aac assessment sherri tennant,. m.s., ccc/slp maureen melonis, m.n.s., ccc/slp assistive technology...
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AAC AssessmentAAC Assessment
Sherri Tennant,. M.S., CCC/SLP
Maureen Melonis, M.N.S., CCC/SLP
Assistive Technology Partners, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
Learning Objectives/Goals for this training
Participants will understand the components of an effective assessment (Phase 1,2,&3)
Participants will have skills to critique other assessments and identify missing information
Participants will be able to locate resources and additional training
Goal #1: Components of and Effective Assessment
Phase One Assessment– Involvement of Team
Phase Two Assessment– Consideration of Features– Understanding of Needs/Barriers
Phase Three Assessment– Ongoing evaluation in context
Phase One Assessment
An information sharing process focusing on gathering information, assigning roles and responsibilities and developing a timeline for action
Includes all relevant team members, especially the child and their family
What does your team look like?
Who is on your team? How do you gather information? What information do you gather?/miss? What works/what doesn’t? What are some barriers to successful
teaming and assessment?
Technology Abandonment
Non-use or abandonment…can be as high as 75%
On the average, one-third of assistive technology devices are abandoned, most within the first three months
(Adapted from Phillips & Zhao, 1993; and Scherer and Galvin, 1994)
Components of Phase One of the Assessment
Introductions & why they are hereReview meeting processReview background info & reason for
referralDiscuss the Roles of the individualsDiscuss the Activities he or she
engages in
At the Assessment
Discuss the barriers to those activities Discuss times it was successful and why Discuss the environment/setting where
barriers occur Discuss Prior technology History
More Components of Phase One Assessment
Develop a Plan of Action for Phase II Capture “must” statements
Phase Two
Definition: Phase Two is carrying out the plan of action developed in phase one.
The members of the team focus on data collection and the exploration of specific features an individual requires
Components of Phase Two Assessment
Reconvene appropriate team members Conduct physical, cognitive, educational,
sensory, communication, etc assessments as needed
Match the TECHNOLOGY to the Person Set-up a trial Loan of the Equipment for
phase 3
Areas to Address in Phase Two
Communication Skills Cognitive/Educational Skills Motor Skills Visual Skills Auditory Skills
Where Do I Begin?
Many professionals in fields such as … speech
pathology have been trained to use norm-referenced
tests designed to compare an individual’s abilities to
those of same-age peers. These professionals may be
frustrated when they attempt to evaluate persons who
require AAC systems, because they cannot administer
the norm-referenced tests in a standardized manner”.
Beukelman & Mirenda
AAC: Management ...
Communication Assessment
6 Determine Procurement, Training, Practice, And Follow Up Needs
~Golinker & Ourand 12/99 Archived: Kornreich Technology Center
http://www.kornreich.org/events/pastevents.htm
Cognitive Skills
I.Q. Problem-solving skills Ability to follow directions Cause/effect Long term memory Short term memory Object permanence Attention span Motivation
Literacy Skills
Identifies letters/words/etc Creates simple sentences Selects a desired word from a list Reads words/sentences/stories for meaning Spelling skills
Gross Motor Skills
Ambulatory status Technology needs Flexion/abduction/extension issues & ranges Upper and lower extremities Strength/Endurance/Fatigue Positioning (across time and environment) Tone Reflexes
Fine Motor Skills
Range of Motion Access Options Handedness Grasp pattern Strength/Endurance/Force Graphomotor skills Switch access
Sensory Skills
Tactile Discrimination/sensitivities Vestibular issues Proprioceptive Reflex integration
Visual Skills
Visual tracking Visual scanning Visual field Visual accommodation Visual acuity Visual perception
Auditory Skills
Localization to sound Hearing acuity Response to auditory stimuli Response & understanding to sound, music,
speech output Auditory distractions Consider comm. Partner Volume
Phase Three
Evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed plan and technology recommendations.
Trial and error experiences influence the revision of the Plan of Action prior to purchase
Develop details for ongoing management of the AAC system/recommendations
Phase III
Procure Equipment Procure Training/Implementation Services
as Needed Re-evaluate
– Assistive Technology assessment is Ongoing and Deliberate….• Or in other words-it never ends!!!
Goal #2
Participants will have skills to critique other assessments and identify missing information
What to look for in a report
Make recommendations about features Identify specific devices for trial Describe equipment and procedures for
practice Describe plan of implementation (who’s
responsible for programming/repair) Use appropriate language for funding
source
Critique what you see…
Assessing more then one thing at a time The child not understanding the task The location of the assessment Don’t over assess Access Barriers
AAC Assessment Resources
Assessment Models– MPT Model– HATT Model– SETT– LAP– ETP– WATI
Assessment Protocals– Stages– Evaluware– Other
standardized tests (Non-Speech, PPVT-R, PALS)
Resources
http://aac.unl.edu/ www.ttac.odu.edu/ Articles/Gamel.html http://www.aacproducts.org/ http://www.trace.wisc.edu/ http://www.wati.org/ www.donjohnston.com/catalog/
nonspeechd.htm (nonspeech test)
Resources (contd.)
Stages http://www.assistivetech.com/ Evaluware http://www.assistivetech.com/ Feature Match Assessments
Assistive Technology Partners
www.uchsc.edu/atp
Learning Objectives/Goals for this training
Participants will understand the role that assessment plays in technology abandonment.
Participants will be able to identify necessary components for a successful augmentative communication assessment.
Participants will demonstrate increased knowledge of the benefits of matching the technology to the person rather than matching the person to the technology.