Play is a good vehicle for assessing the needs of young children with special ne eds simply because: 1.

play is a low-risk activity (there are no right and wrong answers in play and no one is telling you what to do and what not to do in play). So, through play children can develop and improve social skills. 2.Play allows children to meet their emotional, psychological, social, cognitiv e, and physical needs. 3.Play encourages both social and physical integration of children needs. 4.through its ideal characteristics (no criticism, no punishment and no measure ment in play), play encourages independence in children. 5.through its flexible, child-centered nature, play can bring out children s stre ngths. 6.play allows children to determine their own goals and outcomes and therefore provides a sense of success.

I think play works well as an assessment tool as applied to youngsters with spec ial needs due to the classic definitions of play itself. The low-risk, non-confr ontational nature of play allows for easy and pleasant observation. This is help ful with special needs children because is easier and more natural for them to f unction in the play environment, regardless of the disability they have. Since p lay is fun and ejoyable, the lack of expectation and the lack of a clinical "tes t" feel to play is conducive to easier assessment. The lack of expectation or go als involved in play can be a big help in assessment. Even though there are expe ctations and goals connected to the assessment process, the child does not know this. Finally, the pretend nature of play (nonliterality) can also give clarity and definition to assessments that involve role playing and "pretend".