Transdisciplinary Assessment Making it Possible Adrienne Frank MS

Transdisciplinary Assessment: Making it Possible! Adrienne Frank MS, OTR Barbara Hanft MA, OTR, FAOTA Toni Linder Ed. D

Rationale: Why do a transdisciplinary assessment?

TD assessment is…. • Sensitive to child/family life • Dynamic • Functional • Flexible • Collaborative

Rationale…. Sensitive to child/family • TD assessment is an ecological approach- looks at a child within the context of his/her family. • Parents are active members of the team, involved before, during, & after their child’s assessment

Rationale…. Sensitive to child/family TD assessment uses strategies during the assessment process that lead to developing effective intervention strategies.

Rationale…. Dynamic TD assessment fosters a holistic review of a child’s strengths and needs in all areas – rather than a piecemeal approach with each discipline independently assessing a separate area of development

Rationale… Functional • Play-based, transdisciplinary assessment examines how a child functions in a “typical” situation, rather than a contrived test situation, leading to more valid results.

Rationale… Functional • Recommendations are functional and lead to daily intervention plans that build on the child’s strengths and learning style.

Rationale…Flexible Transdisciplinary assessment can support cultural, linguistic, and experiential preferences for children and families.

Rationale… Collaborative Knowledge/expertise of all team members, including families, is integrated to best understand a child’s: – Skill level – Learning style – Interaction patterns – Contexts for development – Intervention objectives/strategies

What does a TD assessment look like?

Observations of child: Natural or Naturalistic Settings • At home • In the community • At a center

Observations of child: interactions • With caregivers • With siblings • With peers • With adults

Observations of child: Engagement • Toys, materials: -sensory materials -manipulatives -construction toys -fine and gross motor -art materials -dramatic play -books • Routines

Characteristics of a quality Transdisciplinary Assessment

TD Assessment Process • • • Pre-assessment home visit Pre-assessment planning meeting Assessment Post-assessment meeting Identification of family concerns, resources & priorities • Plan development • Report writing • Post-assessment debriefing

How an assessment is completed defines whether or not it is transdisciplinary. Teaming Planning Format Strategies Interpretation

Teaming • Team members represent varied expertise (family and min 2 disciplines). • Families are equal partners who make decisions about their assessment role and format.

Teaming All team members engage in teaching and learning, continuously sharing expertise across disciplinary boundaries. – this role exchange provides in-service training for one team member to begin implementing an IFSP/IEP in consultation with other members.

Teaming • Extension = Selfdirected study • Enrichment = Understanding basic terminology • Expansion = Making program judgments • Exchange = Demonstrating techniques under supervision • Release = implementing under supervision • Support = backup or therapies

Teaming • Plan for and set up learning • Outline steps • Explain why • Emphasize important aspects • Show in real-life situations • Provide practice with hands on • Give feedback on critical points • Offer support and back up • Ask for questions • Follow-up

Preassessment Planning with families helps ensure that: • A family’s questions are answered, • Family members understand their role, • Decisions are made about how, when, and where the assessment takes place.

Preassessment Planning Families may choose to: • Decide how they would like to prepare • Select assessment procedures • Provide familiar toys or activities • Observe their child in varied situations • Share information about their child’s behavior • Identify child’s strengths/abilities and family’s concerns related to development

Preassessment Planning • • Identify what they want (outcomes) Answer questions about their child & family Ask questions about assessment process Observe child’s behavior during assessment Show typical interactions with their child Try out intervention strategies Identify discrepancies Provide feedback about the assessment

Preassessment Planning with providershelps orient or prepare team members to the assessment process and their roles.

Assessment Format Assessment includes observation of the child: – in his/her familiar environment – interacting with familiar people, toys, and objects – in daily life contexts (e. g. , home and/or preschool classroom).

Assessment Format • Team members simultaneously observe child, gathering a similar base of information. • Discussion afterward helps the team develop reliability among assessors.

Assessment Format • During a play-based observation, one team member (or one member at a time) follows the child’s lead. • Often a parent demonstrates typical child behaviors and interactions.

Strategies Open-ended questions are used to gather information about child and family: – preferences and – daily routines.

Strategies Assessment strategies include interactions : – to elicit higher levels of development and – to try out possible interventions.

Interpretation Assessment results are discussed with the family as soon as possible after the assessment, – using a strengths-based approach focusing on what the child does well and the next steps in development.

Interpretation Descriptive data, related to a child and family’s typical settings and desired outcomes, [rather than domain specific skills that lead to discrete services by various disciplines] is used by the team to set priorities and develop IFSP/IEP

Interpretation All team members communicate their observations & conclusions, to make decisions about functional outcomes and EI supports and services in one integrated report.

Interpretation Examples of functional outcomes: • He is currently doing…. And therefore he is ready to …. . • OR he is ready for more…. • In order to develop…. she will benefit from…. . • Activities to encourage…. include…… • Adaptation of …will allow her to…. .

Challenges and strategies

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