What Is Adaptive Behavior?

 

Adaptive behavior is a group of skills and abilities people use to meet life’s daily demands.  These skills typically fall into three categories: conceptual skills, social skills, and practical skills. Together, these skills allow people to function independently at home, at school, at work, and in the community.

Adaptive behavior isn’t the same thing as intelligence. It’s more like personal and social know-how. And adaptive behavior isn’t something you learn once and remember forever, like a multiplication times table. Our environments change, our technologies change, and our responsibilities change as we get older and take on different roles in society. We don’t expect toddlers and teens to have the same personal hygiene skills, for example. That’s why these skills are known as “adaptive” behaviors: They help us adapt to the ever-changing challenges our lives present.

Our functional skills can be affected by many different factors. Traumatic brain injury is one. Adaptive behavior can also be affected by other health and neurodevelopmental conditions, such as these:

• intellectual disability
• autism
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Down syndrome
• learning disabilities

Many adaptive behaviors can be learned (Balboni et al., 2020). Improving someone’s ability to function with greater independence is the primary reason clinicians and educators assess adaptive behavior. We want to empower people to progress on their own individual path to competency and fulfillment.

Numerous studies have shown that a person’s adaptive behavior, even more than their intelligence, is an important predictor of overall well-being. In one study, researchers found that adaptive behavior was “the main determinant of quality of life for individuals with [intellectual and developmental disability] IDD” (Balboni et al., 2020). In another study, researchers pointed out that higher adaptive behavior and social communication skills were associated with better employment outcomes among autistic adults (Lousky et al., 2024).

When we evaluate adaptive behavior carefully and comprehensively, we learn about people’s interests and occupations, as well as the specific areas of their lives where they may or may not yet manage independently. Equipped with that understanding, we can provide education and support to improve their overall quality of life.

 

 

How Is Adaptive Behavior Different From Intelligence?

 

Adaptive behavior and intelligence are two different constructs, but they’re related. Clearly defining human intelligence is complicated. It’s often referred to as someone’s reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Intelligence also includes the ability to remember, to process information quickly and accurately, and to learn effectively.

On its own, however, intelligence does not tell us how well a person is functioning day to day in various areas of life. It does not tell us what kind of support and training a person needs to build strong relationships and enjoy independence or success. That’s the kind of information we get from adaptive behavior assessments.

In studies involving standardized measures of both constructs, the strongest correlation is between a full-scale IQ score and the subset of adaptive behavior known as conceptual skills (Tassé & Kim, 2023). Conceptual skills are more fully described in the next section; they involve communication abilities, self-regulation behaviors, and basic pre-academic skills.

 

 

What Key Domains Are Typically Measured in Adaptive Behavior Assessment?

 

Adaptive behavior assessments generally focus on three key areas: conceptual skills, social skills, and practical skills. These three broad domains include tasks in 11 functional areas. Let’s look a little closer at these skillsets.

 

Conceptual Domain

This cluster of skills and abilities typically includes basic communication and foundational academic skills. These tasks don’t measure intelligence; they assess a person’s ability to navigate daily life, whether an individual is in daycare, school, work, or a community setting. Depending on the age of the person involved, you might be gathering information from a student, parent/caregiver, daycare provider, or educator.

 

Communication

Communication skills allow us to interact with others, to make our desires and needs known, and to share ideas and information with others. It includes both receptive and expressive language abilities—along with skills that are nonverbal, such as interpreting facial expressions.

In young children, communication often includes tasks like these:

responding to someone using your name changing the volume of your voice to express different meanings following basic directions or commands using words and phrases to name objects

pointing and gesturing listening to others describing events and activities briefly

In school-age children and teens, communication abilities might also include:

enunciating clearly greeting people by name using singular and plural forms of nouns correctly giving and following multi-step instructions participating in conversations according to social norms

engaging in longer discussions telling the difference between exaggerations and truths answering complex questions reciting personal information such as addresses and phone numbers

In addition to the basic communication skills described above, adults might be expected to broaden their communication abilities by:

encouraging conversation with non-verbal means such as nodding or smiling narrating events, stories, and jokes explaining current events and basic legal documents

talking with others about complex topics refraining from interrupting others describing personal plans and goals

 

Functional Pre-Academics

Adaptive behavior instruments typically measure basic literacy and numeracy skills. These tasks increase in difficulty and complexity as people mature.

