Assessment and Intervention for CCN

Question 1

Phases of AAC assessment

Answer 1

1. Referral
2. Initial assessment
3. Detailed assessment
4. Follow up assessment
   Ongoing and longterm intervention needed due to chronic nature of disabilities.

Question 2

Assessment - consider:

Answer 2

Communication, interaction, physical, cognitive, language, sensory.

Question 3

Models of Intervention

Answer 3

Therapist centred, parent as therapist aide, family centred and family friendly.

Question 4

Therapist centred model - evidence

Answer 4

Some research has shown some parents prefer professional to take lead in intervention planning.

Question 5

Family centred is:

Answer 5

Focusing on supporting and strengthening the whole family.

Question 6

Features of family centred model:

Answer 6

• Family is client
• Parents choose level of involvement
• Empowering families.

Question 7

Prelinguistic skills

Answer 7

Foundational skills developing before language. Often pragmatic and social interaction skills like eye contact, body orientation, crying and other vocalisations, turn taking and facial expressions.

Question 8

Assessment process

Answer 8

1. Gather Participation inventory and compare to peers.
2. Identify barriers and facilitators.
3. Gather MDT info about peers - e.g motor skills, sensory needs.
4. Assess communication across contexts and partners.

Question 9

Nonsymbolic communication

Answer 9

Communication through gestures and vocalisations, which are often unintentional. Over time, person may produce these with intent.

Question 10

Preintentional communicators

Answer 10

• Very low language comprehension
• No formal means of communicating
• Uses behaviour, body movements and vocalisations to express basic things like discomfort, fatigue, pain etc.

Question 11

Communicating with Preintentional Individuals

Answer 11

• Read and interpret their body movements, behaviours and vocalisations.
• Engage at sensory level

Question 12

Joint Attention

Answer 12

Basic requirement in social interaction - both partners share attention to same topic. Consider a prelinguistic skill, developed early and can be precursor to other social skills such as turntaking.

Question 13

Strategies for joint attention

Answer 13

• Face to face interactions to encourage eye contact
• Follow child’s lead and comment on their interest
• Mark an object (use nonverbal cues to draw attention to object).