AAC Assessment 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 1 “a process whereby data are collected and information is gathered to make intervention and/or management decisions.” Lloyd, Fuller & Arvidson, 1997, p. 524

How should you proceed ? 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 2 Process? Ob-Scertainer  Carefully shake and tilt your Ob-Scertainer  From the sound & path of the steel ball, determine the shape and location of the partition or partitions  Draw your hypothesis or best guess in a circle

2 Approaches 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 3 Comprehensive Problem Oriented Approach  Capability Approach

Comprehensive AAC assessment 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 4 To determine the best AAC system for an individual Basic questions, what are.  individual’s communication needs or goals?  individual’s strengths and abilities?  barriers are preventing the individual from achieving his or her full communication/participation potential?  aids and adaptations that need to be used to accomplish the child’s goals given his or her strengths and abilities, and current circumstances?

Capability Approach Yorkston & Karlan (1986) 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 5 Identifying individual’s level of performance in critical areas that pertain to communication intervention, such as:  communication,  cognition,  motor control,  vision. Capability Plus Approach  Implement strategies to make individual successful

Making Decisions about Components of Aided AAC 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 6 Selection technique  scanning or direct selection Input device.  switch, keyboard Selection Set  visual, auditory, and/or tactile presentation of items (e.g. letters and keys on the keyboard)  coverage, development Transmitted Output  text on the monitor screen, speech, Braille print-out, movement of a powered wheelchair Strategies  encoding, word prediction, abbreviation expansion

AAC Assessment Process 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 7 Determine & Develop Question (s) of Interest Determine Direct Selection Technique Current Communication & Needs Cognitive Skills Visual-Motor  Motor Control  Visual Status  Switch  Consult Seating, Positioning and Mobility Needs

Communication Gamel-McCormick & Dymond, /13/2015 AAC Assessment 8 Expressive Communication.  What does the student currently use to communicate?  What are communication needs?

Expressive Communication 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 9 What does the person currently use to  expressively request objects,  continue an action,  stop an action,  request social interaction,  express a feeling,  make a choice,  initiate an interaction,  terminate an interaction, or  request assistance ?

Present Ways of Communication 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment Oral Speech 2. Symbolic Representation (symbols, text) 3. Reading & Writing Ability 4. Non-Oral Communication 5. Communication Effectiveness 6. Communication Partners 7. Communication Settings 8. Message Needs 1. Functional 2. Social 3. Informational – Sharing – Conversation 4. Developmental & Educational/Vocational Needs

Receptive Communication 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 11 What type of symbolic representation (object, picture, line drawing, words) do you think the student best understands? Auditory Skills?

Motor Skills 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 12 Does the student have a hand preference? Do they have the ability to reach, grasp, grasp and release, isolate a finger, and/or point? In what position is the student able to optimally move and respond? What reliable, predictable motor movements does the student have?

Motor Skills 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 13 Positioning  Factors that influence access to and functional use of ACC Switch Assessment  Determine type and placement of switch (motor control must be consistent, reliable, transparent)  Features of switches (e.g. size, feedback, travel, durability)  Functional performance with switch may differ from evaluation performance

Functional Vision 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 14 Assess ability to  fixate on a target (visual acuity and field  different sizes, distances and positions to get an idea of.  track a moving target.  localize and discriminate of a particular item on a page  scan along rows and columns Gradually increase number of items.

Vision and Visual Perception 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 15 Visual acuity - size of the items Visual field - area which can be seen without a shift in gaze Eye movement problems - difficulty maintaining gaze, or involuntary movements  positioning of the selection set, the layout, the spacing between items, and the ability to track moving items Light and colour sensitivity  low and high levels of illumination.  glare  particular colour combinations (e.g. yellow-on-black key stickers are available for standard keyboards  colour coding particular keys

Underlying Principles of Assessment 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 16 Evaluate communication needs and capabilities, in order to implement the augmentative communication system as soon as possible to enable the individual to begin immediate communication interaction.  Identify communication system individual currently uses  Determine the skills that an individual has or needs to develop in order to communicate effectively  Refine current methods & identify new methods  Determine effectiveness & efficiency  Ultimately, determine optimal way to configure system

Assessment Resources 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 17 Gamel-McCormick & Dymond (1994)  mentative_Communication_Assessment.pdf mentative_Communication_Assessment.pdf  Communication checklist  Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Connecting Young Kids (YAACK) - aac.unl.edu/yaack/ Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Connecting Young Kids (YAACK)

AAC Funding & Report Writing 5/13/2015 AAC Assessment 18 Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers  AAC-RERC website Medicare Funding of AAC Technology. Information obtained on May 20, Supported in part by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Dynavox Systems  GUS  Prentke Romich 