Using TPBA to Assess Young Children Through Play

Using TPBA2 to Assess Young Children Through Play

Speaker(s): Toni Linder, Ed.D.

Logistics

Recommended book(s) or materials: Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, Second Edition (TPBA2)

Seminar length: 1–5 days

Number of participants: varies by length of presentation; longer seminars involve more hands-on activities that can only be done by small groups

Who will benefit from this seminar: Special educators, psychologists, speech-language pathologists and therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, early intervention specialists

Speaker Fees: (What do fees include?)
1 day: $1800
2 days: $3300
3 days: $4800
More than 3 days: $1800 per day

Let us know which of the above lengths best suits your organization. Dr. Linder will focus the instruction based on the participants’ background and experience, emphasizing strategies relevant to particular domains of development within a holistic framework.

Have another idea? Tell us about it, and we’ll do our best to customize this seminar to your needs!

Seminar Description

Dr. Linder presents Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, Second Edition (TPBA2) and shows professionals how to use TPBA2 to thoroughly assess any child’s developmental level, learning style, temperament, motivation, and interaction pattern in four domains: cognitive, social-emotional, communication and language, and sensorimotor. Attendees will learn how to use TPBA2 with children from infancy through age 6 on either an ongoing or yearly basis. The seminar addresses facilitation strategies such as establishing trust, imitating behavior, following children’s leads, promoting optimal levels of behavior, and transferring assessment information onto TPBA forms. Participants will also learn a team approach and strategies for including caregivers before, during, and after the assessment to improve parent–professional communication. Video footage illustrates how the TPBA2 process can be used with children of different ages and abilities in different settings.

A one-day seminar covers the domains, includes examples of TPBA2 use, and offers participants the opportunity to practice TPBA2 with the video Observing Kassandra, which provides footage of a young girl with severe disabilities at play. For a two-day seminar, participants can watch as Dr. Linder engages a child* in play and assesses his or her skills in different domains.

A minimum of a three-day seminar is necessary to become an expert in TPBA2. In a three-day seminar, participants spend a morning working in teams to assess a child from their agency or school as Dr. Linder oversees and advises. They analyze and discuss the video of their assessment in the afternoon. A four-day seminar allows participants more time to practice with Dr. Linder’s guidance; this additional time is important if participants were not familiar with TPBA2 prior to the seminar.

In a five-day seminar, each of the first four mornings is dedicated to a different domain, with an assessment of that domain in the afternoon. On the fifth mornings, participants complete a full assessment and report on and analyze the assessment in the afternoon.

(*The hosting agency or school is responsible for arranging for the child to be present. If such arrangements are not feasible, Dr. Linder can use video footage for the shorter seminars.)

Bonus: Combine this seminar with a presentation on Transdisciplinary Play-Based Intervention, Second Edition (TPBI2) and/or Read, Play, and Learn!®, the transdisciplinary, play-based curriculum. Allow at least two days for a combined presentation. A three-day presentation could include one day on assessment, one on intervention, and one on the curriculum.