What type of collateral information can be valuable during assessments?

Teacher reports can be particularly valuable during assessments because they provide insights into a person's behavior, academic performance, and social interactions in a structured environment such as school. Educators often observe students in various contexts, making their observations critical in understanding the individual’s strengths and challenges. They can offer perspectives on the individual's engagement, learning styles, interactions with peers, and responses to different teaching methods. This information can help professionals design more effective treatment plans and set realistic goals tailored to the student’s needs.

While friends' opinions can offer a personal perspective on social interactions and support, their insights might not have the same level of objectivity or depth as those provided by teachers who regularly assess a student's performance and behavior in an educational setting. Similarly, social media activity and local news articles, while potentially informative, do not typically provide comprehensive evaluations of a person's behavior or functioning relevant to treatment plans. Therefore, the structured and informed observations coming from teacher reports stand out as a critical form of collateral information during assessments.