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Communication Assessment Project

Rachel Freedman #8

SPED 461

Fall 2013

10/9/13


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Summary of Results

Student Profile

CH is a twelve-year-old seventh grader at XYZ middle school. He is in the

ASSIST program, which is a self-contained functional life and vocational skills class.

CH has multiple disabilities including hearing, visual, intellectual, and physical

disabilities as well as medical conditions that affect every day activities such as

toileting and eating. He is currently working on independent eating, recreation and

leisure activities, and his get program. This program, created by his teacher,

focuses on vocational skills such as following directions. The teacher holds up an

object and says, get and he has to reach for the object, grab it, and put it in a

basket.

CH has many strengths that are very recognizable after working with him. He

is open and willing to try new things and work with new people. He is very good at

expressing his wants, especially for food, and for rejecting items he doesnt like. One

activity that is very difficult for him is standing, which he practices twice a day for

eight minutes each time. Even though it is physically taxing on his legs, he does not

give up.

CHs communication is limited to vocalizations, gestures, and two symbols

that he uses to say more and done. However, he is not very purposeful in

choosing those symbols; he knows he needs to pick one but picks the wrong one

regularly. During a direct observation done on September 24, 2013, CH was

practicing standing for eight minutes. After the eight minutes, he was prompted to

choose his done symbol. He grabbed the more symbol three times before


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choosing done. Not only does need better precision in symbol use, but he also needs

more things to say besides more and done. These two symbols are not very

conducive to social situations, such as conversing with same-aged peers. Along with

needing more things to say, he needs more exposure with others. Most of his

instruction is one-on-one in the ASSIST room, so time with other students is very

limited.

A thing to note about CH is that it takes a very long time for him to learn how

to use his symbols. It took three years to help him get to the point at which he

currently is with his symbol use.

Expressive Communication

CH communicates expressively through his more and done symbols.

These are used during most activities such as eating, standing, calendar, get

program, and games. He also makes noises and vocalization to indicate when he is

upset or happy. The vocalizations are very similar so to understand which emotion

he is trying to get across, it is important to look at his body language and facial

expression. This data was reported in an interview with his teacher as well as an

expressive communication assessment done on October 3, 2013.

CHs greatest strength in expressive communication is rejecting activities or

objects. This information comes from an expressive communication assessment

conducted on October 3, 2013. When he does not want to do an activity, such as a

game, he will push himself out from the table and turn around in the chair, facing

the other direction. When the teacher or paraprofessional tries to turn him back

around he uses all his strength to hold onto the chair. He will also push away objects


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when they are placed in front of him that he doesnt want. For example, CH does not

like playing games. When playing UNO, I held up cards for him to pick to play, and he

pushed all the cards away.

Most of his expressive communication is spontaneous, however, he has to be

heavily prompted to answer questions, which is the greatest area of need. Much of

his answering of questions consists of making choices. During an expressive

communication assessment done on October 3, 2013, done through playing UNO, CH

was asked which card he wanted by saying, CH, get, while holding up two card

choices in front of him. He would eventually either reach for a card, push them

away, or use eye gaze to chose a card. Sometimes he was immediate in choosing a

card or pushing them away, but more often it was take multiple prompts for him to

fulfill the request.

Receptive Communication

CH receives information through a variety of ways. In an interview done with

his teacher on September 16,2013, it was discussed that he receives information

verbally, visually, and physically, as well as through pointing, and using his symbols.

The most effective way for CH to understand information is by presenting him with

the object and pairing it with a verbal command. For example, in CHs get program,

the teacher presents him with an object to sort by holding it up in front of him and

saying, get. CH knows to grab the object and put it in the basket. He has become

very proficient in this skill. In a receptive communication assessment done on

October 3 and October 8, 2013, it was found that CH can respond appropriately to


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one-step instructions when he is presented with an object paired with a verbal

instruction. For three of three instructions, he grabbed the object.

Also found during this assessment was an area of need pertaining to

receptive communication. When CH was given two step instructions, such as turn

the game on and turn it off, he gave no response. He looked at the objects on the

table then looked away. From this assessment, it was found that CH could respond

correctly to one-step instruction, but not two-step instructions. It can be concluded

that CH can respond to simple, one-step instruction such as get, but not to simple

multiple step instructions.

