Pittsburgh AAC Language Seminar Series:
Ongoing Assessment that Guides Intervention and Develops Communicative Competence
PALSS Standard Content
Bruce Baker, AM, LHD, (Hons. caus.)
Debbie Witkowski, MA, CCC-SLP
Tracy Kovach, PhD, CCC-SLP
Russell Cross, BSc (Hons.), DipCST, MRCSLT
Each PALSS event regularly includes presentations of Bruce Baker’s work and presentations by Debbie Witkowski, Russell Cross, and Tracy Kovach. The seminar includes theoretical and practical information regarding vocabulary selection, language development and building competence for individuals who use AAC. In addition, the importance of building motor automaticity when using AAC systems will be discussed. Participants will also have the opportunity for hands-on practice with the UNITY® language system.
Guest Presenter Topic:
Ongoing Assessment that Guides Intervention and Develops Communicative Competence
Tracy Kovach, PhD, CCC-SLP
Determining levels of communicative competence through ongoing AAC assessment is essential to providing guidance in developing interventions strategies, and achieving meaningful and measurable outcomes that increase communicative competence rather than arbitrary goal attainment for individuals using AAC. Using a process of ongoing AAC assessment enables development of individual AAC performance profiles, more comprehensive and evidence-based treatment plans, and effective AAC team management when varying levels of knowledge about AAC may otherwise impede the focus of an individual’s AAC program.
This presentation will focus on the topic of ongoing assessment that can guide intervention planning. It will review definitions of communicative competence (Light ’89, ‘14) and how these can be initially assessed, guide intervention planning and measure progress for individuals who use AAC. Case examples are used to demonstrate assessment, intervention planning, and progress measurement that maximize outcomes toward language development and communicative competence.