Case Application Assignment (3 steps):
Sign up 1:1 during finals week. You may have your notes with you.
You will meet with me 1:1 in my office. You will randomly choose a client population and diagnosis (e.g. “adult client with dx of ALS”, “young ped client with dx of ASD”, etc).
1. You will then ask me interview questions appropriate to ask the client or a caregiver, parent, spouse, etc during your first “session” to find out more about your client.
We will role-play (you as the SLP and I as the client, caregiver, parent, spouse, etc).
In addition to content, you will be scored on your professionalism and ability to use layman’s terminology.
For additional info on interview questions, see “PreAssessment protocols”.
(infoCDS -> AAC Specialty Clinic -> Assessment)
2. Per my responses, you will then verbally list the formal assessments youwould completeand therationale for yourselection.
Example:
“I would administer ‘Social Networks’because I want to know who my client interacts with on a regular basis, and what modes of communicationare currently used with each of those people. This information will help me understand the modes of communicationthat are already effective (or ineffective) and identify goals to work on with my client.”
For additional info on formal assessments, see “Assessments in clinic”. (infoCDS -> AAC Specialty Clinic -> Assessment)
I will verbally tell you how your client scored on each assessment.
3. Per results of the assessment, discuss the “no-tech”, “low-tech”, “mid-tech”, and “high tech” options that are appropriate/not appropriate for your client to trial/useand why.
For example, “A low-tech picture based system, such as PECS, is appropriate for my client with ASD to trial. Using this method, he will learn symbolic communication skills and understand the basic exchange of communication.”
“Recordable mid-tech devices were considered; however, determined to be inappropriate. This is because my client’s language needs far exceed the number of messages recordable devices are able to store. Client already has a vocabulary that exceeds X number of words. It would be impossible for (caregiver) to keep up the breadth and depth of recording client’s day-to-day language needs.”
Etc, etc…
Keep in mind communication is multimodal and that more than one “tech”/mode is often appropriate!
4. Per above recommendation, discussa minimum of threeGOALSyou would like to target in 30 sessions (per Medicaid) and the approach(es) that are appropriate.
For example, “Per results of the AAC Functional Profile, it is important to increase my client’s linguistic competency skills. Specifically, I would target greater mean length of utterance. I would do this by expanding the client’s language using my own models. For example, he may tell me to ‘go’. I could expand this by modeling ‘I go’ then leaving the room. An appropriate approach to do this is aided language stimulation.”
Grading Rubric (30 points total):
____ Relevance of interview questions – 5
____ Accurate selection and rationale of assessment tools– 5
____ Accuraterationale for no-tech, low-tech, mid-tech, high-tech systems – 10
____ Goals are relevant to current client need and client/family goals – 5
____ Style (professional, use of layman’s terms during “interview”, engaged, interactive, appropriate length, accurate grammar, etc.) - 5