ASSESSMENT
To begin any Neurobloom Therapy support service we will need to investigate psychosocial and developmental presentations and decide what is the best course of intervention. Sometimes this is an informal chat through a questionnaire accompanied by play based assessment and other times we need to measure against psychosocial and developmental patterns for diagnosis, goal setting and, therapeutic intervention.
Functional Behaviour Assessment
Functional behaviour assessment (FBA) is a process for collecting information to help determine why problem behaviour occurs and to serve as a basis for the development of a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP). Research has shown that interventions developed from an FBA are more likely to be effective in reducing rates in behaviour of concern.
FBA aims to:
- define behaviour in specific, observable and measurable terms
- determine what aspects of the environment or situation contribute towards the behaviour
- identify the consequences which maintain the behaviour
Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (Vineland-3)
The Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, Third Edition (Vineland-3) is the leading instrument for supporting the diagnosis of intellectual and developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Vineland-3 is used with people aged 0 to 90 years to measure a range of functional domains and subdomains. The results provide valuable information for developing educational and treatment plans and to monitor and measure growth over time.
Skills assessed with Vinelands-3
- Communication: receptive, expressive and written communication skills
- Daily living: personal (hygiene and dressing), domestic, numeric (using numerical concepts in practical ways), community (functioning in the world outside the home) