Assessment 101

Types

Sequence of Communicative Assessment

• 1. Screening and referral• 2. Designing assessment protocol• 3. Administering that protocol• 4. Interpreting assessment findings• 5. Developing an intervention plan• 6. Monitoring progress and outcome

Purposes of Assessment

• Preventive ( screenings) (catch a problem)• Determine whether there is a problem or not• Differiential Dx• Baseline data – current level of f(x)• Intervention goals• Tracking Documenting progress

Purposes of Assessment

• Screening – collection of data to decide whether there is a liklihood that an individual does or does not have a problem that will require more in-depth assessment. (pass/fail)

• Can give a full assessment on one area of speech-language and quickly screen other areas – ex. PLS-4

Examples of Screenings• Adolescent Language

Screening Test (ALST)• Bedside Eval Screening

Test• Boone Voice Program for

Children• Brief Test of Head Injury• Clinical Eval of Language

Fundamentals – Screen• Fluharty Preschool • Quick Screen of

phonology

• Pragmatics, rec & exp language, vocab..etc

• Aphasia

• Voice• Cognitive, linguistic,

comm abilities• Rec & exp morphology,

syntax, phonology• Lang – vocab, artic• Articulation, phonological

processes

Differential Dx

• Next– Determine if there is a disorder or difference– Differentiate between type of disorder

Eligibility for Services

• Do they qualify?• Prove they qualify – recent example• Assessment results must demonstrate need

Baseline

So they qualify for services…now what?

Baseline – individual current functioning – both qualitative and quantitative data involvedWhat client CAN and Cannot do

Intervention Targets/Goals

• Developmental appropriateness• Targets that have the greatest impact on

communication• Client & family priorities• Stimulability • How can client’s strengths be used to

facilitate/compensate in communication

Tracking and Documenting Progress

• Progress on goals• Effectiveness of tx• Ongoing assessment necessary to note needs in

adjustment of current goals or tx• Dismissal possibilities• Sometimes very difficult but personally and

legally important• In Audiology – tracking hearing levels is an

essential part of ensuring someone gets the most benefit from their aids

Types of Assessment

Norm-referencedNorm-referenced Performance compared to Performance compared to ‘norm’ – may be required to ‘norm’ – may be required to establish eligibilityestablish eligibility

Criterion-referencedCriterion-referenced Performance compared to Performance compared to set ‘criterion’; a person’s skill set ‘criterion’; a person’s skill in a particular areain a particular area

Performance-basedPerformance-based Describes skills/abilities Describes skills/abilities within context of use – varied within context of use – varied demands demands

Dynamic instrumentsDynamic instruments i.d. how much and what i.d. how much and what types of support are needed types of support are needed for individual improvementfor individual improvement

Norm Referenced

• Standardization – particular rules in giving test – scripted

• Normative sample • Standard Scores – how scores fall

against ‘normal’ peers– Mean = 100– Standard deviation = apprx 15 pts– Percentile rank– Age-equivalent – read with care

Examples of Norm-referenced

• Arizona Battery for Comm Disorders of Dementia• Boston Dx Aphasia Examination• Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundatmentals• Communication Activities of Daily Living• Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language• PPVT• MacArthur communicative Development

Inventories• GFTA

Criterion-referenced• Individual levels of acheivement or

skill meet certain criterion• Hearing assessment

• Three qualities:– Clear standards of performance– Reliable tasks that relate to the standard

(measuring what it’s supposed to)– Clear guidelines for interpretation of

assessment and determining whether the individual has achieved the standard.

Criterion Referenced examples

• Apraxia Battery for Adults• Assessment of Phonological Processes• Burns Brief Inventory of Communicatiion and

Cognition• Contextual Test of Articulation• Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment• Minnesota Test of Differential Dx• Multilevel Informal Language Inventory• Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale

Performance-Based

• Performance in ‘authentic’ contexts such as home/work

• Variety of real contexts• Good for tx design• Artifact/portfolio

analysis

Dynamic Assessment

• Analyzes how much and what type of support are needed to bring an individuals communicative performance to higher levels.

• Learning potential/stimulability