Authentic Assessment for Early Childhood Intervention: Best Practices

Meeting a crucial need, this book provides clear recommendations for authentic developmental assessment of children from infancy to age 6, including those with developmental delays and disabilities. It describes principles and strategies for collecting information about children’s everyday activities in the home, preschool, and community that serves as a valid basis for intervention planning and progress monitoring. Throughout, the book emphasizes the importance of enlisting parents as partners with practitioners and teachers in observation and team-based decision making. Special features of this well-organized, accessible volume include recommendations for developmentally appropriate assessment tools and ＂Best-Practice Guidepoints＂ in each chapter that distill key professional standards and practices.

Stephen J. Bagnato, EdD, NCSP, is a developmental school psychologist and Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh, Schools of Education and Medicine. He is founder and Faculty Mentor of the Division for Early Childhood Partnerships within the University’s Office of Child Development. Dr. Bagnato is also a core interdisciplinary faculty member at the LEND Center (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Related Disorders) at the University of Pittsburgh. He specializes in authentic curriculum-based assessment and program evaluation research strategies for young children at developmental risk and with neurodevelopmental disabilities, and has authored over 120 research and applied publications. He has received numerous professional research awards from the National Brain Injury Research Association and the American Psychological Association (Division 16) and is a recipient of the University of Pittsburgh Chancellor’s Distinguished Public Service Award, among other honors. Dr. Bagnato provides consultation and training to state agencies in early childhood intervention ＂best practices,＂ challenging and atypical behaviors, authentic assessment in early childhood, and authentic program outcome evaluation research.