An assessment score becomes useful when the report explains what was assessed, which tool was used and what the result means in everyday life. Gesell, PEP, GMFM and ABC answer different questions. They are not marks on a shared scale, and even the same abbreviation can refer to different questionnaires.
Start with the full name and version of the tool and the assessment date. Then ask the professional to connect the result to a practical question: what can your child do, where is support needed and what should guide the programme? This article helps you prepare for that conversation; it cannot interpret an individual report on its own.
Identify the tool before interpreting the score
A useful explanation includes more than a total. Check your child's age at the assessment, the language used, who carried it out and who answered the questions. Ask whether the report records difficulties taking part, such as not understanding an instruction or being unable to finish some tasks.
| Report entry | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Total score | Is this a raw total or a converted score? How is it interpreted in this version? |
| Developmental age | Which area does it describe, and how was it calculated? |
| Percentage | What is the denominator? This does not necessarily mean a “percentage of health” or “percentage improvement”. |
| Change after a course | Are the two assessments comparable, and which specific actions changed? |
Do not assume that a higher score is always better. First establish what the measure means. Adding scores from different tools into an overall “rehabilitation percentage” would not explain which abilities have changed.
Gesell and PEP: look at the profile, not one age
The name Gesell does not identify a single exact instrument. For example, the organisation behind current Gesell tools distinguishes the GDO-R from the Gesell Early Screener; the latter does not assign a developmental age. A table found online under “Gesell” may therefore be inappropriate for your report.
If the report gives a developmental age for one area, ask the professional to explain that area. Avoid applying the result to your child as a whole. “Performance on this group of tasks” is more precise than describing a child as being a particular developmental age. Ask which actions were completed independently and where help was needed.
PEP stands for Psychoeducational Profile. The publisher's description of PEP-3 concerns assessment of skills and behaviour in children with autism and communication difficulties. PEP-3 is a specific edition: “PEP” on another document does not establish that the third edition was used.
Ask how the profile informs the chosen goals. For example, “taking part in shared play in an accessible way” gives a family more to discuss than a promise to increase a total score. This is an example of a discussion topic, not a recommendation for every child.
GMFM and GMFCS: measurement and classification
The GMFM measures gross motor function. There are GMFM-88 and GMFM-66 versions. Establish which was used before comparing reports.
The GMFCS serves a different purpose. Its five levels describe everyday gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy, including self-initiated movement and the support needed for mobility. It is a classification, not another version of a GMFM score. CanChild's description explains the system.
If a GMFM score changes, ask which movements have become more accessible and whether that is apparent in everyday life. The measure does not fully describe participation in daily activities. Family observations add context: how easily does the child move around familiar surroundings, and what help is needed?
Do not convert a GMFCS level into a percentage or expect a level change after every course. The content of the assessment and the goals it informs are more useful for discussing the programme.
ABC can refer to different questionnaires
Check the full English name before looking up an ABC result. Autism Behavior Checklist and Aberrant Behavior Checklist are different instruments. Scoring rules from one cannot be applied to the other.
The Hansi page uses the name Autism Behavior Checklist. To interpret your own report, however, the full tool name and version are still needed: a service description does not replace the form used in an assessment.
Ask who completed the questionnaire, what period it covered and where they observed the child. If a different person completed the repeat questionnaire, ask the professional to consider that when making comparisons. A change in the total should not be turned into an independent diagnostic conclusion or proof that one procedure caused a benefit.
How assessment informs the programme at Hansi
Hansi's materials list PEP, S-S language assessment, Gesell, ABC, ATEC and CARS. They also describe an in-house developmental assessment form for children with autism. It covers sensory perception, gross and fine motor skills, speech and communication, cognitive skills, social interaction, self-care, and emotions and behaviour. A clinic professional completes the form; it is not a test for parents to score at home.
The documented programme structure includes daily discussion of observations and a weekly review of changes to the plan. This does not mean that every listed scale is administered in full every week or used with every child.
Before a repeat assessment, agree what question it should answer. Does a chosen action require a different amount of support? Is a skill used outside the session? Which tasks remain difficult? These questions make programme discussions more useful than an unexplained statement that a child is “making good progress”.
A rehabilitation report and home activity plan in Chinese with a Russian translation are provided at the end of the course. Ask which findings are included, how the recommendations relate to them and when reassessment would be useful.
Discussing a report with Hansi
If you are considering Hansi, contact the coordinator to agree how to share existing reports. Prepare the complete document, including the tool's name and version, assessment date and the professional's explanation, together with a short description of your family's question.
A preliminary discussion of documents helps prepare an enquiry. It does not replace an in-person assessment or mean that a programme has already been prescribed.
Agree how to share an assessment report with the Hansi coordinator