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(G) Special Education Assessment Tools

(G) Special Education Assessment Tools

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Adapted from Martha Lewis Kentfield ©1998.

The following is a list of some common special education assessment tools that are used when conducting special education assessments. This list is not comprehensive and there may be additional assessments not on this list that are commonly used. 

This list is provided for informational purposes only. It is not a list of recommended assessments for your child. In determining which assessments should be conducted for their child, parents/guardians/other education rights holders may wish to do additional research and consult with school staff and their child’s providers.

I. COGNITIVE / INTELLECTUAL

  1. Cognition/Intelligence: Ability to reason, to think abstractly, and to solve problems.
    1. Wechsler Tests: 
      • Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (ages 6-16:11), 5th Edition (WISC-V)
      • Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (ages 17) (WAIS-IV)
      • Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (ages 2:6-7:7), 4th Edition (WPPSI-IV)
    2. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales: Fifth Edition
    3. Differential Ability Scales II (DAS-II)
    4. Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Third Edition
  2. Verbal Intelligence: Ability to use cognitive processes which rely primarily on verbal language.
    1. Wechsler: Verbal Scales
    2. Stanford-Binet: FE-Verbal Comprehension Factor (Fifth Edition)
    3. DAS II: Verbal Ability
  3. Nonverbal Intelligence: Ability to use cognitive processes which do not rely primarily on verbal language.
    1. Wechsler: Performance Scales
    2. Stanford-Binet: FE – Nonverbal Reasoning/Visualization Factor
    3. DAS II: Nonverbal Ability
    4. Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children II (K-ABC-II): Nonverbal Scale
    5. Leiter International Performance Scale-Third Edition
    6. Raven’s Progressive Matrices
    7. Columbia Mental Maturity Scale
    8. Matrix Analogies Test-Expanded Form

II. COGNITIVE PROCESSING

  1. Attention
    1. NEPSY-II: Attention & Executive Functioning Domain
    2. Cognitive Assessment System, 2nd Edition: Attention & Planning Domains (CAS2)
    3. Children’s Color Trails Test (CCTT)
    4. Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS)
    5. Test of Everyday Attention for Children-2nd Edition (TEA-Ch 2)
  2. Memory
    1. Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, 3rd Ed. (WRAML3)
    2. Test of Memory and Language, 2nd Edition (TOMAL-2)
    3. Children’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test-2 (CAVLT-2)
    4. Multidimensional Everyday Memory Ratings for Youth (MEMRY)

III. LANGUAGE

  1. Receptive Verbal Language: Ability to understand incoming spoken language.
    1. Wechsler: Verbal Scales
    2. Test of Language Development-Fifth Edition (TOLD-5): Listening Composite
    3. Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language- Fourth Edition (TACL-4)
    4. Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-5): Receptive Subtests
    5. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test- Fifth Edition Oral and Written Language Scales
    6. (OWLS-II): Listening Comprehension
  2. Expressive Verbal Language: Ability to convey ideas and relate information through oral language.
    1. Wechsler: Verbal Scales
    2. TOLD-5: Speaking Composite
    3. CELF-5: Expressive Subtests
    4. Woodcock-Johnson, IV- Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-IV COG): Oral
    5. Language Cluster
    6. Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT-3)
    7. OWLS II: Oral Expression Speech Exam and Language Sample
  3. Receptive Nonverbal Language: Ability to derive meaning from pictures, gestures, and facial expressions, and to interpret social situations without verbal clues.
    1. Wechsler: Picture Completion, Picture Arrangement, Object Assembly
    2. Stanford-Binet: FE – Absurdities
    3. K-ABC: Gestalt Closure, Photo Series, Face Recognition
      Observations of Behavior
  4. Expressive Nonverbal Language: Ability to convey meaning through gestures, facial expressions, and drawings.
    1. Goodenough-Harris Drawing Test
    2. Kinetic Family Drawing
    3. (ITPA-3): Manual Expression
    4. Observations of behavior
  5. Pragmatics: Ability to use appropriate language in social settings to communicate and socialize.
    1. Children’s Communication Checklist, 2nd Edition (CCC-2)
    2. Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, 5th Edition (CELF-5)
    3. Test of Pragmatic Language (TOPL)
    4. Pragmatic Language Skills Inventory (PLSI)

