AEPS Measurement for Three to Six Years, vol 3.

The Assessment, Evaluation, and Programming System (AEPS) for infants and children is the culmination of many years of research and collaboration on several versions of the AEPS by a team of educators, psychologists, and speech/language pathologists. The AEPS Measurement for Three to Six Years is the third in a series of four volumes. It contains measurement tests for the domains of adaptive, cognitive, social-communication, social, fine motor, and gross motor skills. It is a criterion-referenced tool for the assessment of 3- to 9-year-old children who are at risk, or have disabilities, and are functioning developmentally in the range of 3 to 6 years. The editors are distinguished professors of special education and early intervention. Modifications or adaptations in presenting the test and assistance are permitted to enable an item to be scored.

Initially, the authors focus on the interview with the family and the goals they have set for their child. The family report consists of 98 items, which are social or functional skills that children use in their home and everyday environment. Each of the items in the family report is related to the AEPS intervention program. Both the assessment and the family report are keyed into the curriculum planning and the individualized education program (IEP) and individualized family service plan (IFSP) goals. An activity-based format is used for intervention programs. A sample of the intervention activities program from volume 4, AEPS Curriculum for Three to Six Years, is provided. The initial assessment, intervention program, and evaluation are linked to provide a useful program for the children. The first assessment relates to the child's baseline performance. Progress is measured by evaluations at 3 and 6 months after the start of intervention. The Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs can also be used with the AEPS curriculum for intervention programs.

Physical therapists are not specifically mentioned as interventionists, but as specialists and consultants for adaptive equipment. They are present at some IEP or ISFP meetings. The physical therapist might use the AEPS gross motor section and possibly some of the adaptive sections, whereas the direct-service personnel (classroom interventionists and home visitors) would use the cognitive, social/communication, social, and adaptive domains.

The AEPS consists of 87 cognitive items, 49 social/communication items, 33 social items, 39 adaptive items, 18 gross motor items, and 14 fine motor items. The appendixes contain the family report of child's skills; IEP/IFSP goals and objectives of gross motor, fine motor, adaptive, cognitive, and social skills; child progress record; and data recording forms. The assessment activity plans give the instructions for setting up the test area activity stations.

The test manual section describes the methods used for testing each item and the criterion for passing. The actual assessment forms are straightforward, especially in the gross motor and fine motor categories. They measure balance and mobility in standing and walking and play skills. No expected age level is stated for any of these items. The assessment is deemed to be appropriate for any child from age 3 to 9 years, providing the child is developmentally able to participate. Assistive devices, adaptive equipment, and walking aids may be used. Special accommodations may be made for children with vision, hearing, or motor impairments.

Physical therapists familiar with other tests, such as the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, will find fewer test items for gross motor and fine motor skills on the AEPS test because the focus is on the cognitive skills. The AFPS was designed to be used in the school setting, with a family interest survey and the family's input to supplement it. The cognitive and social/ communication sections are extensive. The instructions for administration are lengthy. Play stations are set up in the classroom, and as the child moves from station to station, the observer checks off items on the test form. It is not intrusive on the child's playtime.

Reliability and validity studies for this test are ongoing at the University of Oregon. From 1985 to the present, field studies of children with and without physical or mental challenges have been done to test the psychometric properties of AEPS volume 3 tests. The authors state there is a high degree of consistency between observers and total group correlations compared with similar tests. Many field tests have been done, but the AEPS is not yet standardized. Children with disabilities were not involved in all of the gross motor and adaptive activities; therefore, their total scores are not based on data from all domains. Age norms were deliberately omitted because, as the authors stated, children with disabilities need to improve functional skills, not be compared with developmental norms.

This impressive, comprehensive test manual is appropriate for educators, speech/language pathologists, and pediatric physical therapy and occupational therapy practitioners.