OCTOBER 1, 2009 VCU WEBCAST Services Provided By: Caption First, Inc. >> KATHERINE WITTIG: My name is Kathy Wittig, and I'm a program specialist with the Department of Education's Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. Today Kelly and I will discuss the age appropriate transition assessment process. After this Webcast we hope that you will apply these concepts to the age appropriate transition assessment process. We are going to use a metaphor of a car during this presentation. The student drives the process. Communication is the engine which keeps the car going. The preferences, needs, interests and strengths function as the wheels on that car. All are integral parts of the transition assessment process and this graphic demonstrates the transition process. The first step in that process is to start with age appropriate transition assessments. There are federal mandates for us to provide age appropriate transition assessments. States must measure whether or not schools are providing the transition process, and breaks everything down into component parts. Indicator 13 measures whether age appropriate transition assessments have been provided students. People actually go into files and review IEPs to see whether or not age appropriate transition assessments were used to measure and drive the post-secondary goals for students. Now in the Commonwealth of Virginia, we start the transition process at age 14. However, the indicators do measure at age 16. There must be a coordinated set of activities. All of the pieces and parts of the transition IEP must relate to one another. So, what do you do? Questions to ask yourselves are have you recently administered the Virginia alternate assessment program? Are there pieces and parts that contain data? Did you know that you can use those data as part of a transition assessment? That provides the map as the student is driving that car. This age appropriate transition assessment process will drive all the goals on the student's transition IEPs. So if you are working with a student that is new to you, follow these guidelines first. There may be some supporting information in the student's current transition IEP. Sometimes assessments have been provided, and they are located in the student's folder. Or you may find that you need to administer some more age appropriate transition assessments. And as we know, students change over time. There are many people with whom you work and the students work, that have valuable input to share. Start with the student, because you can't move forward without their input. The student is in the driver's seat. Now I will introduce my colleague Kelly Ligon, who will discuss the communication process for students with intellectual disabilities. >> KELLY LIGON: Thank you, Kathy. Now we are going to talk about communication for students with intellectual disabilities. Many students express themselves using some form of alternate or augmentative communication. It might be sign language, or gestures, or picture symbols, or gestures or eye gaze, and it's up to us to identify the student's most effective form of communication and to assist them using this form to identify their strengths, preferences, interests, and needs. These are the four major elements of communication. When you think about the concepts of communication, the sender is relaying the message. The receiver is the person receiving the message. The form of communication is the behavior that is being used to communicate, and the function is the purpose, why communication is happening. The sender and receiver are really the most important pieces and essential pieces to communication. Without a sender and without a receiver, communication just can't happen. The form of communication, is how we communicate. What skills do you use to share your thoughts and ideas with others? Think about your students. What form do they use? What does that form look like? Sometimes the form may be appropriate. Sometimes the form of communication may not. It might involve behaviors that are not appropriate because we really haven't done a good job of truly trying to listen to our students. So it's important to think about how we can teach our students to have a better form of communication, so that their preferences and strengths can really be understood, and what their needs and strengths are as well. Many of the challenges for students with intellectual disabilities are related to communication, because they really sometimes don't have competent partners, they don't have peers that have strong communication skills. We can assist them by giving them lots of opportunities to interact with others whom they can model from. Many of our students' communication styles aren't understood by unfamiliar listeners. Oftentimes, parents or people that work with them closely understand what they are trying to say, but if you have an unfamiliar person, their communication form isn't always clearly understood. So, it's important that we try to identify and try to help our students to develop a form of communication that can be understood by many people. Another factor is, many of our students might have struggles with communication due to limited life experiences. If you don't have a lot of different experiences, you don't have a lot to talk about. So oftentimes, we think, oh, well, our students aren't talking, but maybe we are not asking the right questions. Maybe they haven't had a lot of experiences to really share. We need to offer those opportunities. And also, as educators we can offer some ways to overcome these challenges. And this is important as we are thinking about transition assessments. These are some ways in which we can assist our students. We can encourage interactions with peer role models. Through these experiences a student's