Week 3 - AAC Assessment

Question 1

Low Technology Options

Answer 1

Communication board/systems
* Simple to complex arrays 
* Single 
* Organised by context 
* Alphabet types 
Communication books 
PODD 
Key Word Sign

Question 2

General Considerations in AAC Assessment

Answer 2

Need to match the needs and abilities of the individual with approach used
How will it support the individual:
- Communicate 
- Learn
- Participate

Question 3

AAC Assessment vs Other Speech Assessment

Answer 3

Functional approach - not focussed on normative data
Focussed on communicative competence, rather than specific language domains
Ongoing and cyclic nature of assessment
Team based assessment
Heavy emphasis of environmental and communication partners
Considers holistic picture of skills (sensory, motor, functional)

Question 4

Assessment Process

Answer 4

1. Assess for immediate communication and learning needs of the individual; assess current communication skills and needs
2. Assess for the future; consider changing communication and learning needs, how their AAC systems may develop/adapt
3. Review use and appropriateness of the system in meeting the current and changing needs

Question 5

Static Assessment

Answer 5

Passive participants
Examiner observes
Identify deficits
Standardised

Question 6

Dynamic Assessment

Answer 6

Active participants
Examiner participates
Describes modifiability
Fluid, responsive

Question 7

Environmental and Contextual Variables

Answer 7

High quality assessment consists of:

• Identification of contextual variables that support communicative competence
• Teaching communication partners skills to enhance communicative development
• Individualisation of assessment procedures to suit developmental level, needs and interest

Question 8

Sequence of AAC Assessment

Answer 8

1. Referral
2. Case history
3. Diagnostic questions - goal oriented/feasibility
4. Evaluation procedures
5. Identify and recommend AAC interventions
6. Secure funding
7. Repeat steps 2-6 as necessary

Question 9

Components of AAC Assessment

Answer 9

Case history
Ecological inventory 
Self-report 
Sensory and motor status 
Hearing screening
Speech and sound assessment 
Spoken language assessment 
Cognitive communication assessment 
Symbol assessment 
Identification of contextual facilitators and barriers

Question 10

Case History

Answer 10

Medical history, education, occupation, and cultural and linguistic backgrounds, use AAC systems, motivation, potential for disease progression/recovery

Question 11

Ecological Inventory

Answer 11

Current communication skills and needs

Communication skills in relation to similarly matched peers

Question 12

Self-Report

Answer 12

Existing functional communication
Communication difficulties and impact on individual and family/caregiver
Contexts of concern (eg. social interactions, work activities)
Language(s) used in contexts of concern
Goals and preferences

Question 13

Spoken Language Assessment

Answer 13

• Used as appropriate
  Expressive and receptive skills, including communicative intent
  Current means of communication and their effectiveness (verbal & nonverbal)
  Vocab size and word types (used and understood)
  Word combinations and grammatical forms (used and understood)
  Ability to follow commands
  Ability to respond to yes-no questions
  Ability to correctly point to objects, words and pictures

Question 14

Social Communication Assessment

Answer 14

Social and interaction skills

Question 15

Cognitive Communication Assessment

Answer 15

Memory, attention, problem-solving, and executive skills for AAC use

Question 16

Symbol Assessment

Answer 16

Ability to use various symbols to meet current and future communication needs

• Types of symbol (eg. objects, pictures, letters, printed text)
• Symbol size
• Field size (eg. number of symbols in a display)
• Organisation of display

Question 17

Feature Matching Assessment

Answer 17

Determines most appropriate AAC system features, including:

• Communication dunctions
• Use across functions
• Type and number of symbols
• Display characteristics
• Input (direct/indirect)
• Output (type of speech, voice)
• Physical positioning
• Portability
• Ability to accommodate changes in communication needs
• Affordability and ease of maintenance

Question 18

Participation Model - Stage 1

Answer 18

Identify participation patterns and communicative need

• Participation inventory:
• Participation patterns of peers, level of independence of peers
• Participation effectiveness of the user

Question 19

Participation Model - Stage 2

Answer 19

Identify barriers to, and potential to improve, participation

• Opportunity barriers (limitations imposed by other people/systems)
• Policy barriers - policy, legislation - limits communicative opportunity
• Practice barriers (widely accepted processes of ‘how things are done’)
• Eg. can’t take school equipment home
• Knowledge barriers (lack of knowledge of others limits use of AAC)
• Skill barriers (lack of skills to support use of AAC)
• Attitude barriers (reduced expectation of the individual with AAC, poor acceptance of AAC)
• Access barriers (linked to individual/current system of communicating)
• Potential to increase natural/spontaneous speech (MUSS),
• Consider functional speech intelligibility
• Potential to change the environment to promote communication

Question 20

Participation Model - Stage 3

Answer 20

Plan and implement interventions for today and tomorrow

Question 21

Participation Model - Stage 4

Answer 21

Evaluate intervention effectiveness

- is the person participating?