Overview
The Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP) consists of two criterion-referenced assessment instruments for use with children between birth and 6 years old. These include the HELP: 0-3 Years (2006; VORT) and the HELP: 3-6 years (2010; VORT), which extends the HELP: 0-3 Years. A related product is the Help for Special Preschoolers Assessment Checklist (HSPAC) for serving children 3-6 years old), which was adapted from the Behavioral Characteristics Progression (BCP). However, in 1995 VORT restructured these materials into HELP for Preschoolers; the second edition was developed in 2010 and is called the HELP: 3-6 Years, 2nd Edition (HELP: 3-6; VORT, 2010).
The HELP: 0-3 includes 685 developmental skills and behaviors to provide a comprehensive framework for ongoing assessment, planning, and tracking progress. The HELP: 3-6, 2nd Edition complements and extends the skills of HELP: 0-3. It includes assessment of 585 developmental skills and behaviors. For both, Domains assessed include Cognitive, Language, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Social-Emotional, and Self-Help skills. These domains and strands are aligned with the OSEP outcomes and Head Start school readiness goals. Domains are divided into Strands, and Strands are composed of skills. Skill ID Numbers facilitate linking assessment and curriculum materials. These are not norm-referenced tests and are not used for eligibility determination, but these can be useful for tracking progress of intervention. Information for completing the HELP: 0-3 and HELP: 3-6 may be gathered from (a) observation of the student, (b) interviews with the parent, or (c) play interactions with the child. This can be useful when the child cannot participate meaningfully in formal academic assessment. Components of the HELP include Checklists, Charts, Strands, and Activity Guides.
Summary
Age: Birth to 6 years
Time to Administer: Estimates vary according to number of areas rated and method of administration
Method of Administration: Criterion-referenced; not standardized; covers 685 skills (birth–3 yrs.) and 585 skills (3–6 yrs.). Administration by observation of student; parent interview; or play interaction with child.
Yields Developmental Age Levels (DAL) for each skill assessed, which is often reported as ranges (rather than single ages).
Subscales: Regulatory/Sensory Organization; Cognitive, Language, Gross-Motor, Fine-Motor, Social-Emotional, Self-Help
Autism Related Research
None found.