Transcript PowerPoint Presentation - Communication Assessment

Communication Assessment
Strategies for Individuals with
Severe Disabilities
Western Carolina University, March 22, 2006
Nancy Brady, University of Kansas
[email protected]
Assessment Purposes
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Describe current level of functioning to qualify
an individual for services
Identify promising intervention practices
How are they currently communicating?
 When and where are they currently communicating?
 Communication environment?
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Supportive contexts available?
Sample videos
Assessing current communication
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How are individuals communicating in real contexts?
Use questionnaires and forms supplemented with direct
observation
e.g., Inventory of Potential Communicative Acts by
Sigafoos, and Woodyatt.
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“Please describe how the individual (greets, gets your
attention, seeks comfort, let’s you know they are happy…..)”
Summarize responses in a behavior x function grid
IPCA: Examples of Potential Communicative Acts
Vocalization
Body
movement
Face/eye
movement
Breathing
Challenging
behavior
Stereotypic
movements
Symbolic
forms
Sounds
Moves closer
Purses lips
Rapid
Aggression Arm flapping
Speech
Yells
Moves away
Stares
Slow
Tantrum
Hand
Manual signs
Grunt
Tenses
Opens eyes
Hold
Self-injury
wringing
Gestures
Cry/whine
Wiggles
Closes eyes
Swallow
Laugh
Repositions
Shifts eye
Sigh
Destruction Body rocking Head nod
of items
Head weaving Eye point
body
Gazes away
Blow
Reaches/touches Gazes toward
Pushes/pulls
Points
Picture board
IPCA continued
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Organized by communication function
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Social convention
Attention to self
Reject/protest
Request an object
Request an action
Request information
Comment
Choice making
Answer
Imitation
IPCA continued
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Open-ended interview questions
Reject/Protest:
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What does person do if …
1. their routine is disrupted?
 2. they are required to do something they don’t want to
do?
 3. they don’t like something?
 4. a favourite toy/food is taken away?
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Summary Grid Layout
Behavior
Hands out
pinch
smile
Soc Conv Att to self Rej/Pro
Requests
IPCA summary grids
Assessing current communication
Communication Matrix by Charity Rowland
http://www.communicationmatrix.org/en/
(designs to learn website)
 Organized by communication function
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List of behaviors
 Not used, emerging or mastered
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Communication matrix
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C1. Refuses or Rejects Something
whole body movements (twist, turn away)
Mastered
scream, whine
Emerging
frown, grimace
Emerging
pushes away object or person
Emerging
gives unwanted item to you
Mastered
Communication Matrix
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Matrix summary grid
Presented by level and function
 Color coded according to not used, emerging or
mastered
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Direct Observations
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How do individuals communicate in specific
contexts?
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Described as the Verification stage by Sigafoos,
Butterfield and Arthur-Kelley (in press)
Verification Phase
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Set up opportunities to observe some of the
behaviors that were reported in interviews.
Reaching to request?
 Clapping to request food?
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Individualized
Standard Protocol
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Present opportunities for individuals to
communicate
e.g., CSBS (Wetheryby & Prizant, 2003), ECBS (Seibert
and Hogan, 1981), (McLean, McLean, Brady & Etter,
1991, Brady, McLean, McLean and Johnston, 1995)
 Examples
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For example, do they comment?
Do they repair communication breakdowns?
Specific Adaptations: sensory and motor
Examples of adaptations
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Does he comment?
Advantages/disadvantages to
standard protocol
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Chance to see how different individuals perform
under similar circumstances
Sometimes they will surprise you!
 May see behaviors that were not reported by
informants
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More efficient in terms of time
But, less individualized = less likely to
accommodate individual strengths or probe
unique interests
Summary of Protocol ResultsMarlee
Task
trampoline
Container of
toys
Fan
Bag of novel
objects
Function
Communicative
Behavior
Request activity Smile; arms to
midline (more
approximation?)
Request help
Eye gaze shift;
Signed finish
Joint attention Signed finish;
pushed away
Joint attention Gaze shift;
smile; show
Task
Function
Communicative
Behavior
Push away; sign
finish
Bumble ball
Request help
Tastes
Joint attention
Vocalizes; sign
finish
Wind ups
Request help
Bubbles
Request more
Signed finish;
pushed away
Signed finish;
cry
Task
Function
Goo
Joint attention
Adapted Books Joint attention
Communicative
Behavior
Signed Finish
Eye gaze shift;
signed finish
IPCA summary grids
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Requests: point, moves toward, claps, signs more
Rejects: sign stop, sign finish, bites self and
others
Comment: smiles
Social conventions: pinch, wave, look at
Assessment thus far
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Inventory of potential communication acts
Data regarding the extent to which
communication used during direct observation
Need to use this information to establish
instructional priorities
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Which of the many gaps in their communication
profiles need to be addressed first?
Assessing communication
environments
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Does the individual’s environment provide
opportunities for the child to communicate?
Ecological assessment
 Design to Learn Inventory evolved from ACE, by
Rowland and Schwiegert (1993)
 Communication Supports Checklist
 Social Networks by Sarah Blackstone and Mary
Hunt Berg
 PCO Checklist by Houghton et al.
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Design To Learn
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Teacher observes an activity, beginning at the
time the child makes the transition to the activity
and ending with the completion of the activity
Each observed behavior is marked
70 different statements
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Transitions; activity; adult’s interaction; students
communication system; peer interaction;
opportunities to communicate; opportunities to use
objects; materials
Sample Page:
Profile
Design to Learn
Communication Supports Checklist
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Written by members of the NJC, published by Brookes
Covers philosophy, protection of communication
rights, environmental support, goal setting practices,
program implementation, team competencies
97 items
Environmental support,
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Expecting communication, providing interesting and age-appropriate
materials, including communication partners who know how to use
AAC systems and devices used by individual…..
Social Networks
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Interview format
Information about individual’s communication
with different social partners
Summarized according to Circles of
Communication Partners
Promoting Communication Outcomes for Children with DeafBlindness:
Environmental Checklist
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Physical and Environmental Characteristics
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Communication
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The lighting and/or illumination is adapted for child’s visual
condition (e.g., shades, glare, focused lighting, contrast, dim,
etc.). Specify
Communication is accessible to child (e.g., access to
communication that is matched to sensory processing
disabilities.)
Instructional Arrangements and Programming
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Anticipatory information for every activity is provided
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Dignity and Respect
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The child is addressed by name by staff
Total of 24 items
Assessment to Intervention
Interventions based on assessments
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Build New Skills
Teaching new forms
 Increasing use of existing forms
 Teaching new functions
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Examples of teaching new forms
Interventions to improve the
communicative environment
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Increasing the responsiveness of the
environment
Partner interaction training (e.g., Hanen)
 Partner “coaching.”
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Engineering the environment to provide more
opportunities for communication
Resources
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Blackstone, S. & Hunt Berg, M. (2003). Social Networks. Available
from www.caugcomminic.com
Brady, N. and Halle, J. (1997). Functional analysis of
communicative behaviors. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental
Disabilities, 12, 95-104.
McCarthy et al. (1998). Communication supports network.
Rowland, C. and Schweigert, P. (1999). Time to Learn, available
from www.designtolearn.com
Sigafoos, J., Arthur-Kelly, M., & Butterfield, N. (in press).
Enhancing everyday communication for children with disabilities.
Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.