INTRODUCTION TO THE ABLLS-RAssessment of Basic Language and Learner Skills- Revised

A DESCRIPTION OF THE ABLLS-RThe ABLLS-R assesses 25 Domains within 4

Areas: Language Skills – Cooperation and Reinforcer

Effectiveness, Visual Performance, Receptive Language, Vocal Imitation, Requests, Labelling, Intraverbal, Spontaneous Language.

Academic Skills – Play and Leisure, Social Interaction, Group Instruction, Group Instruction, Classroom Routines, Generalized Responding, Reading, Math, Writing, Spelling.

Motor Skills – Imitation, Gross Motor, Fine Motor Self Help – Dressing, Eating, Grooming, Toileting.

PURPOSE “… to identify those language and other

critical skills that are in need of intervention in order for a child to become more capable of learning from his everyday environment.”

To provide a measure of other important skills such as academic, motor skills and self-help skills.

RATIONALE Skills acquisition for students with ASD is

different than typical students.

Goals can be based on the student’s ability level

Teaching a few critical skills can increase the student’s ability to acquire new skills without specialized teaching conditions.

Students learn how to learn!

ADVANTAGES Emphasis on function over structure Motivation Variety of skills measured (language,

academics, self-help, motor skills) Measures generalization of skills Tracks skills over time – easily referenced Provides specific information for teaching

objectives.

DISADVANTAGES

Skills are not compared to the learner’s age group - age norms not provided.

Those administering the assessment should have a fundamental understanding of verbal behaviour.

UNIQUE FEATURES OF THE ABLLS-RAssessment of Basic Language and Learner Skills-Revised

LANGUAGE - STRUCTURE VS. FUNCTION Skinner’s analysis of verbal behaviour serves

at the conceptual basis of the ABLLS-R assessment.

Most assessments measure WHAT words the student uses to communicate (structure).

Skinner also looks at WHY the student communicates (function).

MOTIVATION What motivational conditions affect the

student’s ability to demonstrate skills?

Does the student’s ability to demonstrate the skill change under a variety of motivating conditions?

Does the student respond to social reinforcement?

COMPLEX STIMULI Can the student attend to a variety of

combined stimuli?

Verbal and visual

Language in the natural environment (Skinner’s analysis).

GENERALIZATION Does the student demonstrate these skills

across various environments?

With different instructors? Parents? Peers?

Are the skills functional when they are needed, especially language skills?

FLUENCY Can the student USE the skills quickly when

necessary?

In a variety of contexts?

What’s important about responding in a timely fashion?

JOINT ATTENTION Does the student share attention to actions,

objects or situations with others?

Critical to the acquisition of other more complex social skills.

LEARNER READINESS Is the student willing to be taught?

Does the student respond to social reinforcement?

Intermittent reinforcement?

Can the student attend to learning materials, follow instructions and respond in a timely manner?

SOCIAL SKILLS

Does the student notice peers?

Does the student interact with peers?

Does the student learn from peers?

BASIC LEARNER SKILLSAssessment of Basic Language and Learner Skills- Revised

BASIC LEARNER SKILLS Cooperation and Reinforcer Effectiveness Visual Performance Receptive Language Motor Imitation Vocal Imitation Requests Labelling Intraverbals Spontaneous Vocalizations Syntax and Grammar Play and Leisure Social Interaction Group Instruction Classroom Routines Generalized Responding

BASIC LEARNER SKILLS “…15 important skill areas that appear to be

critical in order to learn from everyday experiences.”

382 items

70% of the assessment

Why are such simple skills so important?

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY

Why is the skill area important? What other skill areas might a deficit in this area

affect? How might it impact behaviour?

What questions do you have about the skill area?

LARGE GROUP SHARING Share with the large group what you

discussed around each of the skill areas

BARRIERS TO LEARNINGVB-MAPP (SUNDBERG, 2008)Skill Deficits in the following areas have been

identified as creating barriers to learning

Poor, absent or weak repertoires in: Requesting Receptive/ expressive labelling Motor imitation Echolic skills Matching to samples Listener repertoires Intraverbal Social behaviour

BARRIERS TO LEARNINGVB-MAPP (SUNDBERG, 2008) Negative behaviours Instructional control Prompt dependent Defective scanning skills Failure to make conditional discriminations Failure to generalize Weak or atypical motivators Response weakens motivation Reinforcement dependent Self stimulation Obsessive-compulsive disorder Hyperactivity Failure to make eye contact, or attend to people Sensory defensiveness

COMPLETING THE INITIAL ASSESSMENTAssessment of Basic Language and Learner Skills- Revised

WHO CAN COMPLETE THE ASSESSMENT

A Professional who has knowledge of the Protocol and who has direct contact with the student on a regular basis.

