Levels of Analysis in Interdisciplinary Child Assessment

Abstract

The levels of analysis approach to assessment is based on the general principle that any given mental or behavioral act can be analyzed at multiple levels, which range from the molecular and cellular structure of the brain, through neural events within specific brain systems, to formal structural properties of cognitive or behavioral functions. In accommodating this approach, assessments that utilize findings from multiple disciplines should: (a) describe a child at the educational, cognitive/linguistic, social/emotional, and neurological/medical levels; (b) identify those levels that may be placing constraints on other levels; and (c) determine those levels at which meaningful interventions can take place. In contrast to other approaches that focus on the personality and group dynamics of interdisciplinary teams, this position paper emphasizes the contribution of the paradigm (training and experience) of each discipline represented on a team.