what is an evaluation
the initial process of establishing eligibility for services
what does IDEA say about evaluation for children under 6 years old?
it is not necessary to assign a diagnosis or label
-just establish the child does have a developmental delay sufficient enough to qualify for special education services
what does IDEA say about evaluation for children over age 6?
-they must meet certain criteria for a disability as defined by IDEA in order to receive special education through public schools
how does IDEA define assessment?
name potential team members
What are westby’s 4 basic reasons for assessing language performance in a child?
1) screening
2) establishing baseline function
3) establishing goals for intervention
4) measuring change in intervention
what is a screening?
- taps a broad range of language and communication functions efficiently
what is an important piece to factor into the evaluation of screening?
-if a child appears to have a language problem is it a linguistic DIFFERENCE or DISORDER?
what do we use to establish a child’s baseline functioning?
examine:
why may it be important to collect multiple samples for a baseline function?
how do we establish goals for intervention?
what must we consider when measuring change in intervention?
what are 3 questions posed by Nelson to use when determining if a client is ready to be discharged from therapy?
how do we assess comprehension?
how do we assess production?
a direct look at how children express themselves with language
how do we assess oral motor functioning?
by looking at the integrity of the structure of the oral motor mechanism
what do natural responses include?
what are contrived responses?
what is elicited imitation
“say what I say”
what is a structural analysis?
- identify what structures, forms, and functions the child uses to communicate and what contexts influence their use
what is elicited production?
patterned elicitations “you eat with a fork, you dig with a shovel, you write with a _____”
what is a dynamic assessment?
manipulates context in order to support the child’s performance so that an optimal level of acheivement can be identified
what does the outcome of a dynamic assessment tell us?
how the child approaches a task, the degree to which behavior can be modified, intervention styles and methods that can help
what is a severity statement?
- needed to determine priorities for intervention and to evaluate effectiveness of intervention