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by Stephanie Parks, M.A.
(includes latest updates to questions)
- HELP covers so many items, where do I begin?
- Can I use HELP to determine program eligibility?
- Can HELP be used to determine a % delay for Part C eligibility?
- Can HELP be used to monitor progress for OSEP's child outcomes?
- Can a child's age be adjusted for prematurity when using HELP?
- Which HELP assessment recording form(s) should I use?
- Why are some age ranges on the HELP Checklist, Charts and Activity Guide different than the age ranges in Inside HELP and HELP Strands?
- Why are some HELP skills repeated in different Strands?
- Is there an assessment kit available that has all the materials needed for the assessment?
- What are the minimum suggested/required qualifications administration of the HELP assessment?
1. HELP covers so many items, where do I begin? [Top]
No other currently available birth-to-three curriculums include as many developmental skills, behaviors, and intervention strategies as the HELP. The density and comprehensiveness of HELP can, at first glance, appear overwhelming, especially to the new user. However, the comprehensiveness of HELP offers the clinician more variety and options for assessment and curriculum planning, and enables families and clinicians to plan and monitor progress in small, incremental steps. The following tips can help make using HELP more manageable.
a. Remember: HELP is not a "one-time" tool [Top]
HELP is an ongoing curriculum-based assessment which is not intended to be completed in one assessment session. There are a large number of skills, but they span three years and are intended to be addressed over a long period of time.
b. Not all skills are pertinent
All of the HELP skills and behaviors listed are rarely pertinent to any one child. Many will not be pertinent due to the child's age and developmental level, some skills may not be functional due to a child's disability, some skills may not be culturally relevant, and other skills may not be necessary to assess because they are judged not to be important to assess for a particular child, e.g., ability to walk on a balance beam if the child displays no difficulty in motor planning or balance skills. As you consider these variables, the scope of skills appropriate to assess during initial observations and family interview can become narrower and more manageable.
c. Don't assess each skill, strand, or domain separately [Top]
Although each skill, strand, or domain has an underlying key concept or focus, it is typically unnecessary and inappropriate to assess each separately. Each observation of a child completing a task or involved in an interaction or daily activity yields information about a variety of skills and behaviors - simultaneously. For example, if you observe a parent asking the child to, "Throw the ball," and in response the child says, "ball" and throws the ball in a playful way to his parent, you could credit in receptive language his understanding of the words "ball" and "throw" in Strand 2-1, as well as his ability to follow a direction in Strand 2-2. In addition, you could credit his expressive vocabulary with the word "ball" in Strand 2-3, as well as his ability to produce single consonant vowel combinations in Strand 2-6. The gross motor and social interaction skills of throwing a ball can also be credited in the Gross Motor and Social-Emotional domains. Thus, a single response is likely to elicit information on several skills in several strands.
d. Get a general idea of where to begin before you begin [Top]
Parents can provide an enormous amount of information about their child to give you a general idea of level of functioning in most areas of development. This information can be gathered from family interviews over the phone, in person, and through application questionnaires. In addition to family interviews, additional developmental information may be available from previous screenings or formal evaluations. Since many of the items on the HELP are similar to items contained in various screening and evaluation tools, this information is likely to be useful in identifying were to begin with the HELP.
2. Can I use HELP to determine program eligibility? [Top]
This will depend primarily on your program's policies and the individual needs of the child. It is your professional responsibility to use instruments and qualified personnel that meet local, state, and federal requirements.
HELP is not standardized and thus should not be used if your program requires standardized instruments to determine developmental delay. In addition, since HELP cannot provide a single score or definitive developmental age, HELP should not be used to determine eligibility for children who may be experiencing mild developmental delays. In such cases, however, HELP can be used to compliment standardized instruments to support "informed clinical opinion" requirements, and it can be used as an initial and ongoing assessment to help identify the child's unique strengths and needs, services appropriate to meet those needs, and the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family.
If your program does not require standardized instruments, HELP can be used to help support your informed clinical opinion regarding eligibility for children with significant delays and atypical development. HELP can also be used as an initial and ongoing assessment to help identify the child's unique strengths and needs, services appropriate to meet those needs, and the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family. In addition, if a child is referred to your program with a previously diagnosed disability or special need that already meets program eligibility requirements, HELP can be used as an initial and ongoing curriculum-based assessment.
