1. But They Can’t Respond?!? Assessing the Severe Needs Students
Sue Loeffler, M.A., CCC-SLP
Assistive Technology Specialist
Denver Public Schools

2. Communication Matrix Company: Design to Learn
Charity Rowland & Philip Schweigert
Assessment: Communication Matrix
Intervention Programs:
School Inventory of Problem Solving Skills
Home Inventory of Problem Solving Skills
Hands-On Problem Solving for Children with Multiple Disabilities
At School
At Home
Tangible Symbol Systems
First Things First: Pre-Symbolic Communication
Communication Matrix

3. Assessment: Communication Matrix
English:
Spanish:
Communication Matrix comes in print/hard copy format as well as online versions
Different formats for therapist and parent portions
Assessment: Communication Matrix

4. Why do we communicate? To Obtain Something To Refuse Something
For Socialization
To Gain Information
Why do we communicate?

5. Therapist

6. Parent

7. Required Participants

8. Profile Seven levels of communicative competence
Pre-intentional, intentional, unconventional behavior, conventional behavior, unconventional communication, conventional communication, concrete symbols, abstract symbols, language
Four areas of communication intent
Refuse, obtain, social, information
Intervention Goals
Profile

9. Pre-Intentional Behavior
Salient Behavior: Pre-intentional or reflexive behavior that expresses state of subject. State (e.g. hungry, wet) is interpreted by caregiver. i.e. stiffens, twists, turns head away, etc. Intervention Goal: Establish purposeful behavior by creating highly responsive environments
Pre-Intentional Behavior

10. Salient Behavior: Behavior is intentional, but is not intentionally communicative. Behavior functions to affect caregiver’s behavior, since caregiver infers intent. i.e. pulls back, kicks, frowns, etc. Intervention Goal: Respond to potentially communicative behaviors so that child becomes aware of their communicative purpose.
Intentional Behavior

11. Unconventional Communication
Salient Behavior: Unconventional gestures are used with intent of affecting caregiver’s behavior. i.e. kick, smile, fuss, looks at caregiver, etc. Intervention Goal: Shape unconventional gestures into conventional gestures and/or target symbol use.
Unconventional Communication

12. Conventional Communication
Salient Behavior: Conventional gestures are used with intent of affecting caregiver’s behavior. Child shows “dual orientation.” i.e., moves toward object, looks b/ caregiver and object, touches object, etc. Intervention Goal: Teach 1:1 correspondence between symbols (concrete or abstract) & referents.
Conventional Communication

13. Salient Behavior: Limited use of concrete symbols to represent specific entities. 1:1 correspondence between symbol & referent. i.e., mimics sound of object, copies movement of object, gestures toward symbol w/ intent to obtain, etc. Intervention Goal: Teach 1:1 correspondence between abstract symbols & referents.
Concrete Symbols

14. Salient Behavior: Limited use of abstract symbols to represent entities. Symbols are used one at a time. i.e., says, signs, writes, Brailles the single word/label Intervention Goals: Teach combination of symbols into two- and three-symbol utterances.
Abstract Symbols

15. Salient Behavior: Rule-bound use of symbol system
Salient Behavior: Rule-bound use of symbol system. Ordered combinations of two or three symbols according to syntactic conventions. i.e., use of two or more words Intervention Goals: Expand semantic & syntactic abilities.
Language

16. Any combination of: DATA Sources Observations Interviews
Direct attempts to elicit
DATA Sources

17. Communication Matrix Profile

18. Only check off what the student produces independently (without assistance*)
Only check off what the student produces consistently (without assistance*)
*Modifications/Adaptations (communication boards, devices, pointers, etc.)
Profile Scoring

19. The child can do at least three or more of the examples –or- demonstrates one example with at least three different sets of materials/individuals.
Usually performs this skill independently when the opportunity is presented.
Mastered

20. Mastered with Limitations
Clearly understands what needs to be done but physical limitations prevent the child from doing this independently.
However, with some physical assistance or adaptation, s/he can do at least three of these examples –or- demonstrates one example with at least three different sets of materials/individuals.
Mastered with Limitations

21. The child is just beginning to understand what needs to be done, but only demonstrates this skill under very limited circumstances.
S/he can do at least one of the examples but only with one or two sets of materials/individuals and may be inconsistent.
Emerging

22. The child doesn’t seem to understand what needs to be done and doesn’t attempt to perform this skill.
Not Present

23. Home Inventory

24. School Inventory

25. Hands-On Interventions

26. Hands-On Problem Solving

27. Design to Learn Program
Program set includes:
Videotaped Examples of all 67 observable traits in the program
CD’s of the program charts, etc.
Photocopy-ready booklets
Design to Learn Program

28. Already Available ! Questions? How to get it:
SLP equipment/supplies checkout system
Drop by Smedley room 164, and copy parts of the demo set. To arrange, Sue to set up a day/time.
Already Available !