Outcomes 101: ECO Q&A
return to Q&A HomeQ. How are the functional outcomes different from domains?
A. Many assessment tools examine children's development in different domains. Domains are areas of development such as social, fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, or language. Functional outcomes refer to behaviors that are meaningful in the context of a child's everyday living. Sometimes domain areas on an assessment include items that are not meaningful or even possible for all children, such as "stacks three blocks" or "rides a tricycle," or items that assess a skill independent of how the child uses the skill, such as "knows 20 words." Functional outcomes focus on what the child can do and needs to be able to do in the context of his or her life. These are integrated behaviors that usually cross multiple domains and allow children to achieve something meaningful. Domains refer to areas of development that contribute to successful functioning but are not themselves the functioning. For example, a child might demonstrate knowledge of language but still not use language appropriately to meet his or her needs. Conversely, a child who has no spoken language may have an effective and appropriate way to express what he or she wants.