Research guides: Special Education: Understanding Assessment Processes

Understanding Assessment Processes

Assessing and diagnosing special needs can be a complicated process. While you may not be diagnosing students as an educator, it can be useful to understand the various components at play and the diagnostic tools and definitions that are used in the assessment process. The following library and open-access resources may support you as you seek to understand and support this process.

Recommended Books

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - DSM-5 by American Psychiatric Association Staff; Kernberg
Call Number: OISE Reference 616.89075 D536 2013
Publication Date: 2013
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders. The chapter organization reflects a lifespan approach, with disorders typically diagnosed in childhood at the beginning of the manual, and those more typical of older adults placed at the end.The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, is the most comprehensive, current, and critical resource for clinical practice available to today's mental health clinicians and researchers of all orientations.
Foundations of Behavioural, Social, and Clinical Assessment of Children by Jerome M. Sattler
Call Number: OISE Stacks 155.4 S253F 2014
Publication Date: 2014
This book summarizes a number of assessment measures in an easy-to-understand format. It is the most recently updated 6th edition.
Assessing Intelligence in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide by John H. Kranzler; Randy G. Floyd
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2013
Featuring reproducible forms, sample scripts, and other clinical tools, this book shows how to select, administer, and interpret evidence-based intelligence tests. It provides quick-reference guidelines for comprehensively assessing an individual K-12 student and sharing the results through effective written reports and in-person meetings. Basic concepts in intellectual assessment are concisely explained and the role of testing in a response-to-intervention framework is addressed.
Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Intelligence by Randy W. Kamphaus
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2005
This volume has been updated to provide the most comprehensive and accessible handbook of practices and tools for the clinical assessment of child and adolescent intelligence. It emphasizes the proper interpretation of intelligence tests within the context of a child's life circumstances and includes several devices to enhance the logical processes of assessment, beginning with test selection and concluding with the reporting of results.This book includes case studies and vignettes designed to deepen clinical understanding.

Open-Access Resources

The Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC)
Ontario's Ministry of Education has compiled information about the purpose and process of the IPRC, the committee responsible for determining if a pupil in the classroom can be considered "exceptional" and what steps must subsequently be taken to improve their learning experience.
Exceptionalities Determined by Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)
The Ontario Teacher's Federation has compiled an additional resource about the exceptionalities that are recognized by the IPRC. Links are provided to individual school boards' special education plans and to more information about Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
Diagnosed Medical/Psychological Conditions
The Ontario Teacher's Federation has compiled a list of diagnosed medical and psychological conditions (identified in the DSM-5) that can impact students in the classroom. Each listed condition is hyperlinked to a variety of resources designed to support the teaching of diagnosed individuals.

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Understanding Assessment Processes

Recommended Books

Open-Access Resources

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