Lecture Notes

Module 4, Session 3

“Goldilocks” Principle of Assessment

1. Not too hard
2. Not too easy
3. Just right

Assessment Strategies for Student with Emotional Disturbance

1. Three key factors
   1. Establishing and maintaining an appropriate instructional environment including Individualized Positive Behavioral Interventions.
      1. Analyze the communicative function of the problem behavior.
      2. Teach replacement behavior, using reinforcement to augment the natural reinforcement that maintains the problem behavior.
   2. Selecting appropriate academic tasks the student can focus on.
      1. Establishing learner’s entry skills
      2. Determining prerequisite skills needed for instruction
      3. Instructing at appropriate level
      4. Using learning style strengths in instruction
      5. Sensitivity to features of learning materials the student might find upsetting (subject matter, pictures, text display, text density)
      6. Choose materials motivating and interesting for the students
   3. A contingency plan for “parallel” learning activities.
      1. Reserved for times of stress.
      2. Easy access is important.
      3. Tasks must be motivating and at student’s independent performance level or below; will have a soothing effect.
      4. Keep a record of when this option is used to avoid reinforcing avoidance behaviors.
2. Picture Exchange Communication System—designed for students with autism but may be a useful tool when a more concrete and less confrontational system of communicating is needed.
3. Social Skills instruction
   1. Commercially available—don’t require counseling skills
   2. World of work social skills curriculum
   3. Structured classroom meeting an important component

Assessment Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities

1. Basic Principles
   1. Teach to learning strengths
   2. Remediate processing deficits
   3. Provide adequate instructional time for skills practice
   4. Provide instruction
      1. Explicit (makes few assumptions about preexisting skills),
      2. Intensive (more teacher-student instructional interactions or reinforced learning trials, increased duration and/or frequency, decreased teacher-student ratio),
      3. Supportive
         1. emotional support before the task.
         2. scaffolded support, leading the student through near error-free learning and reducing support as the student becomes increasingly proficient.
      4. Advantages of error-free learning
         1. more time performing the target behavior
         2. reduced correction time
         3. enhanced student motivation

2. Communication Disorders and Oral Language Development
   1. Receptive language delays
   2. Expressive language delays
   3. Assessment complicated by second language acquisition
   4. Relationships
      1. delays in written language and expressive language
      2. reading comprehension, content knowledge acquisition, and receptive language delays
      3. delays in oral language and social skill problems
   5. Interventions
      1. structured programs (ask speech/language clinician)
      2. pacing and timing—more time will help
      3. visual imagery, cues, prompts, and symbols matched to words

3. What is pragmatics, and what does it have to do with assessment?
   1. All behavior has message value.
   2. Speech pathologists note connection of reduced behavior problems as communication skills increase—teaching communication skills can replace problem behavior
   3. Research assertion: If all behavior is a form of communication, then problem behavior must be an important part of a person’s communicative repertoire.
   4. Interventions: Replace problem behavior with neutral or acceptable behavior that has the same communicative function as problem behavior.
   5. How to assess communicative function of problem behavior
      1. Functional Analysis: Motivational Assessment Scale
      2. Positive Behavior Intervention Plans-Legal Mandates

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