Writing Language Goals for AAC Implementation in the

Classroom

ASAH Schools Conference,Pittsburgh, PA

July 2007

Acknowledgments

• Information in this presentation was taken from the following resources

• AT Implementation Guidelines, DOE, 2003

• ABC’s of AAC in IEP’s for SLP’s– Susan R. McCloskey, ASHA, San Diego,

CA, November 19, 2005

F.A.P.E.• Federal and state laws require schools to provide students with

disabilities with a Free, Appropriate, Public, Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

• FREE means that the education program is provided at no cost to the parents of students having a disability.

• APPROPRIATE means that the educational program should match the child's strengths and needs, and include a plan so that the child can make progress toward his/her individual goals.

• PUBLIC means that the child should participate and make progress as much as possible in the general education program with his/her classmates (age-mates).

• EDUCATION means that the child with a disability should have the opportunity to learn skills that will help him/her to be successful in life.

• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) means that the child with a disability should be educated in a setting that is, as much as possible, like a general school and classroom.

AT and AAC in IDEIA 04

• When the law was reauthorized in 2004, AT continued to be included

• The categories of AT included:– AAC devices– Written communication devices– Vision equipment devices– Assistive listening devices– Environmental control devices

AAC Devices Are Provided To

• Establish a means for communication and social interaction

• Promote language development • Support cognitive development (learning) • Enhance work and educational opportunities • Facilitate speech development • Clarify speech production • Enhance participation in society

Authorization of IDEIA ‘04• With re-authorization, emphasis within the IEP

continued to be placed on student outcomes and monitoring of yearly progress.

• To monitor progress, teachers and SLPs must accurately and objectively measure and report student achievement.

• The annual goal covers what the student can learn in a 12 month period. If a goal is not stated in measurable terms, then progress cannot be determined.

Measurable

• We’ve always had measurable objectives.

• Now the goals need to be measurable.• Connected to Average Yearly Progress

(AYP)

• Federal and State monitoring found too many student IEPs contained the same goals and objectives year after year.

4 Characteristics of Measurable Goals

• Specific– Tells what to measure and how to measure it– Tells how we will know the goal has been

accomplished

• Objective– Yields the same result no matter who measures it

• Quantifiable– Provides a descriptive comparison to a baseline

• Clear– Understood by all team members– Can be measured and interpreted without additional

information

3 Key Components of Measurable Goals

• Observable behavior– An explicit, observable statement of what the

student will do

• Condition– Specific circumstances or assistance that will be

provided that will affect performance of the behavior

• Criterion– What will be measured and how well the student

must perform– Performance measurement over time is the basic

concept

5 Types of Criteria to Consider

• Grade / Age level

• Rate

• Time

• Percentage

• Descriptive statement

Grade / Age Level Criteria

• Use numerical description of established grade or age progression

• Reference the source and describe the skill it measures

• Use with established content or developmental sequence

• Example: Given a 3 paragraph story, Chris will answer 90% of comprehension questions at a 4th grade level as measured by curriculum-based assessment

Rate Criteria

• Compares number of correct responses to the total number of possible responses

• Expected accuracy or frequency• Use when the skill must be demonstrated

multiple times to ensure mastery

• Example: Clair will request assistance in 4 out of 5 targeted situations daily for a two week period

Time Criteria

• A pace or time limit within which the behavior must be performed

• Use when time parameters are important to skill performance

• Example: David will name five items in each of six categories in 60 seconds.

Percentage Criteria

• Describes part of a quantifiable set or “whole”• Must be able to measure the “whole”• Number of correct responses compared to

the total number of possible responses

• Example: James will express his needs in 80% of the opportunities occurring during 10 randomly scheduled observations over one week

Descriptive Statement Criteria

• States expected quality of results in clear, objective language

• Use to provide explicit information about the nature of the expected performance

• Example: Carl will initiate his own social activities at school or in the community two times each week for one grading period by inviting a friend to participate with him or asking a friend to attend an event.

Condition

Describes circumstances or assistance needed to perform skill or behavior

ContextFormatTime Tools

Behavior

ObservableMeasurable

Criteria

Grade or Age LevelRateTimePercentageDescriptive Statement

Focus on Features

• Litigation history has shown that attention to individual needs is the best protection against claims that FAPE has been denied

• Processes that focus on the features of AAC systems that best suit a student’s needs are the most effective and efficient processes for assessment and implementation

Assessment Frameworks

• Participation Model– Beukelman, D., & Mirenda, P. (1992).

Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Management of Children and Adults with Severe Communication Disorders. Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks Publishing.

