Assessment of the Social and Emotional Functioning of Preschool Children

ABSTRACT: Interest in the assessment of the social and emotional functioning of preschool children by school psychologists is a rapidly growing phenomenon. There are a number of techniques and instruments currently available for this purpose. This article reviews selected issues and techniques in interviewing, direct observation,rating scales, sociometry, and associative techniques as used in the context of preschool assessment. Also, special problems encountered in assessing the social and emotional functioning of preschool children are discussed, as are issues in assessment design.