EVALUATION INSTRUMENTS
The evaluation instruments listed below are examples of those typically used in an assessment of a child’s abilities. The list does not
include every test that might be used nor may all those listed be used. The evaluator will choose tests that he/she thinks are best for the
child’s age, grade, and physical abilities. Parents will be given specific information on the tests used at the time the results are reviewed
and at any subsequent placement and IEP meetings.
VISION – A visual screening to determine the child’s visual acuity through the use of a Snellen Chart or a Titmus machine. If
additional testing is indicated, the child may be referred to a medical eye specialist for further evaluation. If visual problems are
indicated, other tests (achievement, psychological, etc.) will be selected to be non-discriminatory in terms of the visual impairment or
these tests may be postponed until the vision problem can be corrected.
HEARING – An audiometric screening to determine the child’s hearing acuity. This screening may include pure tone or impedance
audiometry. If additional testing is indicated, the child may be referred to an audiologist or medical specialist. If a hearing impairment
is indicated, other tests (achievement, psychological, etc.) will be selected to be non-discriminatory in terms of the hearing impairment
or these tests may be postponed until the hearing problem can be corrected.
ACHIEVEMENT – These tests may be group or individual tests to determine the child’s current level of academic functioning. Areas
which may be included are: oral expression; listening comprehension; written expression; basic reading skills; reading comprehension;
mathematics calculation and mathematics reasoning. Often used tests are:
Peabody Individual Achievement Test-Revised (PIAT-R)
Wide Range Achievement Test-Revision 3 (WRAT-3)
California Test of Basic Skills
KeyMath-Revised
Test of Written Language-3 (TOWL-3)
Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-II (K-TEA-II)
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IIIA (PPVT-III)
Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE)
Kaufman Assessment of Early Academic & Language
Skills (K-SEALS)
Norris Educational Achievement Test (NEAT)
Test of Kindergarten/First Grade Readiness Skills
(TKFGRS)
Brigance Inventory of Basic Skills
Woodcock-Johnson-III (WJ-III)
California Achievement Test
Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)
Test of Mathematical Abilities-2 (TOMA-2)
Diagnostic Achievement Battery-3 (DAB-3)
Diagnostic Achievement Test for Adolescents-2 (DATA-2)
Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised (WRMT-R)
Gray Oral Reading Test-4 (GORT)
Gray Silent Reading Test (GSRT)
Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP-R)
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-II)
The Phonological Awareness Test
Dyslexia Screening Test
VISUAL/MOTOR – These tests determine the overall ability of a child to perform basic tasks and activities that require fine and gross
motor coordination. Testing may call for the child to walk, run, sit or perform other physical activities. In addition, the following tests
may be given. Such tests are:
Bender Gestalt Test-II
Beery Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration
Peabody Developmental Motor Scale
Denver Developmental Screening Test
Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency
Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (non-motor)
PSYCHOLOGICAL – An individually administered test of general intelligence. These tests are used to measure different types of
abilities such as comprehension, visual and auditory perception, visual and auditory memory, vocabulary, etc. A test of this kind is
required for entry into certain programs in Special Education. Often used tests are the following:
Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WISC-IV, WAIS-III,
(WPPSI-III)
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fifth Edition
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC)
Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT)
Slosson Intelligence Test-Revised (SIT-R)
Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI-3)
Battelle Developmental Inventory
Arthur Adaptation, Leiter International Performance Scale
Psychoeducational Profile-Revised (PEP-R)
Torrance Test of Creative Thinking
McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities
Columbia Mental Ability Test
Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test
Bayley Scales of Infant Development
Ravens Progressive Matrices
Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT)
Preschool S.I.F.T.E.R.
Differential Ability Scales (DAS)
Developmental Profile II
Evaluation Instruments, Page 1 of 2
SPEECH/LANGUAGE – Testing includes assessment of the child’s articulation, language, fluency, voice and adequacy of the oral
mechanism. For the non-verbal child, the assessment will explore alternative communication systems. For a child suspected of having
a voice disorder, an evaluation by an laryngologist (a medical doctor) is also necessary. Tests used may include:
Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation
Stuttering Severity Instrument
Carrow Elicited Language Inventory
Test of Language Development (TOLD
Test of Adolescent Language Development (TOAL)
Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language
Children’s Auditory Performance Scale (C.H.A.P.S.)
Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT)
CELF
T-MAC Articulation Test
Preschool Language Scale (PLS)
Test of Problem Solving
Bracken Basic Concept Test
Oral & Written Language Scales (OWLS)
Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP)
BEHAVIORAL – Testing includes an assessment of the child’s ability to act and interact appropriately in everyday situations within
the family, the school, and the community. Such tests may include checklists and parental and/or teacher interviews as well as
paper/pencil tasks for the child and observation in the classroom. Such assessment instruments are:
Quay-Peterson Behavior Problem Checklist
Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklist
McCarney’s Attention Deficit Disorder Checklist
McCarney’s Adaptive Behavior Evaluation Scale
Adaptive Behavior Scale: School 2nd Edition
System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA)
Adaptive Behavior Inventory (ABI)
Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS)
Child Depression Inventory (CDI)
Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS)
Draw A Person: Screening Procedure for Emotional
Problems (DAP:SPED)
Minnesota Multi-Phasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-A)
Social-Emotional Dimensions Scale (SEDS)
Scale for Assessing Emotional Disturbance (SAED)
Children’s Apperception Test
Behavior Evaluation Scale-2 (BES-2)
Achenbach Checklist
Conners Rating Scales
Vineland Social Maturity Scale
ADD Behavioral Rating Scales
Copeland Symptom Checklist for ADD
Gilliam Asperger’s Disorders Scale (GADS)
Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS)
Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB-R)
Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC)
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)
Differential Test of Conduct and Emotional Problems (DT/CEP)
Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders (DSMD)
The Hand Test
Roberts Apperception Test for Children (RATC)
Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC)
OTHER – In the process of assessing a child’s strengths and weaknesses, the evaluator may need to use additional tests in order to gain
a more complete picture of the child. Other assessments which may be required:
Test of Auditory-Perceptual Skills-Revised (TAPS-R)
Test of Auditory-Perceptual Skills: Upper Level (TAPS:UL)
Visual Aural Digit Span Test
Quick Neurological Screening Test (QNST-II)
Jordan (Left-Right Reversal Test)
Process Assessment of the Learner (PAL)
NOTE: Tests used are the most current editions of published tests.
Revised 2/04
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