Has a background in conducting and interpreting assessments.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT Informally Over a period of several weeks Scored on the skills tracking grid Provides information about the strengths and

weaknesses Allows the teacher to identify any missing

skills that may interfere with a student’s ability to acquire new skills effectively

INITIAL ASSESSMENT The initial assessment may be completed in

several steps Review the assessment and identify the

areas where the student clearly meets the criteria for the highest score on an item (ie. score of 2 or 4) Has not demonstrated skills in that area

Identify areas where the level of the student’s skills are in question

Gather information from other professionals, team members, parents

Observe the student demonstrating the skills

INFORMATION SOURCES

Information from parents, the school team and other professionals familiar with the student.

Direct observation of the student in a variety of situations.

Formal presentation of tasks by the assessor.

SCORING THE ASSESSMENT Information that is provided must accurate,

not a guess. Scores are based on what skills the student

consistently demonstrates at present. NOT:

Skills demonstrated in the past, but no longer consistently observed.

Emerging skills.

It is better to underestimate a student’s skill level.

TRANSFER RESULTS TO TRACKING GRIDS The open circles to the left of the grid should

be colored in for items that were tested but for which the student scored 0 on the initial assessment

The assessment date may reflect the time period in which the assessment is completed, for example instead of an assessment DATE, the month and year in which the assessment was completed may be used

UPDATING THE ASSESSMENT IS MUCH EASIER THAN THE INITIAL

ASSESSMENT because it takes less time If a student remained at the same level as

the initial assessment, the same number should be circled on the appropriate line of the update

When transferring updated information to the tracking grid, using different colors provides easy visual identification of the student’s progress

TIPS FROM THE TRENCHES

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY Choose at least one assessment area and do

the initial scoring for one of the students in your class.

Take into account the criteria for a mastered skill

SCORING THE ASSESSMENT Information that is provided must accurate,

not a guess. Scores are based on what skills the student

consistently demonstrates at present. NOT:

Skills demonstrated in the past, but no longer consistently observed.

Emerging skills.

It is better to underestimate a student’s skill level.

DEVELOPING IPP GOALS FROM THE ASSESSMENTAssessment of Basic Language and Learner Skills- Revised

INTENSIVE TEACHING1:1 teaching interactions

ELEMENTS OF GOOD TEACHING INTERACTIONS Teaching environment is paired with

reinforcement. Goals are appropriate to the student’s skill

level, small and achievable. Goals are clear to the student and the

teacher. New skills are introduced with appropriate

levels of prompting to support learner success.

Prompts are effectively faded. New skills are interspersed with mastered

skills to support the learner and decrease avoidance behaviours.

PROMPTING Physical Prompt – hand over hand or some

type of physical contact to cue the skill. Verbal Prompt – a spoken cue (ie. “what do

you want?) Echoic prompt – modeling the exact verbal

response which the child can then echo. Imitative prompt – modelling Gestural prompt – Demonstrating the

response (ie. Pointing to a picture).

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TEACHINGTeaching throughout the classroom and throughout the day

GROUP TEACHING INTERACTIONSSmall group teaching

ZIPPEDY DOO A6 – The student will work for instructor

controlled reinforcement. C1 – Responds to own name D5 – Imitation of hand and arm movements D17 – Imitation of speed of action D20 – Imitation of a motor sequence

THE LITTLE OLD LADY BOOK A10 – scans items in an array B3 – match identical objects to sample C5 – Follow instructions to touch common

objects in various positions C8 – Follow instructions to give named non-

reinforcing items. C10 – touch item vs. distractor C15 – touch own body parts C37 – select by function

THE LITTLE OLD LADY BOOK D1 – Motor Imitation with objects D4 – Imitation, leg and foot movements D5 – Imitation, leg and foot movements E3 – Imitation, initial sounds of words G6 – Labels pieces of clothing G7 – Labels ongoing actions H1 – Fill in words from songs H7 – Intraverbal Associations

ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE GROUP TEACHING INTERACTIONSWhat are some of the elements that make a

good group teaching interaction? Mix and vary skills Provide adequate prompting Have clear goals Pair the teaching environment with access to

reinforcement. Limit ‘wait time’ by interspersing turn taking

activities with imitations or group activities. Try to adjust goals in addition to adjusting

prompt levels.

ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE GROUP TEACHING INTERACTIONS

What is the role of the teacher in a group?

What is the role of the Educational Assistant?

How can the two work as a team?

Using the ABLLS-R to inform programming