Resource Toolkit Assignment: Resource Summary Sheet
1. Name of the
tool, or a brief description: A
quick screener for new clients seeking out AAC. This give the clinician a quick
way to gather relevant data for making informed decisions about AAC on a single
sheet.
2. What type of
patient(s) would you use this tool/technique with? (Describe
by characteristics or by etiology.) This
screener is intended to be used with any client seeking out your help in
choosing an appropriate AAC system. The questions are general and give the
clinician an opportunity to determine what type of communicator the client is
(emerging, context-dependent, or independent) and what kinds of basic
considerations must be considered when thinking about possible AAC devices or
options.
3.
How/why would you use this tool? In what way will it be helpful? I would use this tool with every client who would
benefit from some form of AAC. Whether they need a low-tech options for
occasional communication experiences in very particular settings, or a
high-tech option to communicate throughout their day, this screener is a quick
way to begin to address the client’s needs and abilities regarding AAC
4.
What are the advantages of this tool/technique? The screener is relatively quick and condensed. It asks
some of the most important questions to consider when determining the type of
communicator a particular client is, and allows the client and/or family to
explain likes and dislikes about current and previous methods of AAC.
Additionally, it helps the clinician begin to narrow down possible AAC options
for the client based on his or her abilities and limitations.
5.
Are there any disadvantages to this tool/technique? Since this is just a one-page screener, it certainly
does not provide all the detail a
clinician would need in making a final decision about AAC use. In any scenario
where AAC options are being considered for a particular client, the clinician
needs to spend time observing how the client currently communicates in various
settings, which symbol organization methods are simplest and most beneficial to
the client, and what kinds of features are most important to that particular
client. Although multiple devices or AAC methods may meet the client’s basic
communication needs, a detailed AAC assessment (in addition to this basic
screener) will help to determine which of those devices and/or methods is best.
The next several questions relate to how you obtained
this resource:
6.
If you designed the tool yourself, answer these two
questions:
a) Where did
you get the idea for this tool? There
is so much to think about when considering the best AAC methods and devices for
a particular client. I thought a screener that bundles some of the important
assessment questions into a single page would be a helpful way to get started
in any AAC evaluation.
b) Anything you
still don’t like about it and might change in the future? I have no doubt that I will find lots of things I
would change once I began to use the screener. Certain questions may pop up
that I forgot to include or had not thought to consider. I was torn between
making the screener quick, and making it fully inclusive and complete. I
figured that I’d never get everything into a simple-to-use form, so I
prioritized efficiency over completeness.
Quick
Screener for AAC
The Basics
Client name:
Age of client:
Diagnosis:
Is the disorder
developmental?
If no, age of onset of
disorder/impairment:
AAC Use
AAC use in the
past and/or current use:
Low-tech:
High-tech:
What is/is not
effective about previous and current AAC?
Reason(s) for
seeking AAC:
Limitations
Does the client
have any of the following that would impact AAC access:
Hearing impairment? If yes, explain:
Motor control impairment? If yes,
explain:
Neurological impairment? If yes,
explain:
Literacy
Can the client:
Read? If yes, what grade level?
Spell (explain mode: writing,
typing, etc.)?
Effectively use predictive text?
Typical AAC Use
Environment(s)
In what settings
will the client use AAC?
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