3. Can HELP be used to determine a % delay for Part C eligibility? [Top]
States are required to define "developmental delay" as part of their state's system for early intervention under Part C of IDEA. To meet this requirement, many states use a specific percent of delay in one or more areas of development to define developmental delay. In response, programs are developing methods to quantify curriculum-based assessments such as HELP. Although HELP was not developed as a "test", and does not have the psychometric properties to yield standardized scores, we understand the needs of programs to quantify HELP assessment information. Guidelines for determining approximate developmental age levels for the HELP Strands are available in Inside HELP, pages i.23-i.26 and, as expanded version available for download here.
The guidelines are intended to enhance consistent reporting of across staff and programs. Percent delay is usually computed by comparing a child's developmental age (DA) with the child's chronological age (CA) or adjusted age for prematurity when applicable to the child and program. If this process is used with HELP, the findings should be viewed as "approximate" and used to help support informed clinical opinion rather than as a definitive "score", "age equivalent" or the sole criterion to determining eligibility i. This use is consistent with the current and proposed May 9, 2007 regulations of Part C ii.
4. Can HELP be used to monitor progress for OSEP's child outcomes? [Top]
Yes. An online system, as well as various to materials for download, is available through VORT to measure and monitor progress for OSEP's Part C, Child Outcome Statements. This system builds uses ECO's HELP Crosswalks and builds upon ECO's 7 point rating system. It is available here.
5. Can a child's age be adjusted for prematurity when using HELP? For example: I used the HELP Strands to evaluate an 11 1/2 month old child who was 11 weeks premature. [Top]
Yes, you can adjust for prematurity to assist in identifying and reporting approximate age levels. There is space on the cover of the HELP Stands booklet to include prematurity assigned along with other identifying information. If you adjust for prematurity, be sure to note this on the HELP Strands and any resulting records or reports for the child.
Clinically, although it is not specifically required by HELP, adjusting a child's age for prematurity (i.e., subtracting the number of weeks/months prematurity of a child from the child's chronological age) can provide a better understanding of the child's development, strengths, and needs. If and how you adjust for prematurity will be dependent upon how you are using the HELP, and, upon your individual program or state regulations. Some states or programs for example, recommend adjusting for prematurity up to 2 years chronological age (CA), if the child is more than 4 weeks premature when screening or evaluating for eligibility. As a child becomes older, this adjustment will be less significant for evaluation and programming. For example a 5 week prematurity adjustment for a two month old would be about a 50% adjustment of CA, whereas a 5 week adjustment for a 24 month old would be less than 5%.
Using the child in your question as an example, for an 11 1/2 month old who is 11 weeks premature, it would be appropriate to observe if this child is displaying HELP skills and behaviors expected for children who are about 9 months old, being extra careful to observe quality as defined in Inside HELP for relevant HELP skills. Remember that the age range listed for skills and behaviors on the HELP Strands is the range that the skill typically emerges according to the literature, and, that all HELP Skills are not necessary for typical development. Thus if a HELP skill is listed as 6-8 months and the child's adjusted age is 9 months, this child may not be delayed in that skill or area of development if the skill is not present. There is only a one-month difference between 8 months (upper age range when skill typically emerges) and child's adjusted age of 9 months.
Special note regarding prematurity and OSEP child outcome ratings: ECO has directed Part C programs and test developers not to use adjusted age to determine child outcome ratings. Therefore, prematurity adjustment does not occur on VORT's HELP for OSEP online system.
6. Which HELP assessment recording form(s) should I use? [Top]
HELP offers three formats for recording initial and ongoing assessments and collecting child data: the HELP Strands and the HELP Checklist, while the HELP Charts are most typically used for communicating progress to parents.
The HELP Strands breaks the six major domains into sub-groups (strands) according to underlying skill concept; structured so that one skill leads to the next skill. The HELP Strands are thus usually better suited for children who have disabilities and/or more uneven development within a major domain. The HELP Strands are available in two formats: a loose-leaf format and a booklet format. The loose-leaf version pulls apart by major domain. If more than one discipline will be assessing at one time, use the loose-leaf format.
The HELP Checklist and HELP Charts list skills according to age and major developmental domains, but the skills are not sub-grouped within domain. Thus one skill does not necessarily lead to the next. The HELP Checklist can be used for children who have more even development or who do not have disabilities.