In young children, pre-academic skills might include tasks like these:

turning book pages pointing to answers naming colors, shapes, and letters reciting nursery rhymes or lyrics

drawing basic faces counting objects or counting out loud ordering days of the week writing your name and numbers 1-20

School-age children and teens are typically asked about tasks such as these:

reading and understanding posted signs answering questions about stories you’ve heard or read finding birthdays and other events on calendars telling time counting out the correct amount of money in a transaction measuring length, width, or height

exploring information from print or online sources about a topic of interest making and using lists to keep track of things reading and following instructions to build or assemble things reading labels and directions for use verifying accuracy of bills and charges

Adults may be asked to complete additional pre-academic skills like these:

finding contact information online weighing yourself following a daily schedule without reminders keeping track of appointments and events

checking to ensure you’ve received correct change completing job applications or lease agreements reading and understanding basic legal documents tracking spending in bank accounts

 

Self-Direction

Some self-direction skills develop naturally; children learn others by observing the people in their lives. For that reason, self-direction skills are shaped by a person’s culture. Some self-direction skills require motor skill development, so people who have motor difficulties may need help to show these behaviors.

In young children, self-direction tasks might look like these actions:

being able to occupy yourself quietly for a few minutes exploring unfamiliar spaces choosing snacks from several options refraining from hitting, pushing, or biting other children following basic safety and household rules

asking permission when appropriate sticking with difficult tasks starting and stopping activities when asked following simple routines attempting to resolve conflicts with other people

Children and teens might be asked about self-direction tasks like these:

working on your own in school or at home remaining relatively still when appropriate controlling emotions during a disagreement with peers completing tasks that might be unpleasant avoiding telling lies

doing household chores when asked prioritizing schoolwork over fun when necessary planning and following through on a large project informing family members when you’ll be late gathering supplies needed for a task or project

In adulthood, people are often expected to add more demanding self-direction tasks such as:

informing work that you’ll be absent in advance avoiding dangerous, inappropriate, or difficult situations stopping fun activities when appropriate remaining quiet and still when necessary exercising control over emotions

taking care of routine daily chores and responsibilities saving money for specific purposes arriving on time planning and organizing complex tasks and projects logically

 

Health and Safety

Keeping ourselves healthy and safe are two of the primary challenges we all face. Like other areas of adaptive behavior, we develop some of these skills naturally while others we learn from observing others.

These are some of the tasks that show health and safety skills in young children:

allowing health-related intrusions like swallowing medication, having temperature taken, and being buckled into a car seat showing injuries to a caregiver following safety directions refraining from putting non-food items in your mouth avoiding dangers like fire and sharp knives

telling a caregiver about aches and pains dressing for the weather asking permission to go near potentially dangerous spots carrying dangerous objects with care

School-age children and teens might be expected to show these health and safety behaviors:

buckling a seatbelt asking for help when someone is hurt behaving appropriately in outdoor settings using sockets and outlets carefully

obeying directions and requests only from known and trusted adults avoiding people who might exploit or take advantage of you following safety rules when riding bikes and using tools refusing to accept gifts or rides from strangers

As an adult, most people will need to carry out these health and safety tasks:

working in alignment with safety rules caring for your own minor injuries using equipment and tools safely buying and using over-the-counter medicines appropriately

reading medication labels to understand expiration dates and instructions inspecting and throwing out food that has expired or spoiled making health care appointments planning and preparing nutritious meals

 

Social Domain

Our ability to interact with others shapes our work, our education, our families and friendships, and our recreational pursuits. Social skills also influence our sense of identity and our mental health. Some of these skills we learn as we encounter and observe people in our homes and at school. Some skills we are explicitly taught by others in our lives.

In an adaptive behavior assessment, clinicians and educators look at a range of abilities that contribute to a person’s successful independence.