strengths, preferences, interests and needs can be discovered. Some students with intellectual disabilities have really particularly really unique ways to communicate, and it's one way to understand the student better is to develop a communication dictionary. And this is a form, very simple checklist, or not a checklist really, it's really a form in which to document what the students' behavior looks like, what it could possibly mean and how we should respond. This helps the student to have some consistency in their behavior, and it helps to label what they are saying, but how they are reacting, what message they are sending, and so that that student can continue to use that form, and that their communication is really respected by others. This communication dictionary can be, become part of the transition portfolio. This information is really essential for many students that have very limited communication styles. It is something that can be added to over the course of the student's year in school, as well as beyond, and something that can be shared as the student transitions from grade level to grade level, school to school. So I think the communication dictionary is an important tool to consider. As we think about communication, it begins typically, typically developing people have a pre-symbolic form of communication developed into a more symbolic form of communication. Keep in mind that students can use non- symbolic communications to get their basic communication functions met, making choices, requesting things, getting attention, and rejecting. And if you think about young children, they are very good about telling us what they want and what they don't want, just by simply the behaviors that they are showing us. Those are considered pre-symbolic communication. For example, if you think about pre-symbolic communication, if you are thinking about a, on a work site, a student has finally finished his work at the food bank, and then suddenly someone brings a whole other bin of food for them to sort. Well, the student thought he was finished with his work. What kind of pre-symbolic response might you get? What would you do if you were in that situation? So really we all use pre-symbolic communication at times as well. It is not just for young children. The ways in which we can facilitate learning, if the student is using a pre-symbolic form of communication, think about how you can provide a routine. Often routines that we have in our life really help us to predict what is going to happen next. If you think about it, if we didn't have the routines that we can count on, life might seem really random and out of our control. So providing some sort of routine for students who have pre-symbolic communication helps them to have control over their lives. And a communication dictionary can help at this stage because it helps us to identify when the student behaves in this way, this is what it means, and as adult, this is the response I can give. As always, when we are communicating, we need to allow for wait time. Oftentimes, we don't give students enough time to respond, and we just continue on with the routine, and don't allow the student to have some control. So this is really important to allow the wait time. The second form of communication is symbolic communication. Many of the adaptations for students with intellectual disabilities includes some sort of symbolic representation whether we use pictures with words for describing directions on a job task or sign language when greeting others. We seem to be most comfortable with this form. However, we need to consider what the student's level of understanding is to make sure that that student understands the symbolic form of communication that you are using with him. If he does not understand pictures, you may have to use objects. You may have to use photographs. So it's important to be in tune to what level the student has, in terms of the symbolic symbols you are using. Never assume that the student understands. You must consider the context in which you are communicating with the student, and the motivation for the student, motivation is key. If the student isn't motivated to do a task or what you are asking of him, then you may run into some difficulty with communication. We have to make sure that the students has their communication tools with them at all times and that they have access to the vocabulary that is appropriate for that certain situation. If they don't have the symbols that represent what's happening in that certain work environment, then that student can't communicate and share what their needs are. So it's important that the student has their communication tools with them, and that the words and the access to the symbols are appropriate for that environment. So that is a way that we can assist our students. Understanding the student's form alone is only one piece of communication. Understanding why the student is communicating helps all of us to be understood more easily. The function of communication is the why. Why are we communicating? What are some reasons that we communicate? We communicate to express our wants and our needs, to make choices, to get attention, to get out of something, to reject something, to make a comment. These are the same reasons that our students are communicating. And sometimes, we just need to be really keen observers. Observation skills are the key to success when working with students with intellectual disabilities. I alluded to these before, the basic functions of communication, to make choices, requests, get attention and rejecting. They are all critical, because they are all very highly motivating and easy to understand. They don't always depend on the child understanding the use of symbols, the rewards are immediate and natural, and allows the student to feel empowered. So