Assessment Report

Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System for Infants and Children,

Three to Six Years


Childs Name: Sam Sharko Date of Birth: June 14
th
2009
Date of Evaluation: October 2012 Age: 3 years, 4 months
Address: 120 Cooper Lane Gender: Male
Cheddarville, ME, 04000 Examiner: Kara St.Hilaire


*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality

Background
Sam is a 3 year, 4 month old boy who currently lives with his father, age 26,
and his mother, age 25, and soon to be baby sister, expected to be here February
2013. Sam was born a healthy baby with no complications during his mothers
pregnancy. Sam currently attends the Childrens Center in Augusta, Maine, where he
receives specially designed group instruction 3 times a week, 3 hours per session.
Not only is this Sams first experience in a classroom/daycare setting, it is his first
time away from his parents. He currently has a limited vocabulary, where he only
consistently uses 3 words in the classroom, although Mom has noted she has heard
up to 10 words at home. Sam receives 3.5 hours of speech therapy a week, and has
recently had a sensory profile done in order to begin receiving occupational therapy
due to concerns with his spatial awareness, attentiveness, and sensory processing.
Sam has also had the Edmund Ervin evaluation done this past summer, where they
ruled out autism, identifying Sam with a developmental delay.

Methods/Setting
The Assessment, Evaluation, Programming System (AEPS) for Infants and
Children, Three to Six years was the instrument used in evaluating Sam. The most
common method of assessment used was direct observation in the classroom,
although there were certain threads that required direct testing, primarily in the
Gross Motor domain. I also spoke directly with his mother numerous times,
comparing and contrasting certain findings, and to find out Sams birth history. All
of the observations and direct testing were done either inside the classroom, or
outside on the playground. Activities and routines observed included: breakfast,
brushing teeth, toileting, circle time, art, centers, free play, music and movement,
outside time, transitions in and out of school, and a speech therapy session.

Behavioral Observations
Based upon my observations it appeared that Sam did not have much regard
or concern for what is going on in the classroom. I noticed on several occasions he
would move or walk away if a peer or adult attempted to enter his space, or invite
him to an activity. Sam is a young boy with a lot of energy; I often found it was hard
to keep track of him as he did so much walking and circling around the classroom.
He seemed distracted as I frequently observed sequences such as: taking a toy and
Assessment Report

carrying it with him for a little while, putting it down, making a scribble on the chalk
board, walking to his cubby and putting on his backpack, then walking into the
bathroom and flushing the toilet, picking up a block and placing it inside of the toy
barn, etc. The one time I observed Sam independently pick out a toy and use it for
more than 3 minutes was a Mr. Potato head doll which he sat on the floor with and
experimented with the different pieces. It was apparent that Sam favored gross
motor activities, his face lit right up when he heard music and saw his friends
dancing during music and movement time, and when it was time to go outside Sam
would independently go to his cubby to retrieve his jacket, then line up at the door.
It appeared that Sam had difficulty processing expectations and requests.
Even though providers calmly approached Sam on his level, showing him a visual of
the schedule or activity, he would either run away, or drop his body to the floor and
begin to cry.
Due to Sams attention span and processing, it limited some of the findings
based on his in-attentiveness to activities, and comprehension of directions.

Family Resources, Concerns, and Priorities
Sams mother has expressed her joys for his placement in an inclusive,
specially designed group setting in the classroom. Although other options were
discussed such as Sam being in a more reclusive one on one setting, his mother
would much rather have him in an environment with age appropriate peers. At this
point Mom and Dads biggest concern at this point is for Sam to be able to
communicate and use more words. With the help and expertise from his case
manager, teachers at the Childrens Center, and speech therapist, multiple resources
are available to meet Sam, and his familys needs.

Previous Assessment and Evaluation Results
Sam had a sensory profile that was filled out by his parents in August 2012. It
was turned in and reviewed by an occupational therapist, who was unfamiliar with
Sam and his family. Based on her findings, his sensory seeking needs determined
eligibility to receive a referral for occupational therapy. Sam also took the rapid
Edmund Ervin evaluation this summer, which ruled out Autism. His parents are
looking to do further evaluation further into the school year.


