Assessment ideas

When you don’t have any infant assessments or a budget to spend on assessments

If you don’t have access to an infant assessment, obtain some reproducible developmental schedules and use with a makeshift kit.

The DAY-C (see standardised and non-standardised assessments section) is one assessment alternative. Some suggestions of items to include are:

• A plastic mug and 1 inch blocks
• A small bottle with lentils or sultanas
• Linking rings
• Stacking and nesting containers
• Shape sorter toy (or even ice-cream container with holes cut in lid.
• Book (preferably cardboard)
• Some textured toys (often available at 2 dollar shops now)
• A light rattle (having 2 is good for turn taking)
• Doll, brush, cup, blanket
• Simple shape puzzle

Infants who are referred for early intervention following brain injury or traumatic birth should be screened at 12 weeks (and ideally in a sequence before and after the 12 week mark) using the Prechtl general movement assessment.