| name | skills-assessment-general |
| description | Use when selecting the right assessment tool for a learner — covers decision frameworks for VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, AFLS, EFL, and PEAK, plus cross-assessment comparison, ecological assessment, and curriculum-based approaches. |
Skills Assessment Selection and Comparison Guide
Purpose
This skill provides a decision framework for BCBAs selecting among available skills-based assessment tools. No single instrument is appropriate for every learner. The choice depends on the individual's age, developmental level, verbal repertoire, service setting, treatment priorities, and the severity and nature of their skill deficits.
Decision Framework
Step 1: Determine the Individual's Developmental and Chronological Age
| Profile | Primary Assessment | Supplement With |
|---|
| Chronological age 0-8, developmental age 0-4 | VB-MAPP | ABLLS-R for detailed programming |
| Chronological age 2-12, developmental age 1-6 | ABLLS-R | VB-MAPP for barriers and transition |
| Chronological age 8+, developmental age 4+ | AFLS (relevant modules) | VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R for language areas if still deficient |
| Any age, severe/profound intellectual disability | EFL (Essentials for Living) | AFLS for functional skills that are within reach |
| Any age, focus on derived relational responding | PEAK (relevant module) | VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R for direct verbal operant assessment |
Step 2: Identify the Service Setting and Priorities
| Setting | Priority Focus | Recommended Tool(s) |
|---|
| Early intervention (0-3) | Language acquisition, early learning | VB-MAPP |
| Center-based ABA (3-8) | Comprehensive skill building | VB-MAPP + ABLLS-R |
| School-based services | Academic readiness, classroom behavior, IEP goals | VB-MAPP (transition assessment), ABLLS-R (academic areas) |
| Home-based services | Daily living, family routines, communication | ABLLS-R (self-help), AFLS (basic living) |
| Transition services (14-22) | Independence, vocational, community | AFLS (all modules) |
| Adult services | Vocational, independent living, community | AFLS + EFL (if severe) |
| Residential programs | Daily living, safety, independence | AFLS (basic living, home, community) |
Step 3: Consider the Verbal Repertoire
| Verbal Level | Assessment Implication |
|---|
| Pre-verbal / early echoic | VB-MAPP Level 1, ABLLS-R Areas A-E, EFL if severe |
| Emerging mands and tacts (10-50 items) | VB-MAPP Levels 1-2, ABLLS-R Areas F-G |
| Functional verbal repertoire (sentences, conversation) | VB-MAPP Level 3, ABLLS-R Areas H-J, PEAK for advanced verbal |
| Verbal but significant comprehension gaps | PEAK (especially Equivalence and Transformation modules) |
| Non-vocal communicator (AAC, sign, PECS) | Any tool — adapt administration for communication modality |
Comprehensive Assessment Comparison
VB-MAPP (Sundberg, 2008)
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|
| Structure | 170 milestones, 3 levels, 16 domains + barriers + transition |
| Age range | Developmental age 0-48 months |
| Theoretical basis | Skinner's Verbal Behavior (1957), developmental milestones |
| Strengths | Clear developmental sequence, barriers assessment identifies obstacles, transition assessment informs placement, widely used and researched |
| Limitations | Ceiling at 48-month level, milestones can be too broad for detailed programming, limited self-help and daily living |
| Best for | Developmental snapshot, placement decisions, barrier identification, early learners |
| Time to administer | 2-4 hours (initial), 1-2 hours (reassessment) |
ABLLS-R (Partington, 2006)
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|
| Structure | 544 skills, 25 areas, task-analyzed |
| Age range | Developmental age approximately 1-7 years |
| Theoretical basis | ABA principles, verbal behavior, task analysis |
| Strengths | Fine-grained task analysis for direct programming, doubles as curriculum, excellent for tracking incremental progress, comprehensive skill areas including self-help |
| Limitations | No developmental levels, no barriers assessment, no transition component, can be time-consuming to complete fully |
| Best for | Detailed program writing, tracking small increments of progress, curriculum planning |
| Time to administer | 3-8 hours (initial), 2-4 hours (reassessment) |
AFLS (Partington & Mueller, 2012)
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|
| Structure | 6 modules (~395 total skills), task-analyzed |
| Age range | Developmental age 4+ through adulthood |
| Theoretical basis | ABA principles, functional independence, community-based instruction |
| Strengths | Only comprehensive ABA assessment for functional living skills, modular (use only the modules you need), directly relevant to independence outcomes, lifespan perspective |
| Limitations | Not designed for early language learners, limited verbal behavior assessment, requires natural environment access for valid administration |
| Best for | Adolescents, adults, transition planning, community-based goals, vocational programming |
| Time to administer | 2-4 hours per module |
Essentials for Living (EFL; McGreevy, Fry, & Cornwall, 2012)
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|
| Structure | ~2,600 skills across 8 broad domains |
| Age range | Any age, designed for individuals with moderate to profound intellectual disability |
| Theoretical basis | ABA, emphasis on essential functional skills and quality of life |
| Domains | Communication, daily living, tolerating, functional academics, leisure, community participation, work, health and safety |
Key Features:
- Prioritizes essential skills — those that, if the individual cannot perform them, someone else must do for them
- "Tolerating" domain is unique — assesses ability to tolerate common life situations (waiting, changes in routine, medical procedures, being told "no")
- Includes a priority assessment that identifies the skills most critical for the individual's quality of life and caregiver burden reduction