• SETT Framework– www.joyzabala.com

Identify participation patternsand communication needs

Assessopportunitybarriers

Assessaccessbarriers

Plan and implement intervention for today and tomorrow

Evaluate effectiveness:assess participation

Opportunity Barriers

Policy

Practice

Attitude

Knowledge

Skill

Assessment Framework

• Student/Individual

• Environment

• Tasks

• Tools

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SETT FRAMEWORK*

Student: Date: Completed by:

Student: Environment: Tasks- what does the student have to do?:Tools- strategies, accomodations & tools:

* Joy Zabala -- SETT Framework -- Modified

Already Have Need to Obtain

Implementation Frameworks

• Participation Model– Discrepancy analysis with comparisons to peers who

do not exhibit communication disabilities

• Environmental Communication Teaching– Targets specific activities that occur throughout the

daily routine– Structures communication opportunities within those

activities– Karlan, G. R. (1989). The Environmental

Communication Teaching Training Project. Field-initiated Research Grant from the Office of Special Education, U.S. Department of Education (Award # H023C90005).

 

Action Steps Peer Requirements

Lisa’s performance

Comm Obligations

Comm Opportunities

Comm Mode

           

After the fourth period ending bell rings, students move to the cafeteria

Students are just chatting with each other, gathering books, etc.

Lisa says nothing, and often does not realize it is time for her lunch(*Lisa may need to have a picture schedule on her lap tray to help follow the daily schedule)

Lisa needs to ask someone to take her to the cafeteria, and if the door is closed she will need to ask to have it openedLisa will need to ask to have her lunch ticket placed on her lap tray

Lisa can choose a specific person to take her and she can say THANKS for the assistance

Single message symbols on a picture communication boardPLEASE, PUSH ME, OPEN THE DOOR, TICKETTHANKS, NAMES OF STUDENT ASSISTANTS

Students move down the cafeteria line asking for the items from the cafeteria workers or just taking what is out on the shelf

Asking for foods, more of something, less of something, comments about food items

Lisa usually goes to the lunch table while the aide gets her lunch. This will change and she will go through the line as last of her group

Asking for lunch items and answering questions from the cafeteria workers

  Food choices on a small picture board that is updated with any changes in choices dailyYES, NO, MORE, NONE

Caleb’s Average Day

Activity Mode of

Interactions

Frequency Meaningful,

Motivating

Transition

Occurs

Sensory Activities

Cries sometimes

Everyday, sometimes twice

Some of the materials are liked

Therapist determines order within sensory time

Recess Vocalizes, does not interact with other children or adults

Everyday, sometimes there is an extra recess session

He likes recess and most of the playground equipment; Does not need physical assistance

Teacher announces clean up from sensory, and children are called to line up at door

Snack Likes to eat many foods; Does not need much assistance

Everyday Yes Snack begins when kids come in from playground or gym

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY ACTION PLANStudent Name: Date of Birth:School: Grade/Placement: Meeting Date: Meeting Participants: What devices and strategies will be integrated into the student’s routine?How will we measure the success of the intervention?

Device/Strategy Begin/End Date Assessment Procedure Person Responsible

Next Meeting Date: Location:

The Data Dilemma

“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be

counted counts.” ----Albert Einstein

Data Collection

What is data?-the recording of observable and measurable performance

What is data collection?-framing or defining a problem or question that needs to be addressed or answered and then structuring opportunities to try to answer that question

Resource: How Do You Know It, How Do You Show It? Making Assistive Technology Decisions. (2002) Reed, Bowser, Korsten; WATI

Data Variables

• Frequency or Speed– Does the student access the switch as quickly

when music is played as when it is not (purposeful activations?)

– Does a device with icon prediction allow a student to locate the next symbol faster

• Accuracy– Does the student appear satisfied with requests

made using a voice output device?

Data Variables

• Spontaneity or Initiations– Does the student initiate communications

in structured settings in targeted activities?

– Does the adult utilize a prompt hierarchy effectively to allow for student initiated communications?

Data Variables

• Duration– Does a student continue participation in a group

activity using his/her voice output device over a specific period of time?

• Latency– How long does it take for a student to make a

choice of preferred items in a choice-making situation?

Environmental Communication Teaching

Behavior Checklist

Student: Activity: Date: Adult: Position:

Inst Format: 1:1 Sm Grp Lg Grp Beginning Time: End Time: Observer: Adult Behavior Physical Arrangement Pause Open Question Partial P rompt Mand Full model Yes/No Question Descriptive feedback/ Reinforcement

Student Behavior Augmentative Vocal Gesture Initiation Response to Y/N -Questions

ABO DATA RECORD FORM 1. Write ABO Objectives on the record form. 2. Complete the form on one child with the same activity periodically. 3. Bring completed data records to each training to monitor progress.

Cue Codes: + = Independent FM = Full Model (verbal or physical) OP = Open Question Phy = Physical Prompt PP = Partial Prompt --.... = Objective/step omitted M = Mand OBJECTIVE DATE

Functions Date: Date: Date: Date: Date: Date: Date: Date: Date: Request Item (Mand)

Request Attention (Mand )

Request Social Contact (Mand )

Greeting (Intraverbal)

Refusal or Reject ion

Comment (Intraverba l)

Answer Yes -No Question (Tact or IV )

Uses Descriptor (T-FFC)

Ans Content Question (Tact)

Response to Statement (Intraverbal)

Note specific vocabulary items as necessary: nouns, verbs, adjectives, questio n words, pronouns, prepositions, category labels, etc.

Progress Card