IV. AUDITORY SKILLS

  1. Auditory Discrimination: Ability to detect subtle likenesses and differences between speech sounds.
    1. Wepman Auditory Discrimination Test 2nd Edition
    2. Test of Auditory Perceptual Skills- Fourth Edition (TAPS-IV): Auditory Word Discrimination
    3. Goldman-Fristoe-Woodcock Test of Auditory Discrimination
  2. Auditory Analysis: Ability to break words into syllables and/or discrete sound components.
    1. WJ-IV, Cognitive: Incomplete Words
    2. Slingerland: Test 7, Echolalia
    3. Auditory Analysis Task (plant = p-l-a-n-t)
  3. Auditory Synthesis: Ability to combine supplied sounds or syllables into words (sound blending).
    1. WJ-IV, Cognitive: Sound Blending
    2. Mann-Suiter Sound Blending
  4. Auditory Immediate Memory: Ability to retain information just heard for a short period of time (no storage involved).
    1. Wechsler: Digit Span
    2. Stanford-Binet: FE-Memory for Sentences, Memory for Digits
    3. K-ABC: Number Recall, Word Order
    4. WJ-IV, Cognitive: Memory for Sentences, Memory for Words
    5. Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude- Fifth Edition (DTLA-5): Sentence Imitation, Word Sequences, Story Sequences
    6. Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML-2): Verbal Scale
  5. Auditory Recent Memory: Ability to store and recall recently heard auditory material.
    1. Slingerland: Tests 6, 8
    2. Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (WRAML-2): Verbal Learning, Verbal Learning Recall, Story Memory Recall
  6. Auditory Remote Memory: Ability to store and recall auditory material heard several months or years earlier.
    1. Wechsler: Information, Similarities, Vocabulary, Comprehension
    2. Stanford-Binet: FE – Vocabulary, Comprehension, Verbal Relations
    3. WJ-IV, Achievement: Knowledge Cluster
    4. Peabody Individual Achievement Test-
      Revised: General Information (1997 Norms)

V. VISUAL SKILLS

  1. Visual Discrimination: Ability to detect subtle likenesses and differences in visual stimuli such as symbols, pictures, and designs.
    1. Wechsler: Performance Scale WJ-IV, Cognitive: Visual Matching, Cross Out
    2. Motor Free Visual Perception Test- Fourth Edition (MVPT-4)
    3. Slingerland: Test 4
    4. Test of Visual Perceptual Skills- 4th Edition  (TVPS-4): Visual Discrimination
  2. Visual Analysis: Ability to identify the parts of a visual stimulus and to differentiate figure from ground.
    1. Wechsler: Performance Scale
    2. K-ABC-II: Gestalt Closure, Triangles, Matrix Analogies, Photo Series 
    3. Slingerland: Tests 1, 2, 3, 8
    4. Motor Free Visual Perception Test-Fourth Edition
    5. Jordan Left-Right Reversal Test -Third Edition
    6. Observations of word list and paragraph reading
  3. Visual Analysis/Synthesis: Ability to identify the parts of a visual stimulus and to combine visual elements into a whole.
    1. Wechsler: Picture Arrangement, Block Design, Object Assembly
    2. K-ABC-II: Triangles, Photo Series
    3. Raven’s Progressive Matrices
    4. Stanford-Binet: FE-Pattern Analysis
  4. Visual Immediate Memory: Ability to retain information just seen for a short period of time (no storage involved).
    1. Wechsler: Coding
    2. Stanford-Binet: FE-Bead Memory, Memory for Objects
    3. K-ABC-II: Hand Movements, Spatial Memory
    4. WJ-IV, Cognitive: Picture Recognition
    5. WRAML-2: Visual Scale
  5. Visual Recent Memory: Ability to store and recall recently seen visual information.
    1. Slingerland: Tests 3, 5
    2. Ray-Osterrieth Complex Figure Drawing (ROCF)
    3. Weekly spelling tests
    4. WRAML-2: Visual Learning, Visual Learning Recall
  6. Visual Remote Memory: Ability to store and recall visual information seen several months or years earlier.
    1. Wechsler: Picture Completion, Object Assembly
    2. Achievement tests: word recognition, oral reading, spelling
  7. Visual-Spatial Orientation: Ability to perceive spatial relationships involving one’s own body and the environment. Ability to organize and interpret spatial relationships on a two-dimensional level as in copying, writing or reading.
    1. Slingerland Tests: 1, 2
    2. Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test II
    3. Jordan Left-Right Reversal Test- Third Edition
    4. Wechsler: Block Design
    5. Stanford-Binet: FE-Pattern Analysis
    6. Observations of written work, reading, and behavior
  8. Visual Scanning: Ability to investigate visual material in a systematic, organized way.
    1. Slingerland: Tests 3, 4, 8
    2. Motor Free Visual Perception Test- Fourth Edition
    3. Jordan Left-Right Reversal Test- Third Edition
    4. Observations of paragraph reading

