can be given to students 12 months through adulthood. During this
assessment the administrator observes the occurrence or nonoccurrence of behaviors that are identified as important to the
diagnosis of autism across multiple developmental levels and

chronological ages. The student is given 30-45 minutes to demonstrate

the desired behaviors. All of the tasks presented are intended to
promote participation. This provides standardized contexts to observe
the social and communicative behaviors of individuals diagnosed with
autism.
Gilliam Autism Rating Scale
This is administered by teachers and/or given to parents to
complete. It allows for identification of autism and it estimates the
severity. The rating scale consists of rating the student on restrictive
behaviors, repetitive behaviors, social interaction, social
communication, emotional responses, cognitive style, and maladaptive
speech.
Emotional Behavioral Disability
Conners Rating Scale
This rating scale contains a parent form, teacher form, and
student self-report form. In addition, there is a standalone form
(Clinical Index) that allows for a quick pre-evaluation to see if further
evaluation is warranted. It is used to assess behaviors, emotions,
academic, and social issues. The results of the rating link to the DSM-5
to aid in the diagnostic process, developing interventions, and evaluate
the effectiveness of interventions.
Anxiety Scale
The Anxiety Scale measures a students anxiety based on their
anxious mood, tension, fears, insomnia, somatic complaints and
behavior. It can also aid in assessing severity. Its major value is to
record the results of psychotherapy rather than be used as a
diagnostic/screening tool. It is interview based and takes roughly 15-20
minutes to complete and score. Each of the items are scored on a 5
point scale (0:not present to 4:severe).
Autism and Emotional Behavioral Disability
Behavior Assessment System for Children
This assessment is used to evaluate students ages 2.5 to 18
years of age. It is used to evaluate behavior and personality of a
student. Parents, teachers, and the student complete the assessment
forms. There is a parent rating scale, teacher-rating scale, self report of
personality, developmental history, and student observation. The
forms provide information about the student in the school and home
environment. The scores of this assessment are used to classify the
emotional and behavioral disorders in the educational setting.
Functional Behavior Assessment

The special education teacher completes this assessment with

support from the school psychologist. A Functional Behavior
Assessment shows the function of a students behavior. Based on the
function, interventions can be utilized to replace the maladaptive
behavior with a socially appropriate replacement behavior. This is
observation-based assessment that can be easily completed during the
classroom routine. The four common functions are sensory, attention,
escape, and access.
Social Skills Improvement System
This assessment provides information about a students
behaviors that interfere with social skills. It is administered to students
in grade kindergarten through twelfth grade. It measures
communication, cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy,
engagement, and self control, as well as externalizing, bullying,
hyperactivity/inattention, internalizing, and autism. The ratings come
from teachers, parents, and the student and scored by special
education teachers, general education teachers, or school
psychologists. It is administered in 15-20 minutes.
Speech Measures-Completed by Speech Language Pathologist
Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals assess
language disorders, the nature of the disorder, behaviors of the
disorder, and how the disorder effects the students classroom
performance. It contains four tests to determine the disorder, and subtests to determine strengths and weaknesses. It also allows the speech
language pathologist to gain information about the students
performance at school and at home.
Arizona Test of Articulation
The Arizona Test of Articulation assesses a students articulation.
It is used with students from 18 months to 18 years. It is a very quick
assessment that only takes 3 minutes. All major speech sounds are
used in naming objects depicted on cards. The score provides the
severity of articulation.
Motor Measures
Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency
This motor test assesses fine motor and gross motor abilities.
The score provides information about a students fine manual control,
manual coordination, body coordination, and strength and agility. A
physical therapist or occupational therapist would assess a student
using this tool. It can be used with any student who has difficulty with
motor abilities, but is most commonly used with students who have
intellectual disabilities or autism.

Sensory Processing Measure

The Sensory Processing Measure assesses a students visual,
auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, and vestibular functioning. It provides
information about a students sensory processing and allows for
information to be gained on how to effectively meet a students
sensory needs. It is used in multiple environments. It is completed by a
parent and a teacher, but can also be used by other school personnel.
Students ages 5-12 are given this assessment.
All of the tests mentioned above are typically looked into prior to
beginning an evaluation. Other assessments may be considered based
on the individual.

References
About the ADOS Exam. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://research.agre.org/program/aboutados.cfm
Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3). (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://www4.parinc.com/products/Product.aspx?ProductID=ABAS-3
ATP: Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale - 3 (ARIZONA-3). (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.academictherapy.com/detailATP.tpl?eqskudatarq=DDD-1106
BASC-2 Summary. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://basc-2.szapkiw.com/basc-summary/
Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF) - Statistics Solutions. (n.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.statisticssolutions.com/clinical-evaluation-oflanguage-fundamentals-celf/
Conners CBRS - Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales. (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://www.mhs.com/product.aspx?gr=edu&id=overview&prod=cbrs
Ellingsen, K., M., Burch-Lewis, A., & Pham, A. (2012). Learning and Applying
Knowledge In Annette Majnemer (Ed.) Measures of outcomes and their
determinants for children and youth with developmental disabilities.
GARS 3 - Gilliam Autism Rating Scale: 3rd Edition. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.mhs.com/%28S%28jrfl3145e0kjrj45a1btwqfy%29%29/product.aspx?
gr=edu&prod=gars3&id=overview

HAM-A Hamilton Anxiety Scale | Psychiatric Times. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/clinical-scales-anxiety/clinical-scalesanxiety/ham-hamilton-anxiety-scale

Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children - functioning, used, score, skills, Definition,
Purpose, Precautions, Description, Results. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.minddisorders.com/Kau-Nu/Kaufman-Assessment-Battery-forChildren.html
Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.cps.nova.edu/~cpphelp/KTEA.html

Mathews-Lingen, A. M. (n.d.). Woodcock-Johnson III Tests. Retrieved from

http://achievement-test.com/testing-options/woodcock-johnson-iii-tests

Practice Test Questions for Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition
(WISC-IV Test) - Testing Mom. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.testingmom.com/wechsler-intelligence-scale-for-children-wisc-test/

Sensory Processing Measure (SPM). (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.hmhco.com/hmh-assessments/other-clinical-assessments/spm
Social Skills Improvement System-Rating Scales (SSIS) | National Center on Intensive
Intervention. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.intensiveintervention.org/chart/behavioral-progress-monitoringtools/13150
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com
articles about Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Stanford-Binet_Intelligence_Scale.aspx
TEMA-3 (Test of Early Mathematics Ability, 3rd Ed.). (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www4.parinc.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=TEMA-3

TERA-3 (Test of Early Reading Ability, Third Ed.). (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www4.parinc.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=TERA-3
Test of Early Written Language, Third Edition. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.pearsonclinical.com/language/products/100000086/test-of-early-written-languagethird-edition-tewl-3.html

Understanding Physical Therapy Outcome Measurements: The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test

of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2) - North Shore Pediatric Therapy.
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://nspt4kids.com/parenting/understanding-physicaltherapy-outcome-measurements-bruininks-oseretsky-test-motor-proficiencysecond-edition-bot-2/