Title: Assessment of Academic and PrevocationalTransitional Skills
1Assessment of Academic and Prevocational/Transitio
nal Skills for Individuals with Autism and
Developmental Disabilities
Dr. Jane Doelling
2Issues with Assessment
- Skills are varied across the spectrum.
- Peak skills have to be considered in context
(eg., hyperlexia w/word call vs. comprehension,
atypical calculation skills). - Cognitive variations and attention impact
decisions specific to tests and procedures.
3Issues w/Assessmet
- Sensory and motor as well as attention deficits
must be considered in selection of tests and
procedures. - Tests do not always include norms with specific
disabilities including autism. - Response formats and testing stimuli impact
performance.
4Common Norm Referenced Achievement Tests
(Mild/Moderate Disabilities)
- Peabody Individual Achievement Test Revised/
Normative Update- PIAT R/NU - Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - 3
- Woodcock - Johnson Psychoeducational Battery -
Tests of Achievement III - Kaufman Test of Achievement/Normative Update
- Diagnostic Achievement Battery - 3 (DAB-3)
5Common Commercial CRTs - Global Academic Skills
- Criterion Reference Tests (CRT)
- Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills
(K-9, GREEN) - Brigance Inventory of Basic Skills (K-6, BLUE)
- Brigance Inventory of Essential Skills
(Adolescent, RED) - Brigance Inventory of Early Development (Birth to
7, YELLOW)
6What are the academic assessment questions that
need to be answered?
- Instructional levels in reading and math.
- Specific skill abilities sight words, phonics,
vocabulary, comprehension. - Specific skill abilities math operations and
problem solving. - Written expression skills production, mechanics,
ideation, fluency. - Peak skills and/or discrepancies across domains
and/or areas of achievement. - Functional/life skills.
7Why Assess in Reading?
- Instructional planning, diagnosis, determination
of specific strengths and weaknesses - Instructional, frustration and independent levels
- Analysis of oral reading errors (Miscues)
- Word recognition (Phonemic and structural
analysis, sight word recognition , word meaning) - Specific vocabulary and comprehension skills.
8Impact on Individuals w/Autism
- Metacognitive/Cognitive Analysis - What cognitive
and metacognitive skills are demonstrated self
questioning, summarizing, sequencing, predicting,
confirming, generalizing, categorizing, skimming,
scanning, developing questions specific to text? - Vocabulary Analysis Content area vocabulary
receptive and expressive nouns, adjectives,
verbs, adverbs etc.
9Impact on Individuals w/Autism
- Study Skill Analysis Reference skills and use
of reference resources, exam preparation, reading
comprehension strategies (SQ3R, mapping etc.).
Planning and organizational skills. Comprehension
of content area material.
10Impact on Students w/ Autism
- Sight Word Recognition
- Phonemic Analysis
- Structural Analysis
- Watch for peek skills, compare concrete to
abstract.
11Example Word Recognition
- Global Area
- Sight words
- Subskills
- Primary Color Words
- Graded Dolch Lists
- Basal Reader Lists
- Environmental signs
-
- Formal Tests
- PIAT-R, WIAT-II, Gray Oral Reading,
- Woodcock Reading Mastery
- Informal Tests
- Informal Reading Inventory (IRI or BRI), Graded
Lists Dolch Sight Word List, District Basal
Reader, Brigance
12Functional Reading Skills
- Visual Discrimination and matching
- Color Words
- Sight Words (Graded Dolch Lists)
- Early Literature (Basal Reader Lists)
- Environmental signs/Service
- Cooking Menus
- Medicine
- Street signs, address
- Safety and function of highest priority for
assessment. The basis of effective reading is
comprehension.
13Why Assess in Math?
- Instructional planning, diagnosis, determination
of specific strengths and weaknesses - Content- Facts, knowledge of number system and
math operations concepts, numeration, fractions,
algebra, geometry - Operation- Counting, computation and math
reasoning
14Math Assessment
- Applications- Applying math skills, measurement,
problem solving, reading graphs and tables, money
budgeting , time assessment should also include
analysis of problem solving strategies, types of
errors, attitude toward math, readiness, and
functional skills.
15Math Assessment
- Informal Assessments
- Error Analysis
- Summary Sheet for Basic Mathematics
- Structured Clinical Probes
- Clinical Interviews
- Analysis of Instructional Environment
- Functional Life Skills/Ecological Assessment
16Common Norm Referenced Tests in Math
- Test of Mathematical Abilities - 2 (TOMA-2)
- Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test (SDMT-4)
- KeyMath -3
- Comprehensive Test of Mathematical Ability (CMAT)
- Diagnostic Test of Arithmetic Strategies
17Functional Math Skills
- Matching discrimination
- 1-1 correspondence
- Rote counting basic calculation
- Money time
- Measurement concepts (distance, cooking, weather,
job related)
18Best Practices
- Consider sensory and cognitive match from
screening prior to test selection. - Consider response modes and presentation of test
stimuli. - Examine the match between skills measured by the
test and skills presented in the students
curriculum and implement instructions
accordingly.
19Best Practices
- Develop table of specifications or GLEs for
academic curriculum and compare table to test. - Avoid making diagnostic decision on the basis of
standardized, norm referenced testing alone.
Document results through CBAs and multiple data
sources to support reliability.
20Best Practices
- Determine appropriate instructional level for
oral reading accuracy, oral comprehension,
listening comprehension through administration of
an Informal Reading Inventory/Basic Reading
Inventor and ongoing CBAs across subjects. These
data sources support analysis of discrepancies,
peak skills, error analysis w/focus on word
recognition, fluency, and comprehension. Compare
to norm referenced data or CRT.
