A Review of Assessments for Children with Significant Communication and Socialization Issues

Presented by Shantal Jackson & Suzanne Coyne

Criterion-referenced Assessments

The goal of the criterion-referenced test is to obtain a description of the specific knowledge and skills each student can demonstrate. This information is useful for planning both group and individual instruction." (p. 43)

Directly assists in developing IEP goals and objectives

Linn, R. L., & Gronlund, N. E. (2000). Measurement and assessment in teaching (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Criterion-referenced Assessments Assessment of Basic Language and

Learning Skills (ABLLS-R) Verbal Behavior Milestone Assessment

and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) Functional Independence Skills Handbook

(FISH) School Function Assessment (SFA) *BRIGANCE Comprehensive Inventory of

Basic Skills II

ABLLS-R Developed in 1998 by James Partington and

Mark Sundberg and and is based on Skinner’s Verbal Behavior (looks at the function of language)

Purpose is to identify language and other critical skills that need intervention and to provide a curriculum guide for an educational program for a child with language delays

Provides a visual display to track progress Initial assessment is conducted over several

weeks

ABLLS-R Tracking Grid

ABLLS-R ABLLS-R includes a scoring instruction

and IEP development guide The guide includes:

Determination of educational priorities Strategies to develop a IEP

VB-MAPP Assessment program created in 2008 by Mark

Sundberg based on Skinner’s Verbal Behavior Includes 4 parts: Milestone Assessment, a

Barriers Assessment, a Transition Assessment, and a Task Analysis and Skills Tracking

Includes a guide that explains how to administer and score the assessments and how to interpret the results for curriculum and IEP Goal planning

Comparing the ABLLS-R and the VBMAPP

ABLLS-R• Provides a complete task

analysis of each verbal operant and other language-related skill

• Includes 26 areas across all developmental areas including fine and gross motor and self-help skills

VBMAPP• Includes a Milestone

Assessment, a Barriers Assessment, a Transition Assessment, and a Task Analysis and Skills Tracking

• Does not include fine and gross motor skills or self-help, however there is a task analysis for Self Help

• Milestone Assessment is developmentally sequences and has 3 levels

Milestones Assessment•Includes 170 developmentally sequenced verbal behavior milestones across 16 skill areas.

• Level 1 0-18 months• Level 2 18-30 months• Level 3 30-48 months

Milestones AssessmentAssess skills over the following 16 areas• Requesting, labeling, identifying, following

directions, commenting, and answering questions• Listener skills• Vocal output• Independent play• Social skills and social play• Visual perceptual skills and matching• Grammatical and syntactical skills• Group and classroom skills• Beginning academic skills

Barriers Assessment

•Identifies 24 learning and language acquisition barriers that may impede a child’s progress.•It employs a Likert-type scale of 0 to 4 to rate the child’s behavior.•Barriers Include:

• Behavior Problems,• Instructional Control,• Defective Social Skills,• Prompt Dependent,• Scrolling, • Weak Motivators,• Reinforcer Dependent,• Hyperactive Behavior,• Self-Stimulation,• Defective Articulation,• Failure to Generalize,…

Task Analysis and Skill Tracker• Provides a breakdown of the

Milestones and serves as a more complete and ongoing learning and language skills curriculum guide. There are approximately 900 skills covering 16 areas.

• The format is similar to the ABLLS-R assessment.

FISH: Function Independence Skills Handbook

Developed by William K. Killion in 2008 Determines person’s ability to perform certain

functional activities from daily living Targeted for students with developmental

disabilities from Kindergarten through grade 6 but it is used for older learners

Includes an assessment instrument that can assist in establishing eligibility for special services, setting goals and teaching lesson plans

Criterion-referenced series of 421 tasks

FISH: 7 Domains• Adaptive Behavior Skills:

independent life skills• Affective Skills: interaction

with self and others• Cognitive Skills: pre-

academic, basic reading, writing, math skills

• Sensimotor Skills: fine and gross skills

• Social Skills • Speech and Language

Skills • Vocational Skills: job skills

Sample skill/lesson from Adaptive Behavior Skills

SFA: School Function Assessment Authored by Wendy Coster, Oh.D., OTR/L, Dr.