 

Social Skills

Young children often show these social behaviors:

smiling at caregivers or parents responding differently to strangers and familiar people showing desire to be picked up or cuddled imitating what other people do

sharing toys and objects with others saying “please,” “thank you,” and “hello” at appropriate times inviting friendship refraining from saying and doing things to hurt others on purpose

In school-age children and teens, social behaviors could look more like these:

initiating and maintaining friendships having friendly interactions with teachers and caregivers laughing at jokes and funny situations acknowledging emotions

standing and moving around other people appropriately showing a desire to help others expressing congratulations and showing sympathy recognizing when a request is unreasonable

In adulthood, social skills also commonly include these functional behaviors:

respecting and responding to authority listening empathetically to friends and family members avoiding social situations that are likely to be dangerous

showing good judgment in choosing friends planning social events or activities

 

Leisure

Recreation and play are important at every age. Whether we enjoy a variety of activities, or our interests lie in just a few hobbies or pursuits, engaging in leisure activities boosts our happiness, feeds our curiosity, and shapes our identities. Leisure activities may also connect us to other people who share our interests.

Here are a few of the behaviors we typically see in young children:

playing alone with toys watching other people play with games, toys, and hobbies using playground equipment engaging in imaginative play on your own or with others

following rules in games collecting things of interest asking for story time participating in sports or hobbies

School-age children and teens can usually demonstrate abilities like these:

attending recreational or social events engaging in a specific hobby or pursuit using the internet to learn about an area of interest

inviting others to join you in a fun activity organizing activities or events for friends joining clubs or organizations

In adulthood, this skillset expands to include these leisure-related behaviors:

listening to music for entertainment or relaxation pursuing several fun activities rather than one or two communicating about the need for alone time planning ahead for vacations and breaks

making travel arrangements purchasing event tickets building or making things as a hobby

 

Practical Domain 

Independence is largely related to a person’s ability to take care of daily practical needs. Those needs span every area of living: housing, food, healthcare, transportation, work life and social relationships, and they require many kinds of ability. Sometimes people need assistance in taking care of practical needs. Adaptive behavior assessments help practitioners understand where people are functioning with relative independence, and where support is needed to facilitate independence or meet practical needs. 

Here's a look at the skillsets typically included in the practical domain of adaptive behavior. 

 

Self-Care 

Self-care skills are those daily routines that allow us to maintain our personal hygiene and support our health. How we take care of ourselves is influenced by our abilities, disabilities, and access to assistive technologies (Klavina et al., 2024). 

In early childhood, self-care skills frequently include behaviors such as:

eating and drinking age-appropriate foods and drinks asking for food when you’re hungry going to the bathroom with age-appropriate assistance

dressing yourself bathing, showering, and washing your hair

In the school years, children and teens are generally expected to complete self-care tasks like these:

using eating utensils properly putting on and removing shoes washing hands and brushing teeth wearing different clothing according to the weather

waking and getting out of bed on time trimming fingernails and toenails getting haircuts regularly

Adults are typically able to add self-care strategies like these:

selecting clothes that the fit the occasion eating a variety of nutritious foods

taking care of hair, skin, and nails exercising regularly

 

Home Living 

Acquiring home living skills can have a big impact on the ability to live independently. Experts recommend paying special attention to sensory and motor abilities during assessment, since so many home living tasks depend on those skills. 

In early childhood, home living tasks involve behaviors such as:

locating and opening food packages helping to put away belongings and toys disposing of trash properly making your bed

folding and putting away clothes preparing simple snacks pouring liquids

Children of school age and teens are often expected to carry out home living tasks like these:

cleaning up spills placing dirty clothes in a hamper or laundry room operating a washing machine and dryer respecting the privacy of other people putting items away after use

making your bed making simple meals and snacks washing dishes using kitchen appliances keeping a bathroom clean

For adults, home living tasks often include:

cooking food on stoves and in microwave ovens tackling larger maintenance projects like spring cleaning taking out trash

paying bills when they’re due maintaining a car procuring insurance of various types

 

Community Use 

Community use items document the ability to travel, obtain goods and services, and participate in activities where we live. In some instances, people may need access to assistive technologies to support their engagement in the community. Understanding each person’s support needs and lived experience is an important part of accurately evaluating adaptive behaviors in this area.  

Here's what community use skills look like in young children:

recognizing your own house and other places in your neighborhood treating public property with respect asking to visit libraries or parks

using appropriate volume when speaking in public describing what people in public services jobs do (firefighters, doctors, etc.)

