From My Understanding Your IEP Series: Understanding The Use of Assessments

1. Understanding Your IEP
PART 3: ASSESSMENTS
Pictures and Content Copyright Matthew A. T. Lehman, BCBA

2. Why Do We Assess
• Required by law
– ADA/504 and IDEA
• To Understand What Our Kids NEED
– Guides Services
• Track Progress
– Is the program working?

3. Difference Scores
• Personal Strength / Weakness
– Significant discrepancy between areas
of our child’s performance
and abilities
• Normative Strength / Weakness
»Significantly discrepancy
between our child’s ability
and that of the general
population

4. HELP! WHAT DO ALL THESE MEAN?

5. Taking To The Next Level
• The meat of any report is the Subtests and Scaled
Scores – don’t fall for the bottom line trap of an IQ score
• D-KEFS : 10 ± 3
– What does this mean?
• Scores of 8-12 are IDENTICAL
• Differences MUST be 3 points or greater or
they are NOT significant
• Hypothetical
– Ability Score: 14 THIS is what
– Performance: 11 to look for!
• Answer: Testing shows a significant
discrepancy between ability and performance

6. Practice (with Scaled Scores)
• Ability Score: 3 *Normative weakness
*NO discrepancy
*needs support, probably beyond
• Performance: 1 current biological capacity
*Average Ability
• Ability Score: 10 *Discrepancy
*needs support, look to why
• Performance: 7 unable to perform at capacity-
what is interfering??
*Normative strength
• Ability Score: 16 *Discrepancy
*needs support, look to why
• Performance: 10 unable to perform at capacity-
what is interfering??

7. What if they don’t have Scaled Scores?
• ASK for them!
• If they can’t provide / look them up, this
may be sufficient to ask for an IEE as they
are not demonstrating competency in
assessment.
– Remember doing this math in your head isn’t
easy, give them a chance to actually do it on a
computer

8. So Wait What Does That Score Mean?
• ASK!
– They have to explain it till you get it
Side Note
• IQ = Ability to get needs met at the time of the test in the
language and communication mode of the test
– STOP & THINK
• what does this mean
• Have the expert explain this to parents, they
probably need to hear it at least once to
understand and accept their child’s needs
– look for parents saying “but my child can do…” “but
he does understand, even if he can’t tell me”

9. So Which Assessments To Use?
• Direct • Report Based
Assessment Assessment
– ADOS – ABAS-2
– D-KEFS – BASC-2
– K-ABC – BRiEF
– WISC-IV – Conners3
– WJ – SSIS
Which Column Should We Use?

10. Choosing Assessments (continued)
• Direct Assessments • Report Based Assessments
– Concern about adults – “Fast” and easy
ability to respond
– Doesn’t require extensive
– Wide discrepancies training
between adult reports
– Bypasses child compliance
– Difficult to assess by
observation or no one – Less disruptive
qualified to make such
observations
– Often just as reliable but
subject to adults opinions
– Time Consuming (usually controlled for)
– Requires child
compliance

11. General or Specific? – and WHY
• Global Batteries • Specific to child’s needs
– WISC / WAIS – ADOS-2
– K-ABC – D-KEFS
– ABAS-2 – PDDBI
– WJ
Global: Tests a wide array of ability and performance scales,
generally not diagnosis specific
Specific: Tests a specific type of need or for a specific area of need
often diagnosis or need specific including for the purpose of
making a diagnosis

12. Knowledge: How To Use It
• Ask the school psychologist WHY a
specific test vs another?
– Be specific on tests
– Have Your OWN Expert Ask probing
questions
• Before & AT the meeting
– If past reports have been
invalid or inconclusive,
try direct assessments
• Non-compliance with tests
IS important information

13. Examples
• Disclaimer: Consult an expert in clinical assessments
before doing more then asking why one or the other.
• Attention problems
– K-ABC results are less impacted then the WISC or WAIS by
attention difficulties because the tools are more colorful and
engaging.
• Adaptive Skills
– PDD-BI and ABAS-2 have a lot of overlap, but the PDD-BI is
specific for kids suspected of an autism spectrum diagnosis
• Test Weaknesses
– ADOS doesn’t assess peer interpersonal deficits
• Adding A Test to Broaden Application to IEP planning
– D-KEFS highlights performance vs ability differences
– Conners, BASC, SRS look more at current levels

14. Understanding the Graphs
Graph from NAC 2012 Report

15. Data Trends
Graph from NAC 2012 Report

16. A-B-A-B Graphs: Proof of Causality
Pre-IEP supports in place winter/spring/ supports back
summer break in place
-Stronger then a double blind randomized trial.
Graph from NAC 2012 Report

17. Knowledge: How To Use It
• Graphing is proof of efficacy and if it isn’t working
– Ask for it if parents are concerned about efficacy
• A-B-A-B graphing APPLIED
– Use this to show that removing
a support didn’t work or that its
too soon to fade back that support
• For non emergency/ non safety
issues
– Let them know we are willing to try
what they suggest but we have
concerns
– I may give the school 30 or 60 days to show if it works
– I setup the request for the follow up meeting right at the
current IEP

18. Putting it All Together
• Formulate and write notes about what you want
to say and ask
• Remember the
school might be
right – reality test!
• Know your comfort
zone and bring
support
• Take Your Time!