21Academic Assessment
22A Curriculum for Profoundly Handicapped Students
Broward County Model
- Pinpoints skills deficits detailed directions
tell how to make and measure progress in the
following basic areas gross motor skills, fine
motor skills, cognition skills, receptive
communication skills, expressive communication
skills, and social/affective skills. Curriculum
and CRT - http//www.proedinc.com/customer/
ProductView.aspx?ID633sSearchWord -
23Assessment for Persons Profoundly or Severely
Impaired
- The APPSI is administered in 30 to 60 minutes.
Preferences for visual, auditory, and tactile
stimuli on the receptive side, and also for
social interaction and methods of communicative
output. Aids in defining individuals preferred
methods of communication. Not normed, but piloted
in 3 states with 32 individuals (ages 2 through
24) who have severe and profound. the test range
from .76 to .92, indicating reliability. - //www.proedinc.com/custo
mer/productView.aspx?ID1414
24DASH-A Developmental Assessment for Students with
Severe Disabilities - 2
- Birth to 6-11 developmentally. Five Pinpoint
Scales, language, sensory-motor skills,
activities of daily living, basic academic
skills, and social-emotional skills. Sensitive to
small changes in skill performance. Identifies
skills as task resistive, needing full
assistance, needing partial assistance, needing
minimal assistance, or an independent
performance. - http//www.proedinc.com/customer/Pro
ductView.aspx?ID1597sSearchWord
25Additional Tools
- See also
- Brigance Inventories
- Developmental Assessments
- Transition and Functional Assessments
26Transition Assessment
- Best Practices
- Informal Norm Referenced Tools
27Best Practices
- For individuals with ASD transition assessment
takes places from early childhood through adult
years. - Guidubadli, Perry, and Walker (1989) transition
from school to work should result in part through
the utilization of vocational assessments with an
emphasis on ecological validity. IDEA requires
that IEPs must be based on assessment that
includes analysis of the instructional
environments and life referenced goals (Johnson,
Stodden, Emanuel, Luecking, Mack, 2000
McLoughlin Lewis, 2005).
28Best Practices Transition
- When considering transition planning, Pierangelo
and Giuliani (2004) identified four critical
domain areas employment, postsecondary education
(including vocational training), living options,
and community participation (including
recreation/leisure skills, interpersonal, and
personal skills).
29Best Practices Transition
- The transition plan format recommended by Wehman
(2002) includes three main areas 1) career and
economic self-sufficiency (with employment,
vocational education, postsecondary education,
and finances/income goals), 2) community
integration and participation (with independent
living, transportation, social relationships, and
recreation/leisure goals), and 3) personal
competence (with health/safety and self-advocacy
and future planning goals).
30Best Practices Transition
- Ecological Assessment Across Life Domains
- Functional Behavioral Assessment
- Transition Specific Inventories (Norm Referenced
CRTs match to cognitive, academic and sensory
skills)
31Outcomes Needed in Transition Assessment
- vocational preferences and potential
- community skills and experiences
- functional academics
- interpersonal skills and challenging behaviors
- leisure/recreation skills and preferences
- communication skills
- assistive technology needs and
- supports across home, school, and community
environments to ensure self sufficiency.
32Outcomes Transition Assessment
- Career Planning
- Independent Living and Community Participation
- Postsecondary Education and Training
- Data to Support Diagnosis
33Transition/Functional Academic Assessments
34Transition Planning Inventory (TPI)
- Provides school personnel a systematic way to
address transition planning areas that are
mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 and that takes into
account the individual student's needs,
preferences, interests, and strengths.
Information on transition needs is gathered from
the student, parents or guardians, and school
personnel through the use of three separate
forms student, home school (CRT). -
- http//www.proedinc.com/customer/ProductView.aspx?
ID875sSearchWord
35Reading Free Vocational Interest Inventory -2
(R-FVII)
- Ages 13 years through Adult. Testing Time 20
minutes. Uses pictures of individuals engaged in
different occupations to measure the vocational
likes and dislikes of students and adults who are
mentally retarded, learning disabled, adult
disadvantaged, or enrolled in alternative or
vocational/career training programs. No reading
or writing is required. - http//www.proedinc.com/customer/
-
productview.aspx?ID3052 -
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36Wide Range Interest and Occupation Test
- The WRIOT2 consists of 238 full-color pictures.
Individuals decide whether they like, dislike, or
are undecided about each job depicted. The WRIOT2
does not require reading or language
understanding. The picture presentation reduces
the confusion of mental images and multiple
meanings that words evoke. Can be computer
administered. There are 17 Occupational, 16
Interest, and 6 Holland Type Scales. - www.proedinc.com/Customer/ProductsLists
.aspx?SearchWord - Wide20Range20Interest
37Functional Independence Skills Handbook, or FISH
http//www.proedinc.com/customer/ProductView.aspx?
ID1392sSearchWordFISH
- Assessment Curriculum for Individuals with
Developmental Disabilities used for determining
functional activities from daily life. Contains
an assessment that can assist the professional in
determining goals for educational or
developmental training programs for a person with
developmental disabilities and sample lessons for
each item evaluated. CRT of 421 tasks. 7 domains
Adaptive, Affective, Cognitive Skills,
Sensorimotor, Social Skills, Speech and Language
Skills, and Vocational Skills.
38Functional Assessment and Curriculum for Teaching
Everyday Routines Elementary Secondary
- The FACTER is used to assess and teach
individuals with moderate to severe developmental
disabilities. Evaluates ability to perform
everyday "routines" while incorporating essential
"related skills" for living. For example, eating
lunch, academic seatwork, socializing with
friends, and going shopping are all naturally
occurring daily routines. Routines task analyzed
into a core steps for assessment and
instructional purposes.