Social and Interaction Skills

During an interview with CHs teacher on September 16, 2013, CHs social

behaviors were discussed. When he is with others, he generally has pleasant facial

expressions. He also reaches for people or objects that people are holding up in

front of him. When asked for a high five and the person places their hand in front of

him, CH will place his hand on the others hand. He also makes noises and

vocalizations when others are around him. During the interview, the teacher told a

story about CH and his reading buddy. When the reading buddy finished reading the

story, CH grabbed his more symbol.

One of CHs strengths in social interaction is that he enjoys being around

people and working with them. This is a major asset when communicating with him

because he wants to be with others; he wont try to get away from people when

communicating. He also looks at people and watches them while they are

communicating with him.


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Although CH likes being around people, he does not know how to interact

with his same-aged peers. He hasnt yet mastered taking turns, consistent with a

direct observation done on September 24, 2013. While one of his same-aged peers

was completing a band test by playing a section of music, CH started making loud

noises and kicking in his wheelchair. This would be considered an area of need.

Assistive Technology Usage

Throughout his day, CH uses a wide variety of assistive technology devices as

well as augmentative and alternative communication devices. He uses a wheelchair

to get around the school and community, and uses a booster seat when sitting in

regular chairs because the table is too tall for him to be positioned comfortably. He

also uses adapted plates, spoons, and cups to eat and drink. For academic work, CH

uses a computer and a switch to turn the page of the book he is reading on the

computer. For communication, CH uses symbols for more and done. Each of

these symbols is a card; more has half of a ball on it and done is blank. CH has to

grab the card, then the teacher or paraprofessional working with him says, You

chose more/done, while taking his hand and sliding it over the front of the card. In

the past, CH had different symbols for more and done. In an interview with his

teacher on September 16, 2013, it was discovered that his previous teacher had

researched tactile symbols for people who are blind and used those with CH because

of his visual impairments. These symbols, however, did not work for CH. The

research behind these tactile symbols was for people who were only blind and did

not have an intellectual disability. Because CH has multiple severe disabilities, these

cards did not work.


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The biggest factor in CHs assistive technology device usage is positioning. CH

has a cerebral palsy, which affects his mobility and lower body strength. He is

unable to stand or walk on his own, which affects his upper body positioning while

seated. He needs regular re-positioning because he often slumps down into his seat,

which makes reaching difficult. He is also very small for his age, only reaching just

over four feet tall. Because of this, he needs a booster seat when he is seated in

regular chairs at the table because the table is too tall. Without this seat, he would

not be able to reach his symbols during activities and meal times and would not be

able to communicate with the others present in the room.

Preferences and Non-preferences

In an interview with CHs teacher as well as observations during my time

last semester in the classroom, it was found that CH does not have very many

interests. The physical therapist, speech and hearing pathologist, and the teacher

have spent the past year exposing CH to many different activities, games, toys,

objects, etc. to determine his interests. They have found that his limited interests

include food, sleeping, relaxing, and reaching out to touch things. The activities that

he hates include games, especially Candyland, being touched, and being forced to do

things. In the interview, his teacher said that she uses his preferences to have him

practice using the more symbol. For example, during meal times, if he throws his

spoon, she will take the food away, and wait until he says more to give it back. She

uses his non-preferences to have him practice saying, done. During his oral motor

activity, she stimulates his mouth and face to brush his teeth. He hates this activity

and will push her hands away, and reaches for the done symbol.Through my


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Another priority communication skill that needs to be addressed is a way for

CH to make choices. In my observations last semester, I noticed that many choices

get made for him including the types of games they play, his lunch options, and

when he practices standing. To increase his independence, he needs a way to make

simple choices. This can be addressed using a switch connected to a buzzer. The

teacher or person working with him can list the options for game choices. Then, the

teacher can repeat those choices, giving time for CH to hit a switch to indicate a

yes choice, which will set off the buzzer. He can be reinforced in this action by

having the preferred game, activity, food choice, etc. This skill can be transferred

across many areas that include choices and will increase his independence.


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Documents

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