Practice and Feedback
Exercise: Complete the SummaryLearning Objective
Assemble the information collected using the Screener and compile it concisely and objectively in the Summary.
Context
Mrs. Melanson, Bianca’s resource teacher, must compile the information gathered from the interviews and the Questionnaire:
- Interview with Ariane, Bianca’s mother
- Questionnaire from Mr. Lee, Bianca’s homeroom teacher
- Interview with Bianca
Instructions
Complete the following Summary with the information gathered by Bianca’s team.
Then, click below to compare your response to a sample answer.
Summary
Exercise: Select the Domain
Learning Objective
Answer the six recommended questions to guide the selection of the highest-priority domain.
Context
Bianca’s collaborative team meets to discuss results. Mrs. Melanson, Bianca’s resource teacher, presents the Summary to the team. She begins the discussion with the issue of Bianca’s safety. The parents and school staff do not seem to share her concerns about this, but certain information gathered during the assessment raised some concerns for Mrs. Melanson. During the interview, Ariane mentioned that Bianca was not always aware of danger and would like to be friends with everyone. She also said that Bianca visits websites regularly with supervision. Bianca herself said that she really liked to look at photos on the Internet. Bianca clearly shows an interest in these activities, which will become increasingly frequent as she gets older. Mrs. Melanson therefore suggests that the team consider the skills related to Internet safety as priorities.
Bianca sees a speech language pathologist once a week at school to help with her expressive language skills, and the team thinks that Bianca is successfully communicating her wants and needs. However, receptive language skills remain a challenge, and these deficiencies are very detrimental to Bianca’s independence. Mr. Lee, Bianca’s homeroom teacher, explains that he is not always sure whether Bianca has not heard the instruction, has not understood it, or has chosen not to obey it. The whole team agrees that Receptive Language is a priority and that these skills could greatly improve Bianca’s daily life. Mr. Lee is prepared to implement a future intervention in the classroom if the team chooses to do so.
Mrs. Melanson asks Bianca’s parents whether Daily Living Skills are still a priority for them. They confirm this and add that they really need help with the bedtime routine at home. Mrs. Melanson asks them if they think that Bianca’s problems following instructions affect her ability to effectively follow the steps of the bedtime routine. The parents think so. They explain that Bianca is able to carry out most of the steps in the routine independently but that often she objects or takes a lot of time to complete them. Mr. Lee states that, to his knowledge, Bianca does not have challenges related to personal hygiene at school.
Mrs. Melanson reminds the parents that they would be responsible for implementing future interventions in association with the bedtime routine, but that the school team could support them, depending on the intervention chosen. The parents are prepared to work with the team and understand the situation well.
Lastly, the team discussed the fact that Bianca would eventually like to be able to go to the shopping mall with her friends on her own. Since it is a wish strongly tied to her preferences, the team decides that even if the skills related to this objective are not a priority for the moment, they will be explored further during the school year.
Instructions
Consider the information provided in this scenario and use this worksheet to answer questions that will enable you to choose a domain to prioritize.
Then, check your answers by clicking each statement below.
1. Are there any concerns about the learner’s safety?
The team discusses Internet safety since Bianca really likes visiting websites and looking at photos.
2. Does the learner have a way to communicate wants and needs?
The team agrees that Bianca is able to communicate her wants and needs.
3. Is there a lack of prerequisite skills that disrupt learning? (Take behavioural cusps into account.)
Receptive language-related skills such as following instructions could be prerequisites for other skills such as performing the steps needed for the daily routine at school and the bedtime routine at home. Receptive language could be a behavioural cusp.
4. Does the learner need help with basic personal care (e.g., feeding, toileting or dressing)?
- At home: hygiene and grooming, bathing and sleeping
- At school, Bianca has no problem with her personal care.
5. What are the learner’s life and career goals?
The team discussed a goal mentioned by Bianca during the interview, namely, her wish to be able to go to the mall with her friends on her own.
6. What resources and educational opportunities are available in the current environment?
The parents are aware that they will be responsible for implementing the interventions related to the bedtime routine, but that the school team can offer them some support. Mr. Lee is also prepared to implement a future intervention to develop receptive language skills.
What decision would you make about the domain to prioritize? How would you justify this decision?
Decision and Justification
Following the discussion, Mrs. Melanson suggests the following scenario to the team:
Note: It is recommended that a single domain be targeted for a more in-depth assessment so as not to lengthen the assessment process. However, you can always use your professional judgment and adjust your decisions according to circumstances. In this example, the team isolated certain subdomains to be assessed (Internet Safety, Hygiene and Grooming, Bathing and Sleeping), which will shorten the assessment. It is not always necessary to assess a domain in full if the priority skills are specifically in one or a few subdomains. Similarly, it is possible to assess the skills in several domains if the priorities differ from one setting to another (e.g., Bianca’s parents are very concerned about the bedtime routine, whereas the school team is more concerned about her Receptive Language Skills).
- Assess the Internet Safety section of the Community Skills domain because deficient skills constitute a risk to Bianca’s safety.
- Assess the Language and Communication domain in greater depth, specifically the subdomain Receptive Language Skills, since it is possible that receptive language deficiencies explain other challenges encountered by Bianca and her family.
- Assess the Hygiene and Grooming Skills, Bathing Skills, and Sleeping Habits sections of the Daily Living Skills domain in order to confirm that Bianca is effectively mastering these skills. The questionnaire will be sent to the parents only, because these domains concern mainly the family environment.
- Later in the school year, the team will be able to concentrate on skills that would enable Bianca to eventually go to the mall with her friends on her own.
Note: It is recommended that a single domain be targeted for a more in-depth assessment so as not to lengthen the assessment process. However, you can always use your professional judgment and adjust your decisions according to circumstances. In this example, the team isolated certain subdomains to be assessed (Internet Safety, Hygiene and Grooming, Bathing and Sleeping), which will shorten the assessment. It is not always necessary to assess a domain in full if the priority skills are specifically in one or a few subdomains. Similarly, it is possible to assess the skills in several domains if the priorities differ from one setting to another (e.g., Bianca’s parents are very concerned about the bedtime routine, whereas the school team is more concerned about her Receptive Language Skills).
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