Several Early Intervention teachers have told me that they would like to know more about how to use the results they get on the Communication Matrix Assessment to plan for the next communication steps for their students and develop activities to reach those targets.
After you have completed the Communication Matrix and received input from your student’s family and IFSP team, the next step is to write up a report describing the student’s current level of functioning and what the next steps would be to help your student develop communication abilities.
One easy way to find targeted activities is to pay a small fee to order reports based on the individual child’s Matrix right on the Communication Matrix website. Just click on “Create a Custom Report”. The Report will give you specific suggestions for each target you are trying to reach. For example, for the target “requests more of an action” one suggestion is “Choose a motivating activity… (lists several possible activities) that ____ needs your assistance to activate. Every once in a while, stop the action or turn off the device. Don’t start it again until _____uses the targeted gesture or vocalization to ask for more of the action. Continue to provide opportunities for him to make requests throughout the activity.” Several of these suggested activities are listed for each target. After you have ordered a few custom reports, you will have most of the suggestions you will need to write other reports. My method is to use some of the Matrix report activities and add some of my own based on my knowledge of the child.
The Communication Matrix Handbook states:
“In general, an individual should be allowed to perform at his or her current level of communication, while being steadily encouraged to progress to the next logical level of communication” (www.communicationmatrix.org
handbook)
Here are some general guidelines for setting goals based on the Communication Matrix results shared from a PowerPoint presentation I created.
This little guy would have to use object and tactile cues rather than pictures.
Have you used the Communication Matrix with any of your students? Please share your experience and tips with us!
Patty Dischinger, M.Ed.
Technical Assistance Consultant
East Carolina University DeafBlind Project Teacher Support Program