Because the assessment needs of young children and infants with handicaps are often quite different from those of the school-age populations with which child study teams have the most experience, this manual addresses issues relevant to the pre-kindergarten population. Chapter 1 provides an overview of general issues related to preschool assessment (assessment practices and planning, child influences on assessment, and test administration guidelines). Chapter 2 describes the use of observation techniques as an assessment tool (observations to check test data or assess functional skills, behavioral observation, and observing parent-child interactions). Chapter 3 focuses on parent and family involvement in the assessment process and on interviewing parents. Chapter 4 reviews measurement issues most often relevant in preschool assessment (definitions of terms, measurement concepts, and guidelines for test review). Chapter 5 discusses ways that assessment information can be conveyed to parents, agencies, and other professionals (staffing/feedback sessions and guidelines for written reports). Appendixes provide the following items: (1) regulations; (2) sample behavior observation forms; (3) a parent questionnaire (social and developmental history); (4) guidelines for clinical report preparation; and (5) notes on infant assessment. (SLD)