Special education & rehabilitationPublished 4 min readEnable 360 team

Why a child's assessment rarely fits in one session, and how to run it across several

A child who tires after twenty minutes will not show at minute forty what they can really do. That is why many therapists split assessments across sessions. The challenge is keeping every answer saved and complete from one session to the next.

Why a child's assessment rarely fits in one session, and how to run it across several

What changes when an assessment runs long

Comprehensive assessments such as VB-MAPP and ABLLS include hundreds of items. Trying to finish them in one sitting means a tired or distracted child in the second half, and a result below their real ability. Some items also need the child to be observed in more than one situation or on more than one day.

Splitting the assessment fixes that, but on paper it creates a new problem. Which items are done? Where is the sheet started on Sunday? Who ran the second part?

Organize it from the consultation

The assessment starts before the first session. In the consultation, the consultant decides which assessments the child needs, and that list is what should be booked with a therapist. When it stays in the consultant's notebook, part of it gets lost between consultation and booking.

Split by areas, not by the clock

Instead of stopping wherever time runs out, plan complete areas for each session. The next session then starts from a clear point, and items are less likely to be repeated or missed.

  • Start with areas where the child is comfortable, then move to the harder ones.
  • Note how the child was doing in each session. It may explain uneven results later.
  • Do not issue the report before the assessment is complete, so no decision rests on a partial result.

How this works in Enable 360

Assessments the consultant selects during the consultation wait in the system until they are booked with a therapist. An assessment can be completed over several sessions, with answers saved so the therapist picks up where they stopped. Once it is complete, scores are calculated automatically.

See the system

Frequently asked questions

How many sessions does a comprehensive assessment need?

It depends on the tool, the child's age and attention span. What matters is keeping each session short enough for the child to stay at their best.

Can more than one therapist run parts of the same assessment?

Yes, as long as the answers are in one place and it is clear who ran each part.

Does Enable 360 save an unfinished assessment?

Yes. An assessment can be completed over several sessions and resumed where the therapist stopped.

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