providing these starting points, providing these opportunities for students to make choices, to get attention and respecting them when they are asking for attention and when they reject something, respecting that as well, these are things that we can work with our students on, so that their communication skills can develop further. Making choices is something that you can assess when you are thinking about their preferences and their interests and their strengths and their needs. Their preferences, which is the key part of the transition assessment process, and also one of the basic communication functions, all you have to do is ask. Ask them what their choice is. Remember to present their choice in a way that they can understand, and is tangible. For example, using an accompanying picture or familiar symbol or object, when asking a student at which job site they prefer working, think about your students now. How do they communicate their preference? Have you ever thought about it? Now, this is really hard for us, because sometimes as educators, we think that we know the best choice for our students, but the only way that our students are going to learn to communicate effectively is allow them to make the mistakes. Some might wonder if students are really making a choice. We need to make sure that they understand what the choice is, if it's in a form that they understand, making sure that when we give a choice, that if we have two items, we don't put the preferred item on the same side every time, that we don't always put the preferred item on the left because we know the student is going to reach for the left. We need to mix it up so that they can truly think about the choices they are making. It's important to know your student's form of communication and use that format when asking them to make choices during the transition assessment process. Requesting; many students are skilled at asking for something they really want, especially if they are very motivated. Determining what motivates students, what they ask for all the time, helps to determine their preferences and interests, which can be used in the work environment to improve job skills. We all can relate to this. Many of us are motivated by the almighty paycheck. That is why we get up every day. Or we really enjoy who we are working with or particular project we are working on. Tune in to what your students request more often. And you can really determine what motivates them. Sometimes when our students are asking for things, it's very general. And to move them to more specific is very important, because it helps to again expand their communication. If you are asking, if your student is asking for something, and may just say, I want something, show them how to be more specific. Say, I see that you want to work on the computer, or you want a Coke. Show me the sign for want or show me that you want something, and also place it with this object of the Coke, or point to the Coke, or say, walk to the specific area that you are talking about. Don't just say, want. Expand on that. That is what we need to teach our students. Getting attention. Getting attention is a skill that must be taught. We must teach that to get attention, we must communicate in a way that can be understood by others. For example, there are certain forms the student can use, if they need help. We might say raise your hand if you need me, or hit the switch to call me. Show me the sign or the symbol when you need a break. These are things that we can teach our students, because in different environments, getting attention may look differently, and we also want them to get attention in a positive way. Rejecting; we must teach our students how to reject things appropriately. We must be observers. Using our observation skills again is very important. So as soon as we see that the student doesn't want to do something, or he is moving away from his area, we must show them oh, I see that you need a break and show them a way that they can express that appropriately. And interrupt the behavior before it happens, respect the student's communication attempts. You may have to break the task down into smaller steps. You may have to blend in some motivators. But respect the student's communication when they are saying they don't want to do something, and teach them how to express that appropriately. I'm going to show you a communication style assessment, in order to help understand how students communicate. It's often helpful to gather information from family members, caregivers, teachers and others who know the student well. This assessment is really a questionnaire that invites the persons familiar with the student to identify how that student demonstrates his preferences and interests, strengths and needs during typical interactions that they may experience together. Think of the student in your classroom, and use this communication style assessment. And share this with others. Again, this information can become part of their transition portfolio. Now Kathy is going to share with you some tools that might assist with a transition assessment process. >> KATHERINE WITTIG: Thank you, Kelly. Now let's talk about some of the tools for the transition assessment process. There are many tools that you can use, and I'll discuss some of them now. Some of them are free. Some may have already been administered by other people. Or you may create some. Here are some of the many measurements that you can use. You can determine whether or not a student has behavior and social skills, or has the need for an assessment in that area, or you may have taken students out on a job site and you already have measured those students' work readiness skills. You can use every bit of that information in the transition assessment. So as I said before, you may locate some pre- existing