There is also a HELP form available for collecting family information -- the HELP Family-Centered Interview. This form can be used from initial contacts with the family and throughout intervention to record and update family concerns, priorities, and resources.
7. Why are some age ranges on the HELP Checklist, Charts and Activity Guide different than the age ranges in Inside HELP and HELP Strands? [Top]
The original HELP products, i.e., the HELP Activity Guide and the HELP Charts, were developed in 1976-1979. Since that time, infant/toddler literature has expanded and more information has become available. Although most of the original HELP skill wording and age ranges remain the same, some skills needed to be revised to reflect current literature. These changes were made on the HELP Strands and in Inside HELP in 1992, and on the HELP Charts and HELP Checklist in 1994, and the HELP Activity Guide in late 1997. Check the © date on your copies to see if you have the latest versions.
8. Why are some HELP skills repeated in different strands? [Top]
Some skills are repeated in more than one strand because these skills involve more than one underlying key concept. For example, skill 4.29 "Reaches and grasps object" is listed in the Cognitive strand 1-5 "Spatial Relationships" and in Fine Motor Strand 4-3 "Reach/Approach." This skill is built upon the cognitive concepts related to depth perception and relationship of objects in space, as well as fine motor skills required for reaching. The definitions and credit criteria, therefore, will differ somewhat between strands for the same skill when it is repeated in different strands.
9. Is there an assessment kit available that has all the materials needed for the assessment? [Top]
No. HELP is not standardized and does not require standardized materials. The materials you use can be individualized to meet individual child preferences and needs. Whenever possible, use toys and materials in the child's natural environment which are functional and meaningful for the child (see Assessment Materials in Inside HELP).
10. What are the minimum suggested/required qualifications for administration of the HELP assessment? [Top]
HELP is a flexible curriculum based assessment system that includes a variety of assessment and intervention components such as assessing a child's developmental strengths and needs, identifying family concerns priorities and resources, and planning interventions to address assessment findings.
HELP is widely used in numerous settings with a variety of children and families, e.g., community preschools, day care, Head Start, and Part C early intervention programs for infants and toddlers who have developmental concerns.
Therefore, the suggested qualifications for those using HELP will be dependent upon how HELP is being used:
1. If HELP is being used as part of the Part C assessment process, a multidisciplinary team should be involved who are considered "qualified personnel" according your State's definition under Federal regulations, e.g., a speech therapist licensed as a speech-language pathologist, an educator certified in early childhood. Inside HELP (the administration and reference manual for using HELP ) would need to be used as part of the assessment and intervention planning process.
2. If HELP is being used to provide curricular programs for children who do not have significant developmental delays or disabilities, then paraprofessional personnel who have experience and a good understanding of infant-toddler development can use HELP.
i Proposed Sec. 303.320(a)(2)(ii) no single procedure may be used as the sole criterion for determining the child's eligibility for Part C services
ii Proposed Sec. 303.320(b)(2) would expressly require that the lead agency allow qualified personnel to use their informed clinical opinion to assess a child's present level of functioning in each of the developmental areas identified in proposed Sec. 303.21(a)(1) and to establish a child's eligibility, even when other instruments fail to establish eligibility. This is consistent with the Department's monitoring experience, which has indicated confusion in States that do not expressly allow the use of informed clinical opinion as a separate basis to establish eligibility. This is necessary because instruments may not adequately capture the extent of the developmental delay. Thus, informed clinical opinion may be used to establish a child's eligibility under this part even when other instruments do not establish eligibility. However, under proposed Sec. 303.320(b)(2), informed clinical opinion cannot be used to negate eligibility established through the use of other appropriate assessment instruments.
As provided in the note following current Sec. 303.300, the use of informed clinical opinion in establishing eligibility for early intervention services under Part C of the Act is especially important
when standardized instruments are unavailable, unreliable or inappropriate for use in measuring developmental delay (as they often are for children under the age of three) or for evaluating a diagnosed
condition such as autism spectrum disorder or pervasive developmental delay. Although the language of the note would be removed by these proposed regulations, the use of informed clinical opinion in
establishing eligibility continues to be necessary and would therefore be included in proposed Sec. 303.320(b)(2) as previously discussed.
What is the minimum I need to "get started" using HELP?
