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[ Image here ] [ Image here ] FAMILY Assessment
F.A,M.I.L.Y. Assessment
Questions & Answers
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How the Assessment Works

The initial contact-The Regional CO-Hear Coordinator, representing CHIP, introduces the CHIP facilitator to the family in the family's home.

The video tape - After a family has been involved in the program for several months and is comfortable with it, the facilitator videotapes the parents and child at play for 30 minutes.

The parent-completed protocols - The parents and facilitator complete a number of checklists when the video tape is made. These checklists measure: auditory skills, language and communication skills, play skills, motor skills, and family needs.

Computerized and objective scoring -The video tape is analyzed by trained coders at the University of Colorado - Boulder. The coders have been specially trained to score areas measuring:  child speech, child communication, child language, and parent-child interaction.

The report of skill levels – The information is summarized and provided to the facilitator who shares it with the family.   The summary report describes current skills, strengths, and progress. The report also recommends "challenges" - the next steps the parent/facilitator team can take to stimulate the child's development.

A Tool for Improving Performance

The FAMILY Assessment is a multi-disciplinary assessment tool used to evaluate the abilities of the child with special needs as the child interacts with family members. The resulting data are used in several ways:

• to identify new therapeutic strategies

• to set new performance goals

• as a valuable database for research

The FAMILY Assessment helps the parents to effectively guide their child's development. The facilitator plays a key role in the process. Not only does the facilitator provide specific training in areas of need, he or she is a source of emotional support for the parents. The facilitator may also function as a service coordinator, assuming these responsibilities:

• assisting the family in choosing services and identifying therapeutic goals

• helping the family to coordinate the professional team

• guiding the family efficiently through a system offering multiple services to the child and family

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