information in the student's files. You can collect more data regarding your student's interests and preferences. You can create some very informal surveys. You can ask parents to provide some information for that. Or, you may conduct additional comprehensive surveys. You can purchase some on-line, or you can go and get some that are free. Let's meet some students, so that we can illustrate this process. Patrick loves his new chair. It's really lightweight and it's easy to maneuver. Patrick is very gregarious. All of this is well documented in his transition IEP. Patrick's teacher purchased this instrument, but what Patrick's teacher did was modify it to meet Patrick's need, and that is perfectly okay. You can either request permission to modify the form from the authors, or you can just use it and indicate that you have modified it. Now, Christi's parents are very concerned about what will happen after she exceeds the age for free and appropriate education, so they have asked the school to start doing some more assessments with Christi. The only thing that her new teacher knows about Christi is that she likes ice cream, so she has to gather a lot of information about her. Christi's teacher took an existing assessment and adapted it. She called the author and asked if she could do this. Please know that there is no such thing as a community living access skills inventory. That is the name I made up for purposes of this Webcast. Here is a free assessment that you can use. If you log on to T/TAC on-line, there are seven assessments that you can download for free. And they measure all of these areas, communication, self-management. Teachers can use these assessments to determine what the student's functional life skills are. You don't have to purchase anything. What are some other age appropriate transition assessments? Let's look at some. This transition assessment is from Sopris West and costs $125 plus shipping. I have worked with some teachers that have used this and they have experienced great success with their students. The Career Game can be used with students who have a reading comprehension level of about grade 3. Some interests inventories like the career game I just showed or this particular instrument, What I Like to Do, have simple checklists that the teacher may use or somehow modify to determine what the student's interests and preferences are. Again as Kelly discussed, you can tell some of this through the communication preferences that the student uses. Students will tell you if they like being around a lot of people or if they prefer to be alone, if they like using their hands or they want to use some adaptive device. You know what your student's interests and preferences are that you have to start documenting that. Here is another free transition assessment. This is, if you go on this Website, you can find various pieces and parts. You can measure life skills, money management and work skills using this free assessment. Aren't you already measuring some of these areas with your students? You can check your students' cumulative folders. Your students may be working with a community services board, and some, a counselor may have already done a transition assessment with your student. Gather all the information that you can, because all of it counts, all of it is very important for the transition process. Self-determination is key in the transition assessment process. Student-centered planning drives that process. We need to know what our students want to do. We need to know what they don't want to do as well. I'm going to show you a free assessment that you can use. I'm determined, is a project in the Commonwealth of Virginia. And teachers and various service providers have helped develop lesson plans and some simple instruments that you can use. You can go to this Website. With support Patrick did this, and he learned that he does prefer to be around a lot of people. We knew that. He is a very gregarious individual. But now we have the documentation to help drive the process to either place him on a job or to give him some experiences. Ask yourselves, what are my student's daily living skills right now? What were they last year? Or, you might ask, have my students experienced any special issues this year? Did they have any medical issues? Talk with the parents. Talk with physicians, if you have permission. You can gather a lot of information. If formal instruments don't work, that's okay. You can create some yourselves. But make sure that you are incorporating that in the transition IEP. The Cast Website provides multiple means of representation, as you teach or as you administer some assessments. Certainly we want to modify some of the assessments that we talked about today. Remember, the student drives the process. But there are a lot of other people that can help with the process. Certainly, many of these people are already in your school division or in your school. Parents have a lot of input, but so do employers and speech language pathologists. Don't forget the OTs and PTs. Our suggestion is for you to start creating a transition portfolio, and you can maintain that with the student and parents, so that you have an ongoing record of what the student's interests and preferences have been over the past several years. Here is a simple form that you can use. This is one way that you can document all of the data about the strengths and needs of your students. You then gather, after you have gathered all of this age- appropriate transition assessment information, then you help the student to develop measurable post-secondary goals. Remember, the student is in the driver's seat. Kelly and I will now take your questions on the web board. Thanks for your attention. We are really glad that you participated with us today. End of Webcast ******