Beyond the milestone model--a systems framework for alternative infant assessment procedures

Recent theoretical and methodological advances in developmental psychology offer new possibilities in the assessment of developmentally disordered infants which carry significant advantages over current procedures. It is argued that infant competence is not solely a quality inherent within the individual, but is a function of a particular individual within a particular environment. The understanding of early developmental processes as being based upon infant-environment transactions, requires an assessment methodology which can take account of complex and changing relationships, and can recognize the role of the infant in determining characteristics of the caregiving environment. It is proposed that systems theory offers a useful framework on which to construct new assessment procedures. Different levels of the infant environment system are identified, and examples of the ways in which recently developed procedures may be incorporated into the model are described.