[Top]
See the products with the * on the Product Listing page. These products are the "core" of what you need, although you should also order additional products like the HELP Charts based on the needs of the families served.
Can I buy just one portion of the HELP Charts, For example, just Gross/Fine Motor?
[Top]
No, the HELP Charts are printed and sold only as an integrated set of 3 sheets (1. Cognitive/Language, 2. Gross/Fine Motor, 3. Social/Self-Help).
How should parents use the HELP materials?
[Top]
All VORT products and publications are intended for use by and under the guidance of child development professionals, except for three parenting resources (#191, #193, #270) which are for direct use by parents. For example, parents interested in using the HELP, the BCP, or our Neonatal materials must receive the materials through (ordered by) a qualified professional, and must work with and consult the professional on all procedures, including Gross and Fine Motor activities, Safety Issues, and any questions whatsoever.
Is VORT the sole source and original publisher of its products?
[Top]
Yes, VORT Corporation is the original publisher and sole source for all its materials, including all the components of HELP, the Hawaii Early Learning Profile.
Can we copy the HELP Charts, Checklists, or Strands?
[Top]
No. All of VORT's materials are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in any form or manner without the written consent of VORT Corporation. VORT has published and improved HELP for over twenty years, and it is the integrity of our users and their respect of our copyrights that allows us to continue to develop and provide these excellent materials to the field. Thank you for respecting our copyrights.
Is HELP available on disk or CD?
[Top]
No. The HELP Together CD is no longer available as we transition to a web-based online solution. For online record keeping please see HELP for OSEP.
Is HELP standardized?
[Top]
No, HELP is a curriculum-based assessment. It is not a standardized test. HELP can however be used to compliment standardized instruments to support "informed clinical opinion" requirements. HELP can also be used as an initial and ongoing assessment to help identify the child's unique strengths and needs, services appropriate to meet those needs, and the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family as required by Part C. Learn more.
Does HELP provide a score or single age equivalent -- is it normed or standardized?
[Top]
No, HELP is not standardized or normed. As such, it is not intended to be used to calculate a child's single-age equivalent (score or % delay). HELP can, however, help determine approximate or estimated developmental levels within and between major developmental domains and help document when a child is displaying typical and atypical skills and behaviors expected for his/her age. Learn more.
Are there published reliability or validity articles on HELP?
[Top]
HELP is a family-centered, comprehensive, ongoing curriculum-based assessment process. HELP is not a single instrument, is not intended to be used for diagnosis, and, it is not a norm-referenced, standardized test. As such, we are not aware of specific validity research or published articles.
HELP is however intended to identify family and infant strengths and needs, assist in determining "next steps" for intervention and support, provide individualized family-centered information and support, and, to monitor progress. The age ranges, skills and behaviors, criterion referencing, example observation opportunities, and developmental activities are based upon expert review and review of the literature, as well as normative data from existing standardized tests. These resources are listed in the "References" section of Inside HELP, Administration and Reference Manuel.
There is also an expanding evidence base related to the benefits of using "Curriculum Based Assessments" in general, as well as the benefits of delivering family-centered services. For example: Neisworth, J.T. & Bagnato, S. J. "The MisMeasure of Young Children: the Authentic Assessment Alternative". Infants and Young Children, 17( 3):198-212, 2004. Additional journal articles that address importance of family involvement and have included using HELP in their studies include:
1. Mary Pat Moeller, M.P. "Early Intervention and Language Development in Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing" Pediatrics, Sep 2000; 106: 43.
2. Coplan, J. Jawad, A.F., "Modeling Clinical Outcome of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. Pediatric 2005:116;117-122
3. Belcher, H., Butz, A. M., Wallace, P. et. al. "Spectrum of Early Intervention Services for Children With Intrauterine Drug Exposure." Infants & Young Children. 18(1):2-15, 2005.
Learn more.
Why do I need Inside HELP (#159) for birth to three assessment?
[Top]
Inside HELP is necessary for proper use of HELP (0-3). Inside HELP provides clear procedures, criteria, and important insights on how to use HELP as a curriculum-based assessment. Learn more.
Why do I need the HELP Family-Centered Interview?