School-age children and teens often display these community use behaviors:

looking both ways before crossing streets finding and using public restrooms using a library for research or to find books for leisure reading following directions to get to a specified location

withdrawing money from an ATM purchasing items with a credit or debit card keeping track of personal spending

In adulthood, community use involves using skills like these:

ordering meals in a restaurant or through a delivery service carrying appropriate identification traveling throughout the community independently

considering purchases carefully before buying scheduling repairs maintaining personal finances responsibly

 

Work 

Some adaptive behavior instruments also evaluate the kinds of functional behaviors teens and adults use at work. These skills include:

finding employment following safety rules and instructions taking good care of work equipment, including cleaning up after work is done being productive in your role working efficiently, within deadlines and according to established routines

cooperating and collaborating with other employees organizing and prioritizing tasks verifying wages and benefits keeping a job for a year or more training others

 

What Tools Are Used to Assess Adaptive Behavior?

 

Clinicians and educators use both formal and informal assessments to measure adaptive behavior. Informal measures can provide critical qualitative data on what daily functioning looks like across different settings. They can also document changes you’d expect to see as people develop and learn.  

For example, teachers and caregivers may use daily logs, behavior apps, and competency checklists to keep track of what young people can do and where challenges exist. Informal assessments like these are most useful when they’re completed in real time, on a systematic schedule. 

Formal assessments include validated adaptive behavior instruments, which practitioners may supplement with additional assessments to provide a holistic view of the individual. Your professional practice guidelines and your knowledge of the individual will help you determine which assessments you’ll need to create a comprehensive evaluation.  

 

Adaptive Behavior Assessments

Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS®-3)

Goal-Oriented Assessment of Lifeskills (GOAL™)

Developmental Assessments 

Developmental Profile 4 (DP®-4) Developmental Assessment of Young Children, Second Edition (DAYC-2) Early Sociocognitive Battery (ESB)

Developmental Assessment for Individuals with Severe Disabilities (DASH-3) Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Third Edition (PDMS-3)

Social Communication and Speech-Language Assessments 

Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ®) Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPs™) Oral and Written Language Scales, Second Edition (OWLS®-II)

Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, Second Edition (CASL®-2) Oral Passage Understanding Scale (OPUS™)

Cognitive Assessments 

Woodcock-Johnson IV (WJ IV) Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB-5) Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition Normative Update (KABC-II NU) Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System (CAS-2)

Leiter International Performance Scale, Third Edition (Leiter-3) Reynolds International Assessment Scale, Second Edition (RIAS™-2) Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT™ 2) Cognitive Assessment of Young Children (CAYC)

Mental Health Assessments 

Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, Second Edition (RCMAS™-2) Children’s Depression Inventory, Second Edition (CDI 2) Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, Third Edition (Piers-Harris™ 3)

Risk Inventory and Strengths Evaluation (RISE® Assessment) School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory (SMALSI™)

 

How Are Adaptive Behavior Assessments Used in Clinical and Educational Settings?  

 

Adaptive behavior assessments serve many purposes. Practitioners use them to identify or diagnose certain conditions. They also use them to capture qualitative data on the practical impacts of a disability or condition. Adaptive behavior instruments can also be used to set goals, to plan learning opportunities, and to design accommodations and support. And finally, they’re useful when it comes to measuring progress as people learn and grow.  

 

Identification or Diagnosis

A person’s adaptive functioning can be influenced by their own unique developmental trajectory, by different life experiences, and by medical or health conditions. Clinicians and educators assess adaptive behavior to clarify which conditions are impacting a person’s socialization, learning, and practical competencies.

Many conditions affect how people function day to day, so it’s not uncommon for practitioners to evaluate adaptive behavior whenever there are concerns about someone’s social, practical, or conceptual abilities.

Here’s a look at the role of adaptive behavior assessments in two common use cases: 

 

Intellectual Disability (ID) or Intellectual Developmental Disorder (IDD)

Intellectual developmental disorder (IDD) or intellectual disability (ID) is a group of conditions that cause significant limitation in two areas: intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior.

In describing intellectual functioning, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) includes these skills:

• reasoning 
• problem solving 
• planning 
• abstract thinking 
• judgment 
• academic learning 
• learning from experience (APA, 2022)

The DSM-5-TR explains that, for a person with IDD, adaptive behavior difficulties would be significant enough to keep them from meeting the “developmental and sociocultural standards for personal independence and social responsibility” (APA, 2022) when compared to others of a similar age in that community.  

