R-1 Battery Not Included: Assessing Complex Communication Needs of Students Who Cannot Access Formalized Testing
Presenter
Format and Time
- In-Person Training: 5 hours (8:30-2:30)
Content
Meaningful assessment is an essential first step toward appropriate goals and intervention. However, not all students can access formal test batteries. Students with extensive and multiple support needs often experience complex communication disorders which are inseparable from learning and behavior. Students who live in complex bodies present a challenge in determining a consistent and purposeful response pattern to even begin testing. This training will emphasize integrating theory with practice, conceptualizing the impact of cognitive, perceptual, and motor deficits on communicating; and explore the selection and use of appropriate assessment tools designed to assess a student who cannot access traditional measures.
Intended Audience
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs). Audience may include multidisciplinary teams working to conduct preschool or Augmentative-Alternative Communication (AAC) assessments, e.g., SLP with school psychologists, childhood special education teachers, and/or occupational therapists.
Participants Will
- Differentiate between intentional behavior and intentional communication.
- Determine potentially communicative acts in persons with complex physical/sensory impairments.
- Understand the most current and supported theories on the development of symbolic representation.
- Explore testing materials with a current student's case in mind to cultivate an assessment plan to reveal the student's strengths and reliable abilities.
