Screening, Evaluation, and Assessment

I have been using the term evaluation in a very general sense, but parents are likely to hear other terms being tossed around, such as screening and assessment.  While these terms are often used interchangeably, they don't actually refer to the same part of the evaluation process.

Screening refers to the procedures used to determine if a child is likely to be experiencing or at-risk for developmental delay.  This is often the first step in the evaluation process and serves as a form of triage for evaluation.  In other words, screening is used to determine who should be fully evaluated for eligibility for Early Intervention services.    

Evaluation refers to procedures used to determine if a child is eligible for Early Intervention services under Part C of IDEA.

Assessment refers to procedures used to determine a child's needs and strengths or in the case of the family assessment, the resources, priorities, and concerns of the family related to the child's development.

So that's IDEA evaluation terminology in a nutshell.  Each term refers to a different stage in the process that leads to the next:  Screening-->Evaluation-->Assessment-->IFSP development.