Researchers recommend evaluating both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior in IDD evaluations, noting: 

 

Clinicians and researchers cannot assume that the presence of significant deficits in one construct automatically predicts the presence of significant deficits in the other construct, hence both must be independently and rigorously assessed in all cases when making a diagnosis of intellectual disability. (Tassé & Kim, 2023) 

 

 

 

Autism

Adaptive behavior is often assessed in comprehensive autism evaluations because the characteristics of autism affect the development of many social, conceptual, and practical skills. Experts point out that “[i]n addition to the evaluations and observations that target autism-related symptoms, other broad developmental areas (e.g., cognitive and adaptive abilities) need to be examined as well to make differential diagnoses or assess for potential co-occurring conditions” (Yu et al., 2023). 

The DSM-5-TR describes the influence of autism on functional behavior this way: 

 

In young children with autism spectrum disorder, lack of social and communication abilities may hamper learning, especially learning through social interaction or in settings with peers. In the home, insistence on routines and aversion to change, as well as sensory sensitivities, may interfere with eating and sleeping and make routine care (e.g., haircuts, dental work) extremely difficult. (APA, 2022) 

 

Autism may also affect the way a student engages in the classroom, thus affecting academic learning. 

It's important to note that autism can look different from person to person, and its effects on the development of adaptive behaviors will also vary depending on individual characteristics and environments.  

 

Planning Support and Interventions 

The World Health Organization has said that adaptive behaviors can be useful in helping practitioners determine the level of support an individual with intellectual disability may need (Lemay et al., 2024). They can be equally important in building supports for autistic individuals and people with learning disabilities.

Adaptive behavior assessments identify the specific strengths and needs each individual brings to daily life. They also inform you about a person’s strengths, interests, and occupations. Equipped with this detailed qualitative data, practitioners can write effective IEP goals and create a plan for instruction, therapy, and other types of support.

You can save time by using assessments that link results to specific recommendations. For example, the ABAS®-3 Intervention Planner provides clear, detailed intervention suggestions for every test item. Suggestions are age matched. Using the ABAS®-3 Intervention Planner, you can:

• Identify the individual skills that need support.
• Collaborate with families and individuals to set priorities. 
• Select the corresponding intervention in the planner.
• Apply your professional judgment.
• Discuss the “how” and “when” with your team.
• Design and implement an individualized intervention plan.
• Monitor progress on specific adaptive behaviors. 

 

Ongoing Assessment and Progress Monitoring 

Autism and ID are lifelong conditions. So are many of the other conditions that lead to difficulties with adaptive behavior. Even so, the characteristics of these conditions can change as people get older. People also change naturally as they mature and develop. And they change because of effective interventions. To make sure people are still on the best path for their own growth, adaptive behavior assessments provide a mechanism for you to monitor progress and gauge the effectiveness of your intervention plan.   

 

 

What Are the Challenges in Adaptive Behavior Assessment?

 

Adaptive behavior encompasses a vast array of skills and abilities—everything from taking turns in conversation to planning nutritious meals to taking public transportation back and forth from work or school. And the skills we need to master will change again and again as we enter new environments and new life stages. These are just a few of the challenges of effective adaptive behavior assessment. 

 

Differences in Opportunity 

Adaptive behaviors develop in different ways. We acquire some during development. We acquire others watching how people in our family and community conduct themselves. Still other skills we acquire through explicit instruction.  

In other words, some people may be fully capable of learning a skill, but have not done so because:  

• they have not had an opportunity to learn a skill, 
• they have not understood that a skill is important, or 
• they have not had opportunities to practice a skill. 

Similarly, just because someone can perform a skill independently doesn’t mean they do so in day-to-day living. These variations are part of what makes adaptive behavior exciting and challenging to assess. 

 

Cultural Considerations 

Adaptive behavior is inseparable from culture. That’s because being self-sufficient in your community and interacting with others according to the expectations of your society are cultural by nature.  

Cultural differences could render some test items inappropriate for the person you’re testing. For example, the behavior described in a test item might not be relevant in the community of the person you’re testing.  In a study conducted in 2014, practitioners used a standardized measure of adaptive behavior with a group of students in a Zambian community. Since there was little road traffic there, the ability to safely cross a busy street was not relevant to the students’ health and safety (Tan et al., 2014).  