- Designed for individuals who may not progress through traditional early learner curricula
| Strengths | Only assessment designed for severe/profound populations, emphasizes quality of life, prioritization system reduces the overwhelming number of potential targets |
| Limitations | Very large (2,600+ items), requires significant time, not widely used outside specialized programs, limited research base compared to VB-MAPP |
| Best for | Individuals with severe/profound disabilities, group home settings, reducing caregiver burden, quality-of-life-focused programming |
PEAK Relational Training System (Dixon, 2014-2016)
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|
| Structure | 4 modules, 184 programs per module (736 total) |
| Theoretical basis | Relational Frame Theory (RFT; Hayes, Barnes-Holmes, & Roche, 2001) + Skinner's Verbal Behavior |
Four Modules:
| Module | Focus | Key Skills |
|---|
| Direct Training (DT) | Basic skills parallel to VB-MAPP/ABLLS-R | Manding, tacting, echoic, imitation, matching, listener responding |
| Generalization (G) | Transfer and generalization of trained skills | Multiple exemplar training, novel contexts, generalized responding |
| Equivalence (E) | Stimulus equivalence and derived relations | If A=B and B=C, derive A=C without direct training. Critical for reading comprehension and advanced language. |
| Transformation (T) | Transformation of stimulus function | Derived relational responding, analogies, metaphor, perspective-taking, problem-solving |
| Strengths | Addresses advanced cognitive-verbal skills not covered by other assessments, RFT basis provides framework for derived relational responding, fills the gap between basic operant training and complex language |
| Limitations | Newer with a smaller but growing research base, can be conceptually complex for staff to implement, DT module overlaps significantly with VB-MAPP and ABLLS-R |
| Best for | Learners who have mastered basic verbal operants but show deficits in generalization, reading comprehension, abstract reasoning, or perspective-taking |
Combining Assessments
Common Combinations
| Learner Profile | Assessment Combination | Rationale |
|---|
| Young child, new to ABA | VB-MAPP + ABLLS-R | VB-MAPP for developmental snapshot and barriers; ABLLS-R for detailed programming |
| School-age, moderate deficits | VB-MAPP Level 3 + AFLS School Skills + ABLLS-R academics | Capture verbal, academic, and functional skill levels |
| Adolescent in transition | AFLS (all modules) + VB-MAPP barriers | AFLS for independence goals; barriers assessment to identify persistent learning obstacles |
| Adult, severe disability | EFL + AFLS Basic Living | EFL for priority essential skills; AFLS for functional programming |
| Advanced learner, language plateau | PEAK (E + T) + VB-MAPP Level 3 | PEAK addresses derived relational responding not captured by VB-MAPP |
Avoid Redundancy
When combining assessments, skip domains that overlap directly. For example, if using both VB-MAPP and ABLLS-R, you do not need to administer both mand sections — use VB-MAPP for milestones and ABLLS-R for detailed task analysis of the mand repertoire.
Curriculum-Based Assessment
Beyond standardized tools, curriculum-based assessment (CBA) involves:
- Task analyzing the curriculum being used with the learner (e.g., a specific reading program, a social skills curriculum, a vocational training sequence)
- Probing each step in the curriculum to identify where the learner is performing independently
- Identifying the instructional level — the point at which the learner can perform with minimal prompting
- Setting goals based on the next steps in the curriculum sequence
CBA is useful when:
- The learner is already in a structured curriculum and you need to find their current level
- Standardized assessments do not cover the specific domain being taught
- You need rapid, ongoing assessment tied directly to daily instruction
Ecological Assessment
Ecological assessment evaluates the individual in the context of their actual environments and the demands of those environments.
Procedure:
- Identify target environments (home, school, workplace, community settings)
- Inventory the skills required in each environment (what does a same-age, typically developing individual do in this setting?)
- Observe the individual in each environment
- Discrepancy analysis: Compare required skills to the individual's current repertoire
- Prioritize discrepancies based on safety, independence, social inclusion, and caregiver priorities
- Develop intervention that teaches skills in the context where they are needed
Ecological assessment is essential for:
- Transition planning (what skills does the individual need for the next environment?)
- Community-based instruction (what does this grocery store, bus route, or workplace require?)
- Ensuring social validity of treatment goals (are we teaching skills the individual and family actually need?)
Assessment Selection Checklist
Key References
- Sundberg, M. L. (2008). VB-MAPP: Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program. AVB Press.
- Partington, J. W. (2006). The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills — Revised (ABLLS-R). Behavior Analysts, Inc.
- Partington, J. W., & Mueller, M. M. (2012). The Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS). Behavior Analysts, Inc.
- McGreevy, P., Fry, T., & Cornwall, C. (2012). Essentials for Living. Patrick McGreevy.
- Dixon, M. R. (2014). PEAK Relational Training System: Direct Training Module. Shawnee Scientific Press.
- Dixon, M. R. (2015). PEAK Relational Training System: Generalization Module. Shawnee Scientific Press.
- Dixon, M. R. (2016). PEAK Relational Training System: Equivalence Module. Shawnee Scientific Press.
- Hayes, S. C., Barnes-Holmes, D., & Roche, B. (2001). Relational Frame Theory: A Post-Skinnerian Account of Human Language and Cognition. Springer.
- Browder, D. M. (2001). Curriculum and Assessment for Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities. Guilford Press.