[Top]
This interview booklet supports your efforts to ensure a family-directed assessment of each family's concerns priorities and resources as they relate to the needs of their child. The Family-Centered Interview helps you better reflect the priorities and concerns of the family and to save you time. By using the Family-Centered Interview, you can more easily identify the needs of the child and the appropriate HELP Strands to begin your on-going curriculum-based assessment. The Family-Centered Interview helps you determine where to start within HELP. Learn more.
Why do I need HELP for Preschooler Assessment and Curriculum Guide (#359) for three to six assessment?
[Top]
The HELP for Preschooler Assessment and Curriculum Guide is necessary for proper use of HELP (3-6). It provides clear procedures, criteria, and instructional activities for using HELP for Preschoolers materials. Learn more.
Do I need both #159 and #359 if I am working with children birth to six?
[Top]
Yes, each of the books provides procedures specific to the age ranges covered. You need #159 for ages 0-3, and #359 for ages 3-6 years.
How do the HELP 0-3 materials relate to the HELP for Preschoolers 3-6 materials?
[Top]
The HELP for Preschoolers (3-6) skills are a direct and seamless continuation of the HELP (0-3) skills. Together, as a single continuum, HELP provides over 1,200 developmental skills covering ages 0-6 years.
What is curriculum-based assessment?
[Top]
Curriculum-based assessment provides skills that are developmentally sequenced and linked directly to curriculum. The nature of such an assessment provides more detailed steps than a standardized test. This results an effective method and structure for daily/weekly on-going assessment for identifying a child's needs, targeting or selecting next steps (objectives), and then teaching directly to those needs.
What is the difference between the HELP Strands and the HELP Checklist?
[Top]
The HELP Strands and the HELP Checklist (for both ages 0-3 and 3-6) cover the exact same skills, only the formats are different. The Strands are a newer design and provide a better developmental structure for identifying needs and planning next steps since the skills within each strand are developmentally sequenced (one leading to the next). The Checklist is more often used with "typically" developing children.
The BCP seems similar to HELP -- what is the difference?
[Top]
HELP covers detailed skills from ages birth to six years and provides age ranges for each skill (denoting when the skill typically emerges). The BCP does not provide age ranges and covers ages 1-14 years, so developmentally, the BCP starts and ends higher in terms of skills. The BCP is most often used with individuals with special needs who may be chronologically older than six years but developmentally are functioning between 1 and 14 years of age.
Best Beginnings seems similar to HELP -- which do I need?
[Top]
HELP and Best Beginnings are complimentary products. HELP is used for on-going assessment and direct involvement of the family in the specific HELP skills being targeted/taught. HELP is to be used as your "core" assessment tool. In a complimentary manner, Best Beginnings can help the family track what information they already have on their child (medical and developmental), and provide the parents with general information on what to expect (anticipatory guidance) regarding the next (3-month) stages of their child's development.
Where can I get training on HELP?
[Top]
The book Inside HELP, Product #159 is necessary for learning how to use HELP. The book provides a wealth of excellent child development information and strategies. Excellent Training Workshops that covers all the HELP materials are also available from Dr. Barbara Kuczen -- Learn more.
Why is HELP so popular and widely used?
[Top]
Over the past 20 years, VORT has continued to update and build upon the core 1,200 developmentally sequenced skills that comprise HELP. HELP is one of the most widely-used (if not the most widely used) curriculum-based assessments in the world. It has been translated into 8 languages. The reasons for HELP's success and popularity are most likely the breadth and detail of the skills covered, the structure of the skill domains and the Strands, the important and excellent family-centered design and support materials, and the optional and practical formats.
How does HELP compare to other assessments?
[Top]
HELP covers more detailed skills (comprehensive), has pioneered activities tied to skills from the child's point of view (child-focused and family-centered), and offers more options (practical). While there are several good curriculum-based assessments available to the field, based on user feedback, HELP is one of the best. Learn more from the book "Linking Assessment" by Bagnato, available from Brookes Publishing.
How do HELP skills relate to Head Start Outcomes?
[Top]
The HELP for Preschoolers (3-6) skills correlate well to the Head Start Positive Child Outcomes (PCO). VORT offers a free correlation (Learn more.). The PCO are used for periodic reporting (e.g., semi-annual), but HELP provides effective, daily/weekly on-going family-centered assessment that effectively provides growth and development for each child, and the HELP-PCO correlation provides a basis for easily completing the requirements for PCO periodic reporting.
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