Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
social competence is made by a developmental perspective and the scales are normalized
on samples of males and females aged from 0 to 90. There are currently four versions of
the VABS: the Survey Interview Form, the Parent/Caregiver Rating, the Teacher Rating,
and the Expanded Interview Form (Sparrow et al. 2005). The Survey Interview Form is
administered to a parent or caregiver in a semistructured interview format. The open-
ended questions allow more in-depth information to be obtained and facilitate the rela-
tionship between the interviewer and the respondent. The Parent/Caregiver Rating Form
differs from the Survey Interview Form in that it uses a rating scale format and is the best
choice when time or access is limited. The Parent/Caregiver Rating Form is a good tool
for progress monitoring when the initial assessment has been made through the Survey
Interview Form. The Expanded Interview Form has more items than the Survey Interview
Form and is indicated for ages 0 to 5 or to implement specific planning for low-functioning
individuals. The Teacher Rating Form assesses adaptive behavior in students. It has a
questionnaire format and is completed by the teacher or caregiver. This form differs from
Survey Interview Forms in that it also covers content that a teacher would observe more
easily in a classroom. The VABS consist of multiple scales organized around four behav-
ioral domains: communication (receptive, expressive, and written), daily living skills
(personal, domestic, and community), socialization (interpersonal relationships, play and
leisure time, and coping skills), and motor skills (gross and fine, only applicable for chil-
dren under 6 years of age). There is also a fifth domain, maladaptive behavior, but this is
an optional part of the assessment test. The VABS are administered by a psychologist in
a semistructured interview format. The VABS have a good concurrent validity with both
the Stanford-Binet test and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. The VABS are a
useful tool for assessing adaptive behavior in intellectual and developmental disabilities,
autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-
traumatic brain injury, hearing impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.
The MPT model is a “set of person-centered measures, all of which examine the self-
reported perspectives of adult consumers regarding strengths/capabilities, needs/
goals, preferences and psychosocial characteristics, and expected technology benefit.
There are separate measures for general, assistive, educational, workplace, and health-
care technology use” (Scherer and Craddock 2002, p. 125). The MPT instruments take
into account the environments in which the person uses the technology, the individual's
characteristics and preferences, and the technology's functions and features. All of these
components are analyzed and considered because although a specific technology or a set
of technologies may seem the best choice for a particular person, the absence of adequate
support or some traits of the personality profile of the customer can cause the failure of the
match. The MPT is a user-driven process, and an assessment of the degree of agreement
between the user's perspective and that of the provider is planned. Moreover, the quality
of life of the customer is a factor that orients the assessment of the influences experienced
by the customer when using a specific technology. In the measurement process carried
out by the MPT instruments, early recognition of an inappropriate match is crucial. This
will limit the phenomenon of abandonment of the aid and reduce the feelings of disap-
pointment and frustration related to this. The MPT set includes a Worksheet, the SOTU
(Survey of Technology Use), the ATD-PA (Assistive Technology Device Predisposition
Assessment), the ET-PA (Educational Technology Predisposition Assessment), the WT-PA
(Workplace Technology Predisposition Assessment), and the HCT-PA (Health Care
Technology Predisposition Assessment). The tools included in the MPT are in a dupli-
cate format—one for the technology user and another for the provider of the technol-
ogy (counsellor, therapist, teacher, employer, or trainer). The ATA process particularly