Theresa Deeney, Ed.D., Jane Haltiwanger, PhD, & Stephen Haley, Ph.D., PT.

Determines a student’s ability to perform important functional activities (nonacademic aspects) that support participation in the academic and social aspects of a school setting

Yields a Functional Profile Score across 6 domains Includes an Adaptations Checklist which covers 4

categories of accommodations and modifications a student may require

SFA Domains• Provides rating scores across student’s level of participation in 6

activity settings: regular or special education classroom, playground/recess, transportation to and from school, bathroom/toileting activities, transitions to and from class, and meal time/snack.

Part I Participation

• Provides rating scores which examine the supports currently provided to the student when he or she performs tasks that are required to participate effectively. Two task supports are assessed: assistance (adult support) and adaptations (modifications to the environment or program).

Part II Task Supports

• Provides ratings across across the student’s performance of specific activities including self-help skills, using materials and computers, and engaging in recreational activities.

Part III Activity Performance Physical Tasks

BRIGANCE Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills II

Language Arts• Readiness• Speech• Listening vocabulary and

comprehension• Word recognition• Oral reading• Reading vocabulary and

comprehension• Word analysis• Functional word recognition• Spelling• Writing• Response to writing

prompts

Math• Number and operations• Algebra• Geometry• Measurement• Data analysis and

probability

BRIGANCE Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills II 400 criterion-referenced assessments to

identify present level of performance for students and provide ongoing assessment for academic skills at PreK to grade 9 levels.

Also includes a standardized assessment which yields standard scores

Recommended for students who are still following an academic curriculum and working on academic goals and objectives.

Summary: RecommendationsYoung learners with severe deficits in language and social skills:

Would benefit from the VB-MAPP since it is a program that assesses the function of language and includes a Milestone Assessment that is developmentally sequenced in addition to a skills tracker. They may also benefit from the Barriers Assessment to identify behaviors that adversely affect learning in order to develop appropriate behavior goals and highlight the need for an FBA/BIP. Since it is developmentally sequenced, the administrator can choose the level that closely matches the student’s developmental age, rather than looking at skills that the student is not ready to learn.

Young learners who require adult support throughout most of their school day for academic and nonacademic tasks would benefit from the SFA. This assessment examines several adaptive behaviors and can be used to guide IEP planning because it provides specific information regarding the student’s functional strengths and limitations.

Cont.For students nearing Middle School age who continue to have functional skill deficits well below their chronological age:

The FISH assesses and includes lessons to address functional life skills for student who may not benefit from a curriculum that focuses mostly on academic skills. While it does include some speech and social skills, more information and instruction planning may be required.

Therefore, these students who may have limited language and social skills may benefit from the VBMAPP Milestones assessment. If these students also have behavioral challenges, the Barriers Assessment would also be appropriate.

Cont.For students in middle school or transitioning to high school who currently demonstrates very little independence in daily living skills:

Would benefit from the FISH and/or the SFA. If these students also have limited

language and social skills, they may benefit from the VBMAPP. If these students also have behavioral challenges, the Barriers Assessment would also be appropriate.

References Partington, J. W. & Sundberg, M. L. (1998). The

Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills: Scoring Instructions and IEP Development Guide. Pleasant Hill, CA: Behavior Analysts, Inc.

Sundberg, M. L. (2008).VBMAPP: Verbal Behavior Milestones and Placement Program- Protocol: A Language and Social Skills Assessment Program for Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities. Concord, CA: AVB Press.

Coster, W., Deeney, T., Haltiwanger, J. & Haley, S. (2008). School Function Assessment: SFA. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.

Killian, W. (2008). FISH: Functional Independence Skills Handbook Assessment and Curriculum for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. 

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