GRIP

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GRIP
Supporting students using dynamic assessments and
a team based approach.
Jill Gierach CESA 2 jgierach_at_cesa2.k12.wi.us (608)
758 ex.340-6232
Shelly Weingarten CESA 1 sweingarten_at_cesa1.k12.wi.
us [phone]
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GRIP
Is this the model you are working from?
Implementation
school environments
home and community environments
Assessments
or......
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Or is this the model?
Create a Base of Support for Forward Movement ....
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What have we learned?

• Many times the children we see need more highly
  trained staff and they actually get less trained
  staff.
• It is important to allow the child to lead the
  assessment.
• We must specifically identify barriers in motor,
  positioning, receptive vocabulary, background
  information, environmental access.
• Each person must recognize how their interaction
  affects the bio- behavioral state of the child.
• Asking the right questions is more important
  than the answers.
• Assessment is continuous, never ending.

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It is important to clarify
What kind of a person are you?

• grabber
• pest
• hurried
• interchangeable
• beige
• or are you their ally?

If we are anything other than an ally we place
these children in a defensive startle reaction.
Which is disorientating and disorganization.
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GRIP Tool Box
How do we get to this?
We begin assessment where the student is
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What are we looking for?

• Sensory preferences
• How do they Communicate?
• How do they learn new material?
• Anticipation

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Learning Point
Assessment is not a one day event
Assessment is not a combination of data-points
Assessment is ongoing, dynamic and continually
drives instruction.
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Example
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Create a Base of Support for Forward Movement ....
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Sometimes getting everyone on the same page
helps the discussion
ASNAT www.wati.org
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So where do we begin?
WATI ASNAT www.wati.org Chapter 14- students
with Multiple challenges Three decision making
guides Tool Box of supports for each
guide Team training Created two day training
model with a unit of assessment/ implementation
between sessions. Team criteria, student guide,
videotape, 6 week trial period between group
work. Specific tools and strategies are pulled
from our tools box, based on our preview of the
videotape and interaction with the
team. Follow-up with web-based supports Google
Groups,SKYPE
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What are the student's Strengths and weaknesses?

What is supporting the child?
What are the barriers?
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Look at the environment
What is supporting the child?
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Identify the specific task the student has
difficulty completing
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Create a Base of Support for Forward Movement ....
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GRIP TOOL BOX
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It isn't the answers as much as well posed
questions
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How do you know communication is not reflexive?
We need to build on what the child uses not what
we think they are using.
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Create a Base of Support for Forward Movement
....
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Disabled environments How to enable them to
support students.
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Create a Base of Support for Forward Movement
....
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What about strengthening environments, through
robust activities?
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Essential to success Well trained communication
partners
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What the child can do in collaboration with a
skilled partner
What the child can do alone
" The Zone of proximal development, occurs where
children develop language by solving
communicative challenges with the help of
competent members of their language environment.
Renner, 2003 p.82
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Other Questions
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(No Transcript)
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This is a dynamic Assessment
?
?
?
The dynamic assessment must be explored within
activities meaningful to the child. We must
enter into this assessment with no preconceived
expectations.
?
?
? What factors facilitate function Success
? What factors inhibit function and success?
? What activities can you identify that will
provide support a variety of communication
functions for student ?
? What needs to be taught to move towards success?
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During Dynamic assessment

• We continue to provide a variety of options to
  engage active participation.
• We observe and accept a range of developmentally
  appropriate communication intents and functions.
• We use a variety of environments and physical
  positions.

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Core Beliefs

• A. Movement
• Every child has the right to move more
  independently and our job is
• to make them safe.
• 2.Each child must be honored in the process.
• 3Positioning is dynamic and there is no one
  position.
• is the foundation for all learning.
• 6. Transition4Positioning is task-specific.
• 5.Movement s are the richest movement of all.
• B. Communication
• 1.Every child deserves to communicate in multiple
  ways.
• 2.Communication is the key to engagement in all
  environments.
• 3.Every child has a story to tell and we must
  find a way to help
• them tell it.
• 4. Receptive language develops before expressive.
•  
• C. Functional academics
• 1.Every student should be provided with
  curriculum that is engaging

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Create a Base of Support for Forward Movement
....That is Student Centered.
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References
Blaha, R (1996) Thoughts on the Assessment of
the Student with the Most Profound Disabilities.
SEE/HEAR Fall 1996 (available online at
lthttp//www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/archive/tho
ughts.htmgt). Blaha, R (2002) Using Calendar
Systems with Children with Deafblindness in
Alsop, L (Ed) Understanding Deafblindness
Issues, Perspectives, and Strategies SKI-HI
Institute Logan, Utah. Brown, D (2001) Follow
the Child Approaches to Assessing the
Functional Vision and Hearing of Young Children
with Congenital Deaf-Blindness. reSources Vol 10
No 9, Winter 2001. Brown, D (2004) Knowing the
Child Personal Passports. reSources Vol 11 No
4, Fall 2004. fall04/joy.htm).
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Durand, VM and Crimmins, D (1992) Motivation
Assessment Scale. Monaco Associates
1992. Rowland, C (Ed) (2009) Assessing
Communication and Learning in Young Children Who
are Deafblind or Who Have Multiple Disabilities.
Design to Learn Projects Oregon. May be
downloaded free of charge from lthttp//www.ohsu.ed
u/oidd/d2l/com_pro/db_assess_ab.cfmgt (In
addition, printed coil-bound copies are available
at no cost from DB-LINK at the National
Consortium on Deaf-Blindness. DB-LINK can be
reached at info_at_nationaldb.org or at 800-438-9376
800-438-9376.) McInnes, J and Treffry, J (1982)
Deaf-Blind Infants and Children A Developmental
Guide. Open University Press Milton
Keynes. Nelson, C and van Dijk, J (2001)
Child-guided strategies for assessing children
who are deafblind or have multiple disabilities
(CD-ROM). AapNootMuis Netherlands. Wiley, D
(2004) Where Is There Joy in This IEP?. SEEHEAR
Fall 2004 (available online at http//www.tsbvi.ed
u/Outreach/seehear/