Important Notes:
The following instructions and examples provide general "rule
of thumb" guidelines for determining approximate developmental levels. There
are no exact rules or formulas that will apply for every child or every assessment
to derive developmental levels. Use clinical judgment and item analysis in this process.
Each Strand Preface in Inside HELP provides specific strand-related information
for determining and reporting developmental levels under "General Assessment
Procedures."
Important Reminders:
No child is expected to display all HELP skills listed nor display
all skills for an age range. Be sure to consider individual, environmental, or cultural
differences per child.
The age ranges reported in HELP are the ages at which a skill or behavior (for
children who do not have disabilities) typically begins according to the literature.
These age ranges are not when a skill begins and ends! Some skills are time-limited
and emerge into more complex skills, while others are lifetime skills. Literature
varies regarding the age at which a skill emerges, for example, one source may have
reported 9 month, another source 10 months, and another source 12 months. HELP would
list that skill at the 9-12 month age range.
HELP is a curriculum-based assessment, not a standardized test. As such, there
is no validity or reliability data available for HELP. It will not yield a definitive
single age level or score. The major purpose of HELP as a curriculum assessment is
to identify curriculum outcomes, strategies and activities.
If your program requires standardized scores for eligibility purposes, HELP can
be used in conjunction with a standardized test (see page i.34) to help pinpoint
strengths and needs, and to help develop outcomes, strategies, and activities./td>
Using the HELP Strands (see examples 1. - 5. below) to Determine Approximate Levels
of Development
1. The highest skill in each strand.
The highest skill in each strand that the child can accomplish with good quality
is, generally, the approximate developmental level of the child for that strand when
he has accomplished at least two consecutive skills. If a child displays two or more
skills in a row with good quality, you can generally assume that he has achieved
earlier skills because of their hierarchical relationship within the strand. Conversely,
after a child misses more than two skills or behaviors in a sequence, you can generally
assume the child has not yet accomplished higher skills in that particular strand.
See the examples below.
In example 1, the "approximate" developmental level for the child on Strand
1-4A is 14-15 months, per the "general rule" cited in example 1 above.
However, every child and assessment situation is unique. There are exceptions to
example 1 above which are outlined below in examples 2 through 5.
2. The age range listed for the highest skill is not always the developmental
range that you will report.
This situation can occur when:
a. There is a wide age range listed for a skill, e.g., more than 3 months
b. There is a several month gap between skills
c. A child is older or developmentally higher than the age range listed for the last
skill in a strand.
2a. If the age range of the skill which is the child's highest credit is greater
than the age range of the next skill in that strand (which he could not accomplish),
you would not report the child's developmental level as the full range reported for
the skill accomplished.
In example 2a above, the "approximate" developmental level for the child
on Strand 1-4B would be 5-7 months since the highest skill mastered in Means-Ends
was #1.26 "Works for desired, out of reach object." This skill has an age
range of 5-9 months. But since the child could not master higher skills in this strand
with a lower age range, e.g., "Retains two of three objects offered," with
an age range of 6.5-7.5, and "Retains two and reaches for 3rd object" with
an age range 8-10 months, you would not report that the child displayed Means-Ends
skills in the 5-9 month range. Instead, you could report e.g., "Johnny displayed
Means-Ends skills at about the 5-7 month developmental level. He worked to attain
an out-of-reach object, and purposely reached for a second object while holding one,
but could not yet figure out how to obtain a third object."
2b. If there is a gap in age between skills within a strand, use clinical judgment
to report the child's developmental level in that area, depending on the situation.
In example 2b, the "approximate" developmental level for the child on Strand
1-4C would be "age appropriate" since skill# 1.98 "Attempts and then
succeeds in activating mechanical toy" is listed as typically emerging at any
time within the 18-22 month range. The skill listed immediately before this, #1.67,
"Hands toy back to adult" has an age range of 12-15 months. There is a
three month gap between skills 1.67 and 1.98. If a 16- or 17-month old passed skill#
1.67 but not #1.98, you would not say that he displayed Cause and Effect skills at
the 12-15 month level since this could imply a delay. Instead, you would report that
the child displayed Cause and Effect skills which are typical for his age (i.e.,
age appropriate), and provide some examples.
