What is capacity building?
When I first began to get to know children with complex communication needs, I depended heavily on experts. Every week, students in my classroom were visited by a Speech and Language Clinician, an O...
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Collection A Capacity-Building Approach to Services for Children With Complex Communication Needs
Date Created: 9/16/2019
Posts: 4
This collection introduces and applies the concept of capacity-building as a model of AT service delivery that empowers all team members to build the skills and confidence to plan and implement appropriate interventions.
Gayl Bowser, M.Ed. works as an independent consultant Her work focuses on the creation of effective, legal and high quality service systems that encourage the integration of technology into educational programs for students with disabilities. Ms. Bowser has worked as a Regional and State-level administrator in Oregon. Formerly the Coordinator of the Oregon Technology Access Program (OTAP) and the State of Oregon’s Specialist in Assistive Technology, Gayl currently provides special education focused consultation, training and technical assistance throughout the United States and internationally. Gayl has co-authored numerous publications about assistive technology including ) Leading the Way to Excellence in AT Services: A guide for school administrators, Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology: A comprehensive guide to assistive technology services; Education Tech Points: A Framework for Assistive Technology; and Assistive Technology Pointers for Parents.
This post introduces the concept of capacity-building as an AT service delivery model.
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This post discusses the four different types of capacity and includes a case example to illustrate how this framework can be applied in a school setting.
Dimensions of capacity building
Our previous discussion ended with these questions: • What do you mean when you think about building capacity to provide effective communication programs for students with complex communication ...
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This post discusses various ways to provide support for capacity building.
Providing Support for Building Capacity
Literature about educational change indicates that there are four critical components needed for educational change: • Training, though not sufficient by itself, training is an important way to ...
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This post discusses the four types of resources that are critical to school programs striving to build independence and ownership among the people who interact with the student every day.
Resources for Building Capacity in Programs for Students with Complex Communication Needs
When the focus of a school program for children with complex communication needs is on building independence and ownership among the people who interact with the student every day, there are four type...
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Teachers:
Many teachers require their college students in communication disorders or child development classes to complete a Communication Matrix online. Please have your students use the Test Drive site for this purpose. You may ask them to print out the Profile and Communication Skills List as proof of their work.
Statement A
My child doesn't seem to have real control over his body yet.
The only way I know that he wants something is because he fusses or whines when he's unhappy or uncomfortable, and he smiles, makes noises or calms down when he's happy and comfortable. Does this statement describe your child?
Statement B
My child has control over her own behaviors, but she doesn't use them to try to communicate to me.
She doesn't come to me to let me know what she wants, but it's easy for me to figure out, because she tries to do things for herself. She knows what she wants, and her behavior shows me what she wants. If she runs out of something to eat, she will just try to get more, rather than trying to get me to give her more.
Does this statement describe your child?
Statement C
My child clearly tries to communicate his needs to me through gestures, sounds or language.
He knows how to get me to do something for him. He uses some of the kinds of behaviors below to communicate:
- Gestures such as pointing, shaking his head, tugging at my arm or looking back and forth between me and what he wants
- Sounds such as squealing to show you he wants something or fussing when he doesn't want something
- Language or symbolic forms of communication such as speech, written words, Braille, picture symbols, 3-dimensional symbols or sign language
Does this statement describe your child?
How to score your child
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging
Mastered
– Does this independently most of the time when the opportunity arises
– Does this in a number of di erent contexts, and with di erent people
Emerging
– Does this inconsistently
–
Only does this when prompted or encouraged to do so. Only does this in one or two contexts or with one person.
Tips on Communication Devices
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging