Assessment to Goals (It is rocket science!)

Analyze  Assessment Profile Strengths & Weaknesses Strengths & Weaknesses Consider the norms that were used Consider the norms that were used Particularly important for older children beyond the upper limits of the standardized or norm-referenced sampleParticularly important for older children beyond the upper limits of the standardized or norm-referenced sample Resolve discrepancies Resolve discrepancies Type of test; context; sourceType of test; context; source Specific skills within domains Specific skills within domains Item analysesItem analyses Criterion-based testing resultsCriterion-based testing results Dynamic testing resultsDynamic testing results

Research  What is the normal pattern of development? Developmental sequences Developmental sequences  What is functional across people & contexts? Generalization Generalization  What does the research & scholarly works tell you? About development in specific populations About development in specific populations About the assessment tools used About the assessment tools used About the procedures you are considering About the procedures you are considering

Synthesize Info to Develop Goals  TARGET MODECRITERION CONTEXT  Become increasingly specific as you approach the individual session  Must be consistent with: The Assessment The Assessment The Research The Research The Procedure The Procedure The Intervention Agents & Contexts The Intervention Agents & Contexts

Implement  Activities should be consistent with goals The continuum of naturalness The continuum of naturalness The target, the mode, the context The target, the mode, the context Frequent opportunities for the “rare event” Frequent opportunities for the “rare event”  Activities should be consistent with the procedure Response when the child is successful Response when the child is successful What are the steps you can use to increase difficulty?What are the steps you can use to increase difficulty? Response when the child is unsuccessful Response when the child is unsuccessful What are the steps you can use to simplify?What are the steps you can use to simplify? What prompts does the procedure allow?What prompts does the procedure allow?

Session-by-Session Data Collection  Quantitative Make the type of data you collect consistent with your goal criterion Make the type of data you collect consistent with your goal criterion Make it collectible: fast with minimum intrusion on your interaction Make it collectible: fast with minimum intrusion on your interaction Collect more extensive data periodically Collect more extensive data periodically  Qualitative Use letter codes to add specificity Use letter codes to add specificity Write down examples, rather than each target Write down examples, rather than each target  Modify your goals based on your results

ANALYZE RESEARCH SYNTHSIZE IMPLEMENT

ANALYZE RESEARCH SYNTHESIZE IMPLEMENT

Guidelines to Consider Children with language disorders have persistent problems with morphology and syntax. Children with language disorders have persistent problems with morphology and syntax. Vocabulary tends to catch up by 3-4 years, but re-emerges as a problem later on Vocabulary tends to catch up by 3-4 years, but re-emerges as a problem later on Vocabulary sizeVocabulary size Vocabulary depthVocabulary depth Word-retrieval difficultiesWord-retrieval difficulties

Choosing a First Lexicon  Ease of demonstration of the concept in context Experience is better than pictures for learning word meaning Experience is better than pictures for learning word meaning  Usefulness of the word Words with broad rather than narrow application Words with broad rather than narrow application

Choosing a First Lexicon  Organize the lexicon based on the ideas that the words represent. Include: Substantive words (people, objects, places) Substantive words (people, objects, places) Relational words (verbs, prepositions, adjectives, negatives) Relational words (verbs, prepositions, adjectives, negatives) Social words (greetings, answer words, polite) Social words (greetings, answer words, polite)  Select words that are within the child’s phonological inventory

Words to Exclude (at first)  Pronouns - hard teach because deictic  Colors - not broadly useful, but they do have social benefit only if the the child is already matching colors accurately  Numbers - not broadly useful, but they do have social benefit; some children use “two” to mean “more”  Opposites - children only use one “pole” first  Internal states - conceptually difficult; teach action words that represent states (“kiss, ouch”) (happy, sad, mad)