The Individualized Functional Assessment Process for Young Children with Disabilities

The Zebley decision, rendered by the Supreme Court on February 22, 1990, substantially expanded the definition of disability in young children by including functional equivalence. The result is a new process for disability determination by the Social Security Administration that includes an individualized functional assessment. The developmental principles undergirding the individualized functional assessment have important implications for (a) policy makers under Part H who set standards for eligibility for early intervention services and (b) practitioners who assess young children. It is the responsibility of the early intervention community to translate these policies into practice and to mold and refine policies as new information about best practice in assessment evolves.