Performers at Osaka's Big Stage - Deafblind International

Free Online Assessment ToolAn invitation to use a FreeOnline Assessment Toolfor Early Communicators who are DeafblindCharity Rowland, Ph.D.Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USArowlandc@ohsu.eduChildren learn to usea variety of prespeechbehaviors tointeract with family membersand other people beforethey learn to speak. Whenit does appear, speech isonly the culmination of anevolving communicativecompetence that begins at(if not before) birth (Bates,Benigni, Camaioni & Volterra,1979; McCathren, Warren& Yoder, 1996). In otherwords, speech does notmiraculously appear betweenthe ages of 12-24 months;it is the result of an orderlyprogression from the earliestof parent-infant interactionsto the use of formal languagesystems. This means thatif speech does not appearspontaneously, we can lookfor other means of expressionto replace speech or to fill theFig 1gap until the child is ready touse speech.To begin this process, weneed to determine whichcommunication mode orsystem will capitalize on thechild’s current strengths,providing an immediatemeans of communication,as well as providing afoundation for futuregrowth. An accurateassessment of a child’scommunication skills is thecornerstone of educationalplanning and intervention(Chen, Rowland, Stillman &Mar, in press). A thoroughevaluation of the child’scurrent functional meansof expression will be farmore illuminating thanmere knowledge of his orher disabilities, diagnosis oretiology. A good assessmentpaints a clear picture of whatthe child can do, not a litanyof what he or she can’t do.The online CommunicationMatrix (Rowland, 2009)was developed to makethis task easier for parentsand professionals. It iswidely used in the U.S. toevaluate the expressivecommunication skills ofdeafblind children. Thisarticle introduces this freeassessment service and invitesparents and professionalsto use it to assess deafblindchildren and adults and whoare operating at the earlieststages of communication.(See fig 1)Description of theCommunication MatrixThe Communication Matrixis designed to pinpointexactly how someoneis communicating, withor without speech, andto provide a frameworkfor determining logicalcommunication goals. TheMatrix was first publishedin 1990 and was revised in1996 and 2004. The originalversion (Rowland, 2004a)was designed primarilyfor speech-languagepathologists and educatorsto document the expressivecommunication skills ofchildren who have severe ormultiple disabilities, includingsensory, motor and cognitiveJan u a r y – Ju n e 2011 • DbI Review • 51