Assessment Flashcards
Deductive reasoning
Top down approach (General to specific)
Theory -> hypothesis -> observation -> confirmation
If premises are true, conclusion is logical and true
If premises are untrue, conclusion can be logical but untrue
What to determine through assessment
Whether a problem exists
Causal-related factors
Overall intervention plan
Inductive reasoning
Bottom up approach (specific to general)
Observation -> pattern -> hypothesis -> theory
Assessment involves….
Collecting valid and reliable data
Integrating/interpreting data
Making judgements and decisions
Norm referencing
Identifying individuals performances at various levels (compared to a large group)
Addresses broad spectrum of content
Items are distinguished among individuals
Performance summarized during comparisons (percentiles)
Use percentiles to determine…
Eligibilities !
Criterion referencing
Describe specific levels of performance (% correct)
Compared client to predetermined criterion
Not comparing to other individuals
Qualitative - good/bad
Can or can’t be standard
Normed tests
Tests have been given to a large group of children that “represent” all children for whom the test wad designed
Scored determined for typical functioning
Process of assessment
Appraisal - collection of data from a variety of sources to describe clients condition (records, interview, examination)
Diagnosis - assignment/labeling of clinical condition by means of interpretation of tests and case history
Low structured observations
Free playing with child, seeing child with family, observing them at home or in school
- gain impression of child’s expressive language
- impression of comprehension abilities
- helps look at hints outside domains of language
Screening
Should tap broad range of language and communication functions
See if they are demonstrating linguistic differences or disorder
(children coming from culturally and linguistic background)
I fly use to identity children at risk of DLD
Establishing baseline function
Examine all areas of communicative function
Child’s ability o use language
Examine hearing, cognition, and oral motor
Should establish strengths and weaknesses
Context in which you observe should be important
Establishing goals for intervention
Appropriate targets for intervention
Reference language skills against typical development
Reasons to discontinue intervention
Child has reached all goals -> no longer language disorder
Child has reached plateau
Progress can’t be attributed to intervention
Developmental scales
Sample behavior from a specific developmental period
Stimulability testing
Helps determined behaviors that can be easily modified/elicited through prompts and cues
What will you assess?
Language - form, content, use, expressive, receptive
Collateral areas - hearing, oral-motor, cognition and social functioning
How to assess
Standardized tests Interviews and questionnaires Developmental scales Criterion referencing Behavior observation
Things to consider with assessment process
Chronological age and functional age Background info Culture Cognitive functioning Activity level Families concerns
Spontaneous sampling
Indicator of child’s overall language functioning
Conversational sampling
Provides most accurate description of child’s language
Client referencing
Comparing clients performance to own performance in other areas and to own performance at another time
- most common form of clinical interpretation w
Standardization
Studies to determine how test functions in a norming sample
Sample characteristics crucial - large enough representative enough and speak to validity
Disadvantages of norm referencing
No individualization
Test is static (tells what a person knows, not how they learn)
Testing situation is unnatural
Must be administered exactly to get correct results
Disadvantages of criterion referencing
May be unnatural
Evaluates isolated skills
Doesn’t allow for individualization