VI. MOTOR SKILLS

  1. Fine Motor Coordination: Ability to control fine muscle movements, as in writing, drawing and cutting.
    1. Wechsler: Coding, Mazes
    2. Stanford-Binet: FE – Copying
    3. Bender-Gestalt Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration – Sixth Edition (VMI-6)
    4. Slingerland: Tests 1, 2, 5, 6
    5. Observations of writing, drawing, cutting, and coloring
  2. Fine Motor Coordination –Speech: Ability to coordinate articulatory movement patterns for speech.
    1. Speech Exam
    2. Slingerland: Echolalia
  3. Tactile-Kinesthetic Discrimination: Ability to identify and interpret information gained through touch and movement.
    1. Task: Examiner moves child’s fingers to form letters or numbers with eyes closed; child identifies.
  4. Kinesthetic Memory: Ability to remember information gained through movement.
    1. Task: Examiner teaches a new word through repeated writing; child reproduces later
    2. Observation of motor patterns in writing
  5. Gross Motor Coordination: Ability to coordinate large muscle movements as in running, walking, skipping and throwing.
    1. Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency- Second Edition (BOT-2)
    2. Observation of gross motor activities
  6. Modality Integration: Ability to transfer information from one sensory modality to another. Ability to coordinate two or three modalities in the production of outgoing responses.
    1. Slingerland Halstead-Reitan and Reitan-Indiana
    2. Neuropsychological Test Batteries
    3. WJ-IV, Cognitive: Visual-Auditory Learning
    4. WRAML-2: Sound Symbol
    5. Comparisons of performance on academic tasks such as reading, copying, and dictated spelling

VII. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL 

  1. Self-Concept and Relationships with Others
    1. Projective Drawing Tests
    2. Apperception Tests:
      • Children’s Apperception Test (CAT)
      • Thematic Apperception Tests (TAT) Roberts Apperception Test for Children, 2nd Edition
    3. Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale (updated norms)
    4. Sentence Completion Tests
    5. Rorschach Psychodiagnostic Test
    6. Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory
  2. Social Maturity and Appropriateness of Behavior
    1. Woodcock-Johnson Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised (SIB-R)
    2. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale Developmental Profile III
    3. Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/4-18)
    4. Achenbach 1991 Teacher’s Report Form
    5. Conners Parent & Teacher Rating Scales- Third Edition
    6. Behavior Evaluation Scale-4 (BES-4)

VIII. ACADEMIC SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENT 

  1. Reading and Phonics Skills: Ability to decode unfamiliar words, to recognize familiar
    1. Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-III): Reading Composite
    2. Woodcock-Johnson – Fourth Edition Achievement (WJ-IV ACH): Reading Subtests
    3. Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (K-TEA-3): Reading Composite (1997 Norms)
    4. Ekwall Reading Test
    5. Informal survey of phonics skills
  2. Spelling Skills: Ability to encode words in written form. Use of spelling rules, visual recall, and auditory analysis skills in encoding words.
    1. WIAT III: Spelling
    2. K-TEA-3: Spelling (1997 Norms)
    3. Wide Range Achievement Test-5 (WRAT-5): Spelling Test of Written Spelling-5
    4. Dictated Spelling Tasks
  3. Handwriting Skills: Neatness, spatial organization, and knowledge of manuscript and/or cursive alphabets.
    1. WIAT-III: Written Expression
    2. Test of Written Language-Fourth Edition (TOWL-4
    3. Slingerland, Tests 1, 2, 5, 6
    4. Alphabet Writing Task
    5. Classroom Writing Samples
  4. Written Language Skills: Ability to organize and relate ideas in written form. Knowledge of written language mechanics skills.
    1. WIAT- III: Writing Composite
    2. Test of Written Language- Fourth Edition
    3. Test of Early Written Language- Third Edition (TEWL-3)
    4. WJ-IV, Achievement: Written Language Subtests
    5. OWLS-II: Written Expression Scale
  5. Mathematics Skills: Ability to perform arithmetic computations and to solve problems involving mathematical concepts and reasoning.
    1. WIAT-III: Mathematics Composite
    2. Key Math-Revised (1997 Norms)
    3. WJ-IV, Achievement: Mathematics Subtests
    4. K-TEA-3: Mathematics Composite (1997 Norms)
    5. WRAT-5: Arithmetic

IX. PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT

  1. Hearing
    1. Pure Tone Audiometric Screening
    2. Tympanometry
  2. Visual Activity
    1. Snellen Vision Screening
    2. Titmus Test
  3. Health & Developmental History
    1. Goldstein Childhood History Form (Revised)
    2. Health & Developmental Interview
    3. Neurodevelopmental Exam

X. AUTISM

  1. Autism Rating Scales
    1. Childhood Autism Rating Scale, 2nd Edition (CARS2)
    2. Gilliam Autism Rating Scale, 3rd Edition (GARS-3)
    3. Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS)
    4. Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)
    5. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (2d Edition)