Environment includes everything that surrounds us and experiences to which we are exposed. Environmental assessment is otherwise called as ecological assessment. Ecological assessment is defined as method of assessing child’s total environment to determine what factors are contributing to learning or behavioural problem.
Ecological system looks at many variables surrounding the child’s performance rather than assuming first that the difficulty is within the child. Hence, in assessment of children all aspects of the child should be considered. Many ecological factors may contribute to the functioning of the total child, including the child’s culture and background, life experiences, family and development in adaptive, cognitive, motor, social emotional and language areas (Meisels, 1996).
The ecological assessment also emphasizes the assessment of child in its natural setting.
Why Ecological Assessment? The reasons for assessment of environments are to determine the extent to which
A given environment is likely to facilitate children’s development.
They are safe, warm and comfortable places for the care of children.
Environments are normalized or least restrictive
Certain skills are required for successful placements in those environments.
Last modified: Wednesday, 9 November 2011, 5:38 AM
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