Description:
The E-LAP is designed to help assess overall development
of children with special needs functioning, based on developmental
milestones focusing on the birth through 3-year age range.
The E-LAP is a criterion-referenced tool that focuses on the
following domains: Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Cognitive, Language,
Self-Help, and Social/Emotional skills. Items in the E-LAP
were drawn from various early childhood assessment instruments.
Uses of Information: The E-LAP
provides guidance to early childhood programs in assessment
and programming for infants, young children, and children
with special needs.
Reliability: (1) Internal consistency
reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) ranges from .84 to .98
for Gross Motor, with a total of .99; .90 to .96 for Fine
Motor, with a total of .98; .96 to .97 for Cognitive, with
a total of .99; .91 to .96 for Language, with a total of .98;
.93 to .97 for Self-Help, with a total of .98; and .87 to
.91 for Social Emotional, with a total of .96. (2) Test-retest
reliability was measured one to three weeks apart only for
a small subsample of children (92). Correlations for the domains
ranged from .96 to .99. (3) Inter-rater reliability correlation
coefficients for the domains ranged from .96 to .99.
Validity: (1) Concurrent validity
was tested using the Mental and Motor Scales of the BSID-II
(Bayley Scales of Infant Development). Results indicate a
strong correlation (.90 to .97) between the E-LAP and BSID-II
scored in each domain for the overall sample. In the 2- to
12-month sample, correlations ranged from .83 to .95, and
in the 13-to 24-month sample, correlations ranged from .72
to .88. Correlations in the 25- to 36-month sample were lower,
ranging from .47 to .83. The manual mentions that this lower
correlation, in addition to other analytical information,
may indicate that the ELAP is a less effective assessment
tool for older children.
Method of Scoring: The examiner
must first calculate the child’s chronological age (by
months) to determine the appropriate starting point in each
domain. Each item is marked with a plus (+) if the child exhibits
the criterion-referenced behavior or a minus (-) if the skill
is not demonstrated by the child. Examiners must establish
a basal (8 consecutive items successfully completed) and a
ceiling (3 errors out of 5 consecutive items). All items prior
to the basal are counted as correct. The raw score represents
these items plus the number of items successfully completed
in the domain up to the ceiling. The manual provides further
guidelines for computing the raw score for the domain, and
calculating the corresponding developmental age-range that
the child falls within. It also suggests that any modifications
of the procedures or use of adaptive equipment be included
in the comments section of the scoring booklet in order to
better understand a child’s skills. The Content and
Overview video also includes information on scoring the E-LAP.
Interpretability: E-LAP is a
non-standardized test, and should be used in conjunction with
norm-referenced assessments to determine whether or not a
child has a disability. In computing scores, the manual also
states that it is important for the examiner to be aware that
the normative developmental age assigned to a specific item
varies among research sources, and that developmental ages
need to be viewed as approximate. Although the manual does
not provide normed scores, it does provide means and standard
deviations for the scores obtained in the various domains
for the project sample (including both typical and atypical
children) as well as the core sample (including only children
with presumed typical development).
Training Support: There is a
demonstration video available to assist transdisciplinary
teams with using the E-LAP. There are also individuals from
the Chapel Hill Training-Outreach Project available for training
on the E-LAP. Information on training can be obtained by calling
800-334-2014, ext.5100.
Adaptations/Special Instructions for
Individuals with Disabilities: The manual suggests
that in the case of children with disabilities, reports of
diagnostic results should be used to provide information regarding
the child’s developmental level of functioning (to help
determine the appropriate point for beginning the assessment
process). If that information is not available, the manual
suggests that the assessor begin administering the E-LAP at
half of the child’s chronological age, which would allow
for the establishment of the basal. The manual assumes that
the teacher will create appropriate developmental milestones
for children with more involved disabilities, and if necessary,
should appropriately modify these milestones into sub-objectives
for the child.
Report Preparation Support:
The information in the E-LAP recording procedures suggest
that the absence of certain skills (as demonstrated through
the assessment) should be incorporated into the child’s
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).
References:
Glover, Elayne M., Jodi L. Preminger, and Anne R. Sanford.
Early Learning Accomplishment Profile Revised Edition (E-LAP).
Lewisville, NC: Kaplan Press, 1995.
Hardin, Belinda J., and Ellen S. Peisner-Feinberg. The Early
Learning Accomplishment Profile (Early LAP) Examiner’s
Manual and Reliability and Validity Technical Report. Lewisville,
NC: Kaplan Press, 2001.
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