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?

How important is teaming

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

1. Determine Current Functional Communication Levels

Communication Assessment

2 Predict Future Levels of Communication Effectiveness

Communication Assessment

3 Identify Functional Communication Goals

and Treatment Options

Communication Assessment

4 Select AAC Treatment Techniques

Communication Assessment

5. Select Specific AAC Device and Accessories

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!!!

Phase III

Develop treatment plan Develop training strategies and details Develop functional goals

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

Goal # 3

Participants will be able to locate resources and additional training

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.