Assessment Results

Fine Motor
The fine motor area assesses bilateral coordination, including using two
hands to manipulate objects, and cutting. It also reviews emergent writing skills.
When I observed Sam drawing with a crayon, the paper was moving as he was
trying to draw. After 5-10 seconds of the paper moving with the crayon, Sam placed
his empty hand on the paper to keep it in place, and proceeded to scribble lines. Sam
allowed me to assist him in placing his fingers from a pincer (two fingers) to a tripod
(three finger) grasp on his crayon. He maintained using the tripod grasp for a few
seconds, and then re-arranged his grasp back to the pincer grasp. When I provided
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Sam with instances to trace simple shapes, he would glance and look at what I had
drawn, but would then go back to scribbling lines. Each opportunity I presented Sam
to use scissors, he would run the other way showing no interest. Sam scored a
16.7% in the fine motor area.

Gross Motor
The gross motor area assesses balance and mobility such as running and
alternating feet walking up and down stairs. It also assessed play skills including
different ways of jumping, ball play, and riding a bicycle. Sam is a very active boy
who loves jump and run. An observation made while watching Sam run is that he
does not always watch where he is going. At one point, his head was completely
turned around while running forward, and he ran into a pile of blocks and fell. Sam
really enjoyed a step bridge in his classroom. I watched him walk up and down the
steps multiple times; each time he would alternate feet going up, then place both
feet on each step on the way down. When he was all done with the bridge, he
hopped off, landing with both feet on the ground. When Sam and I played with the
ball together, he loved throwing the ball. Sometimes he would throw it directly to
me, but when I went to throw it, or kick it back, he would run in the opposite
direction. Sam scored a 47% in the gross motor area.

Adaptive
The adaptive area assesses mealtime, personal hygiene, and dressing and
undressing. I observed Sam a variety of times during breakfast, typically fruit, some
sort of bread item or cereal, and milk. Out of the 6 times I observed Sam eat
breakfast, he had one cup of milk, and small bites of fruit each time. When
prompted, he would eat with the proper utensil. During toileting time, upon request,
Sam helped unsnap, unzip, and pull down his pants. He required assistance for
pulling up, zipping, and snapping his pants. When we were done in the bathroom,
Sam needed a reminder to wash his hands, and physical assistance to scrub. Sam
received a score of 44% for the adaptive area.

Cognitive
The cognitive area assesses concepts of color, shape, and size, as well as
qualitative, quantitive, spatial, and time concepts. It also includes categorizing,
sequencing, recalling events, problem solving, play, pre-math, and phonological
awareness/emergent reading. As Sam has not fully developed his receptive or
expressive language quite yet, he did not score in the concepts, categorizing,
sequencing, premath, or phonological awareness sections. I witnessed Sam engaging
in imaginary play when he pretended to ride on a horse during music and
movement time when an animal action song came on. Sam showed basic problem
solving skills when he identified means to a goal, when asked, What do we do with
this trash? and he responded by picking the trash up off the table and bringing it to
the garbage can. Sam scored a 3.7% in the cognitive area.

Social-Communication
Assessment Report

The social-communication area assesses social-communicative interactions,
and the production of words, phrases, and sentences. As Sam has recently began
producing words within the last six months, I did not witness Sam engage in
conversation with others. I did observed instances when he would use the word
please to request help from others. I watched him sign, and say the word please
when asking for more milk or fruit at the breakfast table, as well as when he needed
help putting on his jacket. Sam scored a 2% in the social-communication area.

Social
The social area assesses interaction with others, participation in various
activities, interaction with the environment, and knowledge of self and others. Sam
displayed a lot of emergent skills in this area of development. He recently has begun
to adjust to the classroom and all of the teachers and providers. Sam was observed
initiating a greeting by reaching out his hand to a provider, accepting a high five, and
blowing a kiss when he was leaving to go home. I observed Sam on multiple
occasions approaching a small group of children at a table, and sit or stand around
the table and begin exploring what they are playing with, for a minute or so at a
time. To sustain attention during small and large group activities, Sam used support
from a provider, who helped him interact with materials, or lead him over to where
his peers were. Sam scored a 34% in the social area.

Summary and Recommendations
Sam is a young boy who is full of energy and spunk. It appears that often
times he gets lost in the shuffle when he roams around the classroom or is unable
to sustain attention to a specific toy or activity. I believe it would be helpful to have
another sensory profile done on Sam, this time with the parents, Teachers, and the
Occupational Therapists input for across the board information to compare and
contrast. Once occupational therapy gets underway, the group will be able to work
together to determine what Sams exact sensory needs are to help his body become
more grounded and organized in his environment. The continuation of speech
therapy will help encourage Sam to use his words to communicate his wants and
needs to help him become even more successful in the classroom. Sams strengths in
music and gross motor activities should be taken into account when teachers in the
classroom are planning and implementing activities to encourage and boost Sams
confidence through his achievements.