The type of service/s requested at intake will guide the parent interview.

The parent interview will include an opportunity for the family to share successes and struggles they and their child are facing and a formulation of both long term and immediate goals that they wish to target. These goals will then be prioritized and detailed in incremental steps, utilizing processes such as task-analyses, as needed.

Detailed questions and answers based on social assessments and various functional behavior analysis tools may be collected and discussed, with the social skills assessment shedding light on the child’s proficiency with regard to specific skills that fall into the following general areas of social engagement:

• Joint-Attending to an item or sharing interest in an event

• Social, Interactive play

• Self-regulation and flexibility regarding change and receiving feedback

• Social/emotional awareness

• Social language and conversation skills, both initiating and responsive

• Group behavior and rule-following skills

• Nonverbal social communication

Assessment of the functions of any impeding behaviors may be conducted, as well, so as to best guide the protocols recommended in a Positive Behavior Support Plan, if indicated. Aide-fading questionnaires may be utilized, and information may be collected on current routines and level of prompting needed for for self-care and other home activities.

The teacher interview is optional and at the request of the parent.

The teacher interview will include an opportunity for the teacher/school staff to share their observations of the child/student’s successes and struggles in a classroom setting, both during formal instruction and during less structured, social play time. A separate Staff Consult can be arranged for recommendations to the staff. However, parents have the option of forwarding the completed report along with any proposed IEP Goals, additional curricular activity development, and, if included, a Positive Behavior Support Plan, to the school staff.

Several of the items in the assessment evaluations may be discussed with the teacher in order to better detail the child’s practical skill abilities within each of the general areas of social engagement.

Questions may be asked in accordance with a Functional Behavior Analysis interview in order to shed light on how to best proactively address any behaviors that may impede further social development once protocol is put in place.

Observation of the child will take place in a setting that includes access to social encounters with same-age group peers. This observation can be conducted in a home setting with multiple siblings who are playing together, during a play date with a group of peers, in a classroom, a camp, or an extra-curricular activity.

Observation of the child in a natural social setting is crucial in order to assess which skills are naturally presented and which currently appear to be absent from his or her repertoire.

During the observation or if additional information is needed, the evaluator may interact and play with the child/student being evaluated. During such interaction, the evaluator will be looking for specific skills (such as flexibility if the rules of the game change).