Assessment of Academic and PrevocationalTransitional Skills

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Assessment of Academic and Prevocational/Transitio
nal Skills for Individuals with Autism and
Developmental Disabilities
Dr. Jane Doelling
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Issues 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.

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Issues 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.

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Common 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)

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Common 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)

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What 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.

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Why 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.

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Impact 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.

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Impact 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.

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Impact on Students w/ Autism

• Sight Word Recognition
• Phonemic Analysis
• Structural Analysis
• Watch for peek skills, compare concrete to
  abstract.

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Example 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

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Functional 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.

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Why 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

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Math 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.

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Math Assessment

• Informal Assessments
• Error Analysis
• Summary Sheet for Basic Mathematics
• Structured Clinical Probes
• Clinical Interviews
• Analysis of Instructional Environment
• Functional Life Skills/Ecological Assessment

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Common 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

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Functional Math Skills

• Matching discrimination
• 1-1 correspondence
• Rote counting basic calculation
• Money time
• Measurement concepts (distance, cooking, weather,
  job related)

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Best 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.

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Best 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.

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Best 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.

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Academic Assessment

• Severe Disabilities

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A 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

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Assessment 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

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DASH-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

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Additional Tools

• See also
• Brigance Inventories
• Developmental Assessments
• Transition and Functional Assessments

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Transition Assessment

• Best Practices
• Informal Norm Referenced Tools

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Best 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).

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Best 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).

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Best 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).

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Best Practices Transition

• Ecological Assessment Across Life Domains
• Functional Behavioral Assessment
• Transition Specific Inventories (Norm Referenced
  CRTs match to cognitive, academic and sensory
  skills)

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Outcomes 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.

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Outcomes Transition Assessment

• Career Planning
• Independent Living and Community Participation
• Postsecondary Education and Training
• Data to Support Diagnosis

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Transition/Functional Academic Assessments

• Norm Referenced and CRTs

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Transition 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

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Reading 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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Wide 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

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Functional 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.

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Functional 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.