While it is always recommended that IGDI assessments be done in in person, there are times when doing an IGDI assessment in a virtual/remote format is necessary. Some changes in administration and toy sets may be needed in order to facilitate the virtual assessment. Guidelines for doing an IGDI assessment virtually/remotely can be found here.
The administration of the IGDIs remains much the same in a virtual assessment as in a live one; making sure the area is as quiet and free from distractions as possible is a key in virtual assessments.
The standard toy sets for IGDI assessments are used in a virtual IGDI assessment. Examples of those standard toy sets can be found here.
Before conducting the IGDI assessment, check with the family to see if they have the toy set needed for that assessment. If the family has the standard toy set, it is best to use that rather than a center/staff set of toys. In the event that the family does not have the standard toy set, but has a toy set that might be comparable, please send a picture of the proposed toy set to IGDI staff: Susan Higgins: kusus@ku.edu and Jay Buzhardt: jaybuz@ku.edu to get feedback on the proposed toy set.
It is recommended that virtual assessments be recorded and scored later, so using a video conferencing system such as Zoom, Skpe, or Webex is suggested. When scoring a recorded assessment, it is important to use headphones to be able to hear the child more clearly. Even if recording the assessment, it is recommended that the coder be watching during the administration and scoring as best they can in the event of a technology glitch and the recording is not complete or usable, there are still scores available for that IGDI administration.
When entering IGDI data into the online data system, there is a check box to mark to note that the assessment was done in a virtual/remote format.
For more guidelines and suggestions on administering virtual IGDIs, please click here for a more detailed administration guide.
Please click here to access the following materials: scoring forms, administration checklists, complete description of toys and links to purchase toys. Please note, this link will not take you to the log in page for the online data system; if you already have a log in for the online data system, you still need to register your name and email at the link to have access to the materials.