Written by experts, this book prepares users who will work with special-needs infants and preschoolers to use assessment for the purpose of planning effective, personalized intervention programs. Thoroughly updated material ensures readers are up-to-date on developments in the field, helping them better understand, and make use of, current technologies and future advances. Examines the full range of assessment issues?from test development to cultural competence?with an emphasis on family-centered practices, the impact of a child's everyday environment, and the value of collaborative decision-making in order to understand the "whole" child who has a disability. The authors thoroughly ground readers in the fundamentals of all assessment, while concentrating most on assessment of the youngest children birth to five years old. Updated material addresses recent legislation, new trends in the field, and the latest assessment instruments. Contains full chapters on functional behavior assessment and environmental assessment?as well as thorough coverage of cultural and linguistic assessment. For educators assessing infants and preschoolers with special needs.