Gathering, interpreting and conveying diagnostic information to parents of multiply handicapped children is an essential first step in the child's development. Assessment should investigate response to materials, teaching methods and reinforcers. Communication with parents can be enhanced through enlisting their participation in the evaluation…

Examined are the effects of motor skill development and impairment on the infant's and young child's overall functioning, and suggested are guidelines for assessing motor skills in multiply handicapped children. It is explained that motor delays and deficits limit a child's learning during critical developmental periods. Examples of delayed motor…

Factors involved in evaluating multiply handicapped children are examined. Described are instruments and techniques for measuring three central concerns: (1) the extent to which the impairments limit the child's functioning (including the Test of Auditory Discrimination and the Children's Embedded Figures Test); (2) the child's ability to complete…

The sequence of prelinguistic patterns in the infant and young child is described and explained to aid in identifying the nonverbal child's level of signal and symbol communication. Child-object and child-adult interactions are grouped into the following levels (with sample characteristic behaviors in parentheses): sensation (ceasing crying upon…