Assessing Communication Skills

1. Assessing Communication Skills Adapted from Framework for Effective Instruction Emily Thatcher, Consultant, Iowa Dept. of Education July, 2009

2. 5 Step Process Merging Content : Instruction : Assessment Step 1: Know Your Student Step 2: Know the Content Step 3: Adapt the Content Step 5: Formative & Summative Assessment Step 4: Systematic Instruction

3. Step 1: Know the Student Other Information Communication & language requirements; Consistent response mode Motor/Mobility Symbolic Levels of Communication Social/ Behavior Assistive Technology Likes/Dislikes

4. Step 1: Know the StudentCommunication Bill of Rights Each person has the right to: • Request desired object, actions, events, and people • Express personal preferences and feelings • Be offered choices and alternatives • Reject offered choices • Request and receive another person’s attention and interaction • Ask for and receive information about changes in routine and environment • Receive intervention to improve communication skills • Receive a response to any communication, whether or not the responder can fulfill the request • Have access to AAC and other AT services and devices at all times • Have AAC and other AT devices that function properly at all times • Be in environments that promote one’s communication as a full partner with other people, including peers • Be spoken to with respect and courtesy • Be spoken directly and not be spoken for or talked about in the third person while present • Have clear meaningful and culturally and linguistically appropriate communications

5. Step 1: Know the Student • Communication: a process in which information is exchanged • Language: is the structure through which one communicates Korsten,J., Foss, T., & Berry, L. (2007)

6. Step 1: Know the Student • Student Characteristics • Receptive/INPUT • How might the student take in information? • How might educators present information? • Visual, auditory, tactile, etc. • Expressive/OUTPUT • How might the student demonstrate learning? • Access (e.g., eye point, hand point, switch, manipulate objects) • Symbol set (representation of concepts) (McSheehan, M. 2009)

7. Levels of Symbolic Communication • Awareness: May have not clear response/ intent/objective for communication. (Lowest level of symbol use) • Pre-symbolic: Beginning with symbols • Early Symbolic: Concrete. Moving forward with symbols. • Symbolic Abstract: Going far with symbols. • Basic (Highest level of symbol use)

8. Step 1: Know the Student E. Siegel-Causey

9. Step 1: Know Your StudentConsider Communication Functions • Relate Events • Call attention to how things are related-similar and different • Talk about past and future • Negotiate and bargain • State options • Make up stories • Express manners and consideration for others

10. Step 1: Know Your StudentConsider Communication Functions • Initiate • Greet • Accept • Reject • Protest • Request Objects • Share and Show Objects

11. Step 1: Know Your StudentConsider Communication Functions • Request information • Name • Acknowledge • Answer • Comment on action/object • Express feelings • Assert Independence

12. The Communication Process • An interaction between the Learner, a Partner, and the Environmental Context. • We need to: • Enhance the partner’s understanding of the learner’s non-symbolic communication • Broaden the partner’s interaction style with the learner • Improve contexts to facilitate the learner’s alertness a& communication

13. Step 1: Know the Student • The challenge in supporting students who are learning to communicate using aided symbols • The need to predict and provide sufficient vocabulary that meets student’s present communication requirement and • The need to stimulate further development of student’s communication and language skills Porter , G. & Burkhart, L 2009

14. Step 1: Know the Student • Essential to language acquisition • Make Vocabulary Available • Engineer the environment so that communication occurs all of the time. • Provide receptive input (modeling the use of devices) • Provide opportunities to communicate • Provide natural feedback (Porter, G. & Burkhart, L. 2009)

16. Step 1: Know the Student • Assessment Questions for Communication • What does your student need to be able to do? • Communication requirements • How does your student presently achieve these functions? • What skills must your student learn to achieve these goals? • Skills/learning required for successful communication • What circumstances make it possible for her to achieve these functions? • What will be the effective strategies? • Porter, G. & Burkhart, L. (2009)

17. Check these websites • PODDS Communication System-http://www.novita.org.au/Content.aspx?p=683 • Design to Learn- http://www.ohsu.edu/oidd/d2l/ • Every Move Counts- http://www.everymovecounts.net/ • Communication Matrix- http://communicationmatrix.org/

18. References • Browder, D.M., Flowers, C., & Wakeman, S. (2008). Facilitating Participation in Assessments and the General Curriculum: Level of Symbolic Communication for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, v15 n2 p137-151 Jul 2008 • Korsten, J. , Foss, T. & Berry, L (2007) Every Move Counts Clicks and Chats: Sensory-Based Approach: Communication and Assistive Technology. EMC Inc. • Lindberg, J., Ziegler, M. & Barczyk, L. (2009). Common-Sense Classroom Management: Techniques for working with Students with Significant Disabilities. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA • McSheehan, M. (2009) Assistive Technology, Augmentative Communication: Some Considerations PPT www.cehdu.umn/edu • National Joint Committee for the Communicative Needs of Person with Severe Disabilities. Guidelines for meeting the communication needs of persons with severe disabilities. Asha, 34 (Suppl.7), 2-3 • Snell, M. & Brown, F. (2006). Instruction of Students with Severe Disabilities. Pearson. Upper Saddle River, NJ • Stremel, Kathleen Communication Map (Performance Assessment)