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Selecting Appropriate Skills for Intervention (1)
ABI proponents suggest that selecting appropriate skills to target for
intervention is a five-step process (Bricker et al., 1998). The first
step is the administration of comprehensive curriculum-based assessment/evaluation
tools. An example of such a tool is the Assessment, Evaluation, and
Programming System (AEPS) (Bricker, 1993; Bricker & Pretti-Fontczak,
1996), designed specifically to identify functional skills in children
from birth to age six across six developmental domains and to facilitate
the development of goals and objectives that are both functional and
generative. The AEPS recently underwent revision, and the assessment
and curriculum are now available in a four-volume set:
- Volume 1: AEPS® Administration Guide (Bricker,
Pretti-Frontczak, Johnson, & Straka, 2002)
- Volume 2: AEPS® Test for Birth to Three Years
and Three to Six Years (Bricker, Capt, & Pretti-Frontczak, 2002)
- Volume 3: AEPS® Curriculum for Birth to Three
Years (Bricker & Waddell, 2002a)
- Volume 4: AEPS® Curriculum for Three to Six Years
(Bricker & Waddell, 2002b)
Supporting materials for the AEPS available from Brookes
include an intervention manual (Bricker et al., 1998) and videotapes
(Bricker, Veltman, & Munkres, 1995; Cripe, 1995).
The second step in selecting appropriate
target skills is summarizing the results of the assessment in terms
of interests, strengths (including emerging skills) and needs. The third
step is to target skills that are important. Bricker and her colleagues
(1998) suggest that important skills to target should be:
- functional
- usable across settings, with different people and
materials
- observable and measurable
- part of the child’s natural daily environment.
The fourth step in identifying appropriate goals and objectives
involves prioritizing skills. It is recommended that teams target skills
that match the child’s developmental level, enhance the child’s
repertoire of functional behaviors, and appear to be skills the child
would not develop without intervention. Skills that involve multiple
domains and can be generalized across settings are appropriate priorities
for goals or objectives. On the other hand, skills that are taught as
part of an existing curriculum or frequently addressed in daily activities
should not be targeted as goals and objectives for intervention.
The final step in selecting appropriate target skills
is to develop written goals and objectives that are observable, measurable,
and clearly understandable to team members. Assessment tools such as
the AEPS are organized into developmental strands that include goals
and objectives. Target skills for inclusion in an Individual Family
Service Plan (IFSP) or IEP are made operational by including the “ABC”s:
(A) antecedent(s) or conditions that set the stage for
the desired behavior to occur, including the amount and type of assistance
provided,
(B) the observable behavior or response expected of
the child, and
(C) the measurable criteria for acceptable performance
(Bricker et al., 1998).
According to its developers, the five-step process of
developing appropriate goals and objectives is a critical prerequisite
to effective application of ABI. Next, in order for child progress to
occur, two intervention criteria must be met:
- goals and objectives must be addressed during developmentally
appropriate activities, and
- repeated opportunities for practicing targeted skills
must be provided during these activities (Bricker et al., 1998).
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