Procedures After the Assessment
The final step in the assessment process is to write a report and make recommendations about potential technology applications, taking into account the family’s wishes and the child’s response to various activities. Compiling and writing the final report requires summarizing a great deal of information.
Making Recommendations
Team members review the assessment videotape, summarize observations, and discuss recommendations as part of the post assessment process. TECH ACCESS can be used to guide the team.
Switch Input
- Recommended switch for input
- Modifications of switch required
- Positioning of switch
- Potential assistive device/materials to help position switch
Touch Tablet
- Recommended touch tablet for input
- Possible adaptations to alleviate motor problems
- Modifications of overlay required
- Adaptive materials attached
- Positioning of touch tablet
Keyboard
- Potential assistive devices or materials to help with keyboarding
- Purpose of assistive device/material on the keyboard
- Outcome of assistive device use for the child
- Placement and positioning of device/material
For each method of input, the team will also need to make recommendations on:
- Commercial source of device
- Additional modifications needed
- Recommended activities for device use
- Long term goals for use of this input method
Writing the Assessment Report
The assessment coordinator or one other team member should take responsibility for writing the report and then have other team members review and provide further input if needed. In some situations, two team members may want to write the report together. However, one person needs to be responsible for finalizing the report and making copies for the family and other team members.
The report outlines the reasons for the assessment, describes the various assessment activities, lists equipment and software used, and makes recommendations based on the team’s observations. The wording should be as simple and straightforward as possible. Definitions of terms and explanations of equipment and software should be provided.
The following content should be included in the report.
- Child’s name
- Age
- Date of assessment
- Location of assessment
- Staff participants and positions
- Reasons for referral for assessment
- The source of the referral is identified in this section.
- Often the source is the family, but it may also be the teacher or a therapist.
- Evaluation goals
- The content for this section comes from the Background Information form and from the meeting with the team right before the assessment.
- Equipment and Software used during the assessment
- The list of equipment and software should include everything used during the assessment, including both successful and inappropriate ones.
- Equipment Set-up and Child Position
- Any special equipment used for positioning should be included in this section.
- Observations
- A summary of observations by the Core team and Support team members should be included. The Individual Trial Forms which have been completed by team members are a good source of information for this section.
- Summary and Recommendations
- A summary of the child’s abilities and behaviors is included in this section along with a detailed list of recommendations for input method, software, adaptations and suggested curriculum activities to fit into the IEP.
- Further support
- The team’s ability to provide follow-up services, such as training, consultation, or information, is included. The team should indicate that further assessment will be provided as needed.
- Signatures
- The report is dated and team members who contributed to the report are listed by names and titles, allowing room for each signature.
The assessment report and recommendations are useful to the child’s family and school system, since they can be used as a basis for including technology in IEPs and for funding applications. A thorough, well-written report can lead to successful implementation of technology in the child’s curriculum as well as successful funding of equipment to meet the child’s needs. The report can provide an opportunity for communication and cooperation between the child’s family and early childhood staff. Such communication is essential to obtaining successful results. The TTAP process describes procedures for a child’s initial technology assessment. Assessment teams must provide continuous follow-up on the child’s progress and re-assessment at regular intervals to ensure that technology is being used to the fullest extent to help the child achieve his/her potential.
Now that you have seen the Technology Assessment workshop, please help us in our research by:
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submitting an evaluation of this site, and
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completing the post-assessment for this workshop.
...or, you can proceed to the last section.
