Developmental assessment is important for several reasons. First, children grow and develop/change with age, whether or not they are developing normally. A developmental framework guides us in understanding and describing the characteristics of the disorganized learning pattern shown by children with autism or related developmental disorders. For example, a 5-year-old child with the same motor skills as his/her peers may have language development at the level of a 2-year-old.
Schopler et al. developed the TEACCH program and its measurement tool, the PEP, in 1972 at the Treatment and Education Center for Autistic and Communication Disabled Children in North Carolina, considering that developmental assessment of children with autism spectrum disorders and a special education program for their deficiencies in each developmental area were necessary. The test items were selected from a wide range of activities with autistic children. The PEP-R (Psychoeducational Profile - Revised) is a revised version of this assessment scale.
