Milestones: what the child can do today
Most therapists know the Milestones assessment. It covers 170 language, social and learning skills across three developmental levels: birth to 18 months, 18 to 30 months, and 30 to 48 months. Each level includes areas such as mand, tact, listener skills, play, imitation and social behavior.
Results are usually drawn on the milestones grid, so the team sees at a glance where the child stands in each area and where the gaps begin.
Barriers: what is getting in the way
Two children can score about the same on Milestones and still need very different plans. The difference is often in the barriers. This part looks at 24 barriers that can block learning, including problem behavior, weak instructional control, prompt dependency and difficulty generalizing.
Skip the barriers and the plan ends up setting goals the child will not learn until the barrier is addressed.
Transition: is the child ready for a new setting?
Transition helps the team and the family judge whether a child is ready for a less restrictive setting, such as inclusion in a mainstream class. It covers 18 areas, and many of its questions rely on what was already measured: the overall Milestones score, the Barriers result and some specific skills.
Why the three parts should be linked
When each part lives on its own sheet, the therapist gathers the same numbers again and copies them from form to form, with room for copying mistakes. When the parts are linked, Milestones and Barriers results answer part of the Transition questions without entering anything twice.
How this works in Enable 360
All three parts are live in the system: VB-MAPP Milestones, Barriers and Transition. Scores are calculated automatically, and Milestones and Barriers results answer the Transition questions that depend on them. The report comes out in a format therapists know, including a VB-MAPP page across its three levels.
As with any assessment tool, licensing VB-MAPP is the center's responsibility.
See the systemFrequently asked questions
Do all three parts have to be used with every child?
Not necessarily. Milestones and Barriers usually form the basis of a plan, while Transition is used when a decision about the learning setting is on the table.
How many skills does the Milestones assessment cover?
170 skills across three developmental levels, up to 48 months.
Does Enable 360 score VB-MAPP automatically?
Yes, and it links Milestones and Barriers results to the Transition questions that rely on them.
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