2c. If a child accomplishes the highest level skill in a strand which has an age
range less than the child's actual age, and if he displays higher level skills in
other strands, use the higher ranged strand as your point of reference.
Example 2c: Reporting for a 10 month-old child (Gross Motor Domain):
Example In example 2c, you would report "age appropriate" in Gross Motor.
Do not report that child is at 6-7.5 month level in Prone unless he cannot accomplish
higher skills in other Gross Motor strands.
3. Skills in Strand 1-5 Spatial Relationships, may not be in exact sequential
order. Several different spatial concepts are targeted in this strand. Therefore, although
skills are sequenced according to age, these skills do not necessarily build upon
each other. Hence, you cannot always assume that a child has achieved earlier skills
in this strand when he displays higher skills, nor assume that he cannot achieve
higher skills when he misses two consecutive skills. It is recommended that several
items be assessed below and above the level at which the child seems to be developing.
4. In some cases you should not report developmental level. a. Sometimes a child may display persistent atypical or dysfunctional skills
and behaviors that are not typical or appropriate at any age, e.g., pervasive repetitive
behaviors, self destructive behavior, obligatory abnormal posturing. A description
of these patterns is usually more appropriate than reporting levels.
b. Some areas of development may be inappropriate to assess due to a child's disability,
e.g. "Picture Concepts" for a child who is blind, or "Advancing Postural
Control and Motor Planning" skills for a child who is non-ambulatory.
c. Section 0.0 - Regulatory/Sensory Organization focuses upon the child's self-regulation
capacities and his capacities to perceive and organize various sensory experiences.
The purpose of this area is to look for patterns of preferences, capacities, and
difficulties related to Regulatory/Sensory Organization. It is not appropriate to
assign specific age ranges in this area. Instead, child responses can be described
as "Typical," "Over-reactive" or "Under-reactive."
5. A delay can be "normal" for a child with a specific disability when
compared to a child who does not have a disability.
For example, a delay in self-initiated mobility is normal for a child who is blind.
The developmental ranges listed in HELP are based upon children who do not have disabilities.
Be sure to review Assessment Adaptations for every strand in Inside HELP when assessing
and reporting for children with disabilities.
Developing a Developmental Profile with the HELP Strands Since some children will display strengths and needs within and between developmental
domains, the strand format can yield a profile of approximate developmental levels
within and between domains.
1. In cases where there is a significant difference between strands within a domain,
it is
important to report these differences rather than report one broad age range for
the entire domain.
For example, when assessed in the Gross Motor domain, a six-month-old child displayed
skills in the Prone and Supine strands at approximately the 0-2 month level and in
the Sitting and Weight-Bearing strand at approximately the 5-6 month level. In this
case, it is important to report these age level differences within a domain rather
than reporting "scattered skills up to 6 months." This type of break-out,
although appearing cumbersome at first glance, will actually provide the clinician
with valuable interpretive and planning information which can save time in the long
run.
Example 1. Gross Motor Profile Important to report (differences) by strand 3-1 Prone 0-2 months
3-2 Supine 0-2 months
3-3 Sitting 5-6 months
3-4 Weightbearing and Standing 5-6 months
2. In other cases, you may not find significant age level differences between strands
within a domain. In these cases and based on "informed clinical opinion,"
you can report an approximate age level for the entire domain.
Example 2. Gross Motor Profile Using clinical judgment, can report one age range for domain, i.e. 3-5 months
(or, if child is 5 months old, report "age appropriate")
3-1 Prone 3-5 months
3-2 Supine 4-5 months
3-3 Sitting 4-5 months
3-4 Weightbearing and Standing 3-5 months
Using the HELP Checklist (or HELP Charts) to Determine Approximate Levels of Development 1. On the HELP Checklist and the HELP Charts, skills are not always in hierarchical
order, i.e., one skill is not necessarily related to the skill that is listed next.
The "two in a row" rule outlined in Example 1 above, therefore, does not
apply. If the child displays gaps within a domain, you will need to rely upon clinical
judgment and item analysis, and report more estimated and broader ranges of development
with a statement of gaps. As noted earlier, the HELP Strands are recommended for
children who have specific disabilities or apparent "uneven" development.
