Dimensions of Communication: A manual to assess the communication skills and behaviors of individuals with disabilities

Dimensions of Communication is a manual to assess the communication skills and behaviors of individuals with disabilities. It is an assessment instrument designed to help teachers, parents, educational specialists, speech-language therapists, psychologists, and other service providers evaluate the communication skills of individuals who have multiple disabilities, including significant cognitive impairment and deaf-blindness. It includes Part I: Develop a Communication Profile and Part II: Design an Intervention Plan.

• Purpose of this Manual 
• Introduction to The Dimensions of Communication 
• Overview of this Manual 
• Assessment-to-Intervention Sequence 
• Overview Part I – Administration: Develop a Communication Profile 
  • Directions for Step 1: Gather and Record Information 
  • Directions for Step 2: Score the Dimensions 
  • Directions for Step 3: Generate a Communication Profile 
  • Dimensions of Communication Charts 
    • Symbol Use 
    • Intent 
    • Complexity 
    • Social Action 
    • Vocabulary Use 
    • Comprehension 
• Overview Part II – Administration: Design an Intervention Plan 
  • Directions for Step 4: Identify the Range of Intervention Goals 
  • Directions for Step 5: Design and Individualize Intervention Goals and Activities 
  • Intervention Goals and Examples of Activities – Level I 
  • Intervention Goals and Examples of Activities – Level II 
  • Intervention Goals and Examples of Activities – Level III 
  • Intervention Goals and Examples of Activities – Level IV 
  • Intervention Goals and Examples of Activities – Level V 
• Case Illustration 
• Recording Booklet (Case Illustration) 
• Recording Booklet 

Nancy Sall, Ed.D.

Nancy Sall, Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Hunter College, City University of New York. She has been working in higher education for over 20 years. Previously she was a faculty lecturer in the Early Childhood Education/Special Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to her work in higher education, Dr. Sall was the project coordinator for numerous federally-funded research grants, focusing on communication and the development of social relationships of children with significant disabilities. She began her career in education as a preschool special education teacher and later was an elementary school special educator and inclusion coordinator. Current interests include mentoring and teacher induction.

ns4607@hunter.cuny.edu

Cathy H. Rikhye, Ed.D.

Cathy Rikhye, Ed.D., is a faculty lecturer in the Early Childhood Education/Special Education Program within the Department of Curriculum & Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has also been an Associate Professor of Special Education at Hunter College of the City University of New York and at Dominican College, NY. Before joining Teachers College, Dr. Rikhye created and directed the Office of Inclusive Education at the New York City Department of Education District 75, the district that supports students with moderate to severe and low incidence disabilities across the city. She started her career as an elementary school teacher and then became an educational evaluator of children with visual, hearing and multiple disabilities.

cr2327@tc.columbia.edu