Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment: A Functional Approach to Working With Young Children.

The author has written a comprehensive guidebook to explain in detail transdisciplinary play-based assessment (TPBA), a non-normative tool that involves observation of structured and unstructured play of a child who has developmental disabilities. The text is carefully organized to clarify the assessment's purpose and methods, with strong emphasis on child-guided activity, parental involvement, implications for intervention, and sharing among team members.

In Part 1 the authors provide the rationale for TPBA. They compare traditional assessments with this tool and explain why play is important. Part 2 is a precise explanation of the process, organized logically so that any team member (including a physical therapist) could replicate it. Part 3 details observation guidelines for cognitive, social-emotional, communication and language, and sensorimotor development. The chapters devoted to each of the above areas provide a literatre review; guiding questions for observation; age ranges; and, finally, the actual worksheets to accomplish the process. Implications for intervention are highlighted throughout this section. The text ends with a detailed example of an assessment, complete with program plans for educational intervention.

Although the entire text is relevant to the physical therapist as a team member, the chapter on sensorimotor development is especially pertinent. Physical therapist Susan Hall describes the categories used for observation, which range from tone and developmental achievements to sensory input and motor planning. Although all the data are collected during one play session, the author notes the need for additional hands-on evaluation.

It is clear that this book succeeds in delineating TPBA as a working mechanism geared toward educational use. The author has an obvious sensitivity to the child and family and a dedication to educational planning with full parental and team participation. The extensive bibliography at the end of each chapter, the complete observation guidelines, and the careful attention to intervention suggestions would enable an educational team to utilize this approach either in total or in part. The TPBA is geared to sharing ideas among team members, and in this book the author competently shares the TPBA assessment with her readers.