Similarly, researchers adapting an assessment for use with Brazilian students asked permission to omit a test item that focused on a child’s ability to walk alone to a friend’s house, since that behavior was “not present in the Brazilian context” (Pontrelli Mecca et al., 2022).  

Beyond this kind of concrete knowledge, researchers have pointed out that conceptual knowledge, which is often goal directed, may not transfer from one culture to another. In a study that compared adaptive behavior instruments across cultures, researchers said: 

 

Any task or set of questions placed before this child (or caregiver) that has not been rigorously determined to be within the conceptual understanding of said child, therefore, is bound to fail in assessing what it purports to assess without a proper rigorous cultural (and conceptual) adaptation. This type of “cultural specificity” of conceptualization has been well documented in the literature in studies from across the world…(Kusi-Mensah et al., 2022) 

 

Country of origin isn’t the only cultural factor that can influence a person’s practical skills, communication, and conceptual knowledge. Socioeconomic status and family educational background also play important roles in what children know how to do and when they are expected to do it.  

The DSM-5-TR suggests that these other factors may also affect a person’s adaptive behavior:  

• intellectual capacity 
• education 
• motivation 
• personality  
• work opportunity 
• co-occurring medical and mental health conditions (APA, 2022) 

In some situations, such as when an individual is incarcerated, assessing adaptive behavior can be especially difficult because of the controlled nature of the environment. In such instances, the American Psychological Association (APA) recommends that practitioners obtain “corroborating information reflecting functioning outside those environments” (2022). 

It’s also important to consider language barriers as you prepare for adaptive behavior assessments. Families and caregivers may need translators, read-aloud services, or assistive technology to be able to access the language of the assessment.  

Guidance from the APA encourages practitioners to consider a range of contextual factors when selecting and administering assessments. “Ongoing research and empirical evidence support the need to recognize culture, language, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, disability, and other forms of human diversity in decisions regarding service delivery” (2020).  

 

 

What Are the Best Practices in Adaptive Behavior Assessment?   

 

Adaptive behavior is a complex set of skills, and the decisions made on the basis of adaptive behavior assessment can have lasting impacts on people’s lives. It’s essential that clinicians and educators evaluate these skills in alignment with current research and the practices recommended by professional organizations.  

Here are a few guiding principles to consider.    

 

Include a variety of perspectives.  

Parents, caregivers, teachers, and professionals from different assessment backgrounds all bring important observations to the table. Collaborating with a range of contributors gives you a more holistic picture of the person being evaluated, and it can also illuminate any biases of a single contributor. 

In one 2020 study, parents and teachers provided different views of adaptive behavior in a group of autistic children. Parents tended to rate their children higher in self-determination, social skills, and home life than teachers did. Within the conceptual domain, parents and teachers agreed on many of the individual adaptive skills, which might mean those abilities can be observed both at home and at school. Researchers in that study said:  

 

A single perspective—whether that of the parent or the teacher—may not be sufficient to fully understand a person’s needs and abilities. Instead, integrating different perspectives and experiences can lead to a more comprehensive picture of a person’s adaptive skills and inform the most effective support strategies. (Kirenko et al., 2024) 

 

 

Use multiple measures.  

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) has established data-based decision-making as a professional standard, noting that evaluations should synthesize data from several sources:  

 

School psychologists systematically collect data from multiple sources as a foundation for decision-making at the individual, group, and systems levels, and they consider ecological factors (e.g., classroom, family, and community characteristics) as a context for assessment and intervention.  (NASP, 2020) 

 

Comprehensive adaptive behavior evaluations usually include: 

• direct assessment;  
• behavioral observation in settings where the individual lives and works;  
• review of educational, medical, and developmental records; and  
• interviews with those who know the individual best. 

 

Consider functioning in both current and future settings. 

It’s important to look at a student’s skills and abilities in their current environments—and it’s also important to include adaptive skills when planning for transition to post-secondary life. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires “appropriate measurable post-secondary goals based upon age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and where appropriate, independent living skills” (Center for Parent Information & Resources , 2024).  

In studies, researchers have found that adaptive skills were uncommon in post-secondary goal setting, even though they have an impact on students’ success (Hughes et al, 2024). As you interview teachers, parents, and students nearing educational transitions, consider how their daily living skills and social skills will prepare them for the next stage in their journey.  

 

 

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