AT/AAC Summer! Session 3

+

AT/AAC Summer!Session 3 Technology: Not the Problem, Not the Panacea

“It’s not about the technology, it’s about interaction or communication.”

Johnston et al., 2012, p.84

+Updates to Website

Added outline and case studies for ecological inventories assignment. We will discuss this more today.

Please check the website for updates frequently.

Please let me know if there are any problems accessing content on the website.

+Upcoming Assignments

July 9th (next class session) - Annotated Bibliography is due Search based on the topic you selected from the list on the

website.

Date Change…July 16th- Ecological Inventories Assignment Remember this is with a group

July 16th… Critique of Research Article is due

July 18th… Technology Selection/Design Assignment is due

+Questions/Comments

Wraparound in practice? Not the “wraparound” people may be familiar with out of the field of

social work. More like multidisciplinary teaming or collaborative teaming, but…

based on Person-centered plan and ecological assessments See “Unified Plans of Support” by Hunt et al., 2003 [posted on the

wiki] For students with significant disabilities, Sheldon recommends that

you meet at least once every two weeks with school-based personnel and parents until everyone is “comfortable”, then quarterly. Short, productive meetings [45 min max] Guided by an Agenda Concluded with an Action Plan….constantly updated Nowadays you may be able to use a wiki to keep everyone on the

same page….but remember to protect confidentiality!!

+Review for Quiz #2

+Basic Conditions for Communication (Beukelman &

Mirenda, 2005)

At least 2 people who understand each other

Form (i.e. a way to send the message)

Content (i.e., something to talk about)

Function: Reason/Purpose to communicate

Educational team members must ensure these are addressed

+Communication Forms (Behaviors)Multi-modal nature of communication

No one form of communication will meet all needs or all social situations

Teaching a combination of different modes is necessary Examples: Vocalization, body movements, pointing,

facial expressions, nodding, gestures, use of object symbols, picture symbols, manual signs

+Communicative Functions/ Intent

Request

Initiate/greeting

Terminate

Attention

Naming

Accept/Reject Protesting situations Affirming situations

Expressing choices or preferences

+Assessing Communication Skills

Standardized Tests will not provide the information you need

Assessment driven by questions that need to be answered to help benefit from communication intervention—Team Effort

Interviews with Significant Others & Ecological-Functional Assessment Process

+Overall Steps in Ecological Assessment Process

Step 1: Plan with Student & Family

Step 2: Summarize what is known about the student

Step 3: Encourage Self-Determination/ Assess Student Preferences

Step 4: Assess student’s instructional program

Step 5: Develop ecological assessment report- recommend supports & services: informs IEP PLAAFP, Objectives, Services

+Considering assessment options?

Current communication

Environmental conditions

Motor capabilities

Cognitive/linguistic capacities

Language capacities

Literacy capacities

Sensory/perceptual capacities

+Assessing Receptive Communication Skills

Receptive skills for a specific activity need to be identified

What does the student do to demonstrate that the message has been received and understood?

Document what forms of communication seem to be best understood

+Assessing Expressive Communication Skills

Any attempt by the student to start, maintain, or end a communicative exchange should be noted.

How the students communicates (the form)—Skill level?

Why the student is communicating (function/intent)—different forms of communication for different purposes?

What the student talks about (content)—information on breadth of skills and accessibility?

+Ecological-Functional Assessment Process for communicationStep # 4 in the Overall Process: Assess Instructional Program/Environment

Uses observational techniques to analyze skill demands of the natural environment and determine how the student performs within the environment

Leads directly to intervention plan (Snell, 2002)

1. List Domains

2. List environments

3. List sub-environments

4. List activities associated with each

sub environment

5. Task analyze each activity to identify

skills

6. Observe the performance of the

activity to identify needs

+Group Quiz

+1. Basic Conditions for Communication (Beukelman &

Mirenda, 2005)

At least 2 people who understand each other

Form (i.e. a way to send the message)

Content (i.e., something to talk about)

Function: Reason/Purpose to communicate

Educational team members must ensure these are addressed

+2. Communication Forms

These can be thought of as?

Behaviors

+3. Communicative Functions/ Intent

Request

Initiate/greeting

Terminate

Attention

Naming

Accept/Reject Protesting situations Affirming situations

Expressing choices or preferences

+4. Overall Steps in Ecological Assessment Process

Step 1: Plan with Student & Family

Step 2: Summarize what is known about the student

Step 3: Encourage Self-Determination/ Assess Student Preferences

Step 4: Assess student’s instructional program

Step 5: Develop ecological assessment report- recommend supports & services: informs IEP PLAAFP, Objectives, Services

+5. The six steps in completing assessment of student’s program

1. List Domains

2. List environments

3. List sub-environments

4. List activities associated with each

sub environment

5. Task analyze each activity to identify

skills

6. Observe the performance of the

activity to identify needs

+Extra-Credit!!!

How do you identify receptive, expressive language needs using an ecological assessment?

How do you identify the forms of communication using an ecological assessment?

How do you identify a student’s communicative function using an ecological assessment?

How do you identify vocabulary to program into a student’s system using ecological assessment?

+Discussion

+Devices

The CD that came with your book has some recommendations for Device Manufacturers & Distributors (Chapter 3)

& Technology-based websites (Chapter 4)

OTAP (www.otap-oregon.org) Loan library

+5 Opportunity Barriers to CommunicationBeukelman & Mirenda (1992)1. Policy barriers- Policies that segregate AAC users or limit the use

of communication devices purchased with school funding to classroom use

2. Practice barriers- Precedents, procedures, and common practice within a school that are not actual policies, but limit full participation of AAC users

3. Attitude barriers- individual opinions & beliefs that affect the AAC user’s full participation

4. Knowledge barriers- lack of knowledge about AAC interventions & use options

5. Skill barriers- limits of the technical & communication knowledge of those responsible for the AAC assessment & intervention plan

+Preference Assessments

Systematic Preference Assessment Format on Website

Forms from CD from the AAC Strategies Book 5.1, 5.2, 5.3

+Steps in Conducting a Systematic Preference Assessment

1. Define the purpose of the assessment.

2. Select the range of sampling options

3. Determine the forms of the sampling options

4. Define the student’s responses for preference and non-preference of options

5. Outline presentation procedures

6. Determine sampling schedule & location

7. Observe & record responses to options

8. Summarize & make recommendations based on assessment.

+Preference Assessments are important!

We will discuss preference assessments in more depth next week!

Wanted to share this now because this is what we should look at EARLY & OFTEN….remember the steps in the process 1. Plan with student & family 2. Summarize results 3. Encourage Self-Determination---Assess Preferences,

then….. 4. Assess…?????

+Ecological Inventories Assignment

See website for outline & case studies

+Significant Other Interview(s)

See Communication Style Assessment—handout

Interview questions for

professionals---handout

+

Practice using these interviews with a partner based on your case study OR you may use a student that you have or are working with.

Note your evaluation of using these interview questions.

Embedded In-class activity

+Assessing Motivation

Motivation Assessment Scale.

Online: https://www2.monacoassociates.com/imas/freetrial.asp

+Assessing current communication

Communication Matrix by Charity Rowland http://www.communicationmatrix.org

(designs to learn website)

Organized by communication function List of behaviors Not used, emerging or mastered

+

Use your case study or student you know and practice using the communication matrix website with a partner.

Write your evaluation of the use of this online tool.

Embedded In-class activity

Ecological Inventory of Communication Skills

Steps in Activity

Natural Cues

Comm. Skills Needed

Student Performance

Discrepancy Analysis

Interv.Plan

Receptive or Expressive

+ or - Why student isn’t doing the step

suggestions

+Please complete self-evaluation & feedback form

Have a great 4th of July!!