Validity and Reliability of a Curriculum-Based Assessment Approach to Determine Eligibility for Part C Services

Traditional standardized, norm-referenced assessments are used most often to determine children's eligibility for specialized services. These traditional tests have at least two drawbacks: (a) test items and activities often do not reflect children's functional repertoires; and (b) outcomes are difficult to link directly to goal development, intervention, and evaluation. A promising alternative is the use of an assessment approach that reflects children's functional repertoires in familiar environments (i.e., authentic), and directly connects outcomes to programmatic efforts (i.e., linked). This study investigated the validity and reliability of an authentic and linked alternative assessment. Sixty-eight toddlers, with and without disabilities, were given traditional and alternative eligibility assessments. Results suggest the potential for using alternative assessment for determining eligibility for early intervention services.