background history.

This section takes one million years to write if you are testing a high school
student.* A good background history details the developmental, medical, health, school, mental
health, and family history of the child. Its always a bit weird to ask a parent of a 17-year old
about the childs birth weight and when they said their first words or if there were problems in
toilet training, but it really does need to get that specific. Why? Because you never know. Some of
the most interesting things come up when you delve into a developmental history, and the childs
history culminates into who they are as a student.
The types of questions I ask about the childs history depends in part on the referral question. If
the referral question is Autism, I ask about social communication, and if its ADHD, I always ask
about injuries or hospitalizations (many of my little ADHD friends have broken many a body part in
their joie de vive for trying things without thinking). If the student is bilingual, I ask about learning
in the native language. If the child is suspected of having an emotional disturbance, I ask about
family history of emotional problems. The list goes on.
The point Im trying to make is that the history is one of the most important parts of the
assessment. I learn all kinds of things about the kid and build rapport with the parent too.