Assessment approach for individuals with a sensory impairment and additional disabilities
Assessment of an individual’s communication is:
- Ongoing as it can often take time to:
– Develop a rapport with each individual
– Interpret the individual’s communication attempts/messages
– Determine their level of understanding
- Individualised given the unique and varied range of skills and interests of each individual
- Every interaction gives us more information about the individual and their communication abilities
- Standardised tests in many instances will not be appropriate
- The focus is on identifying the skills that the individual does have and areas/skills to further develop
- Identifying and documenting communication partner strategies that help the individual perform at their best is also part of the assessment process
- The assessment process is guided by the what motivates and interests the individual
What is the purpose of assessment?
- To obtain a baseline of their communication skills
- To answer specific questions, e.g. “can they do X?”
- To determine the individual’s current level of functioning/performance, and from there develop appropriate goals to work towards
- To provide specific and detailed information about an individual’s communication to their communication partners and relevant services
- To assist with funding applications
- To document the individual’s progress
How is the Communication Continuum used to assess individuals?
- The Communication Continuum identifies specific communication skills to assess/look out for across a broad range of communication skills
- The Communication Continuum can be used as a starting point for assessing all individuals with multiple disabilities
- Some stages or communication skills will not be applicable for every individual
- Some communication skills may need to be investigated in further detail
What sources of information can be used to complete the Communication Continuum?
- Observation of the individual in a range everyday routines and activities:
– in different settings (pre-school, classroom, playground, at home, day program etc.)
– with a range of communication partners (both familiar and unfamiliar people)
– individual & group contexts
- Conversation/discussion with team members (family members, carers, teachers, therapists etc.)
- Previous reports and file notes
- Communication checklists (may need to be modified or only some parts completed)
- Standardised tests (may need to be modified or only some parts completed)
- Language sample and analysis (if applicable)
- Situations or activities set up to assess a specific area of communication identified as gaps from observational assessments
Why is it important to assess an individual’s communication skills across a range of contexts?
An individual’s skills and responses may change according to;
- Communication partners
- Familiarity of environment and routines
- Familiarity and preference for topics and/or activities
- Motivation and preferences
- Alertness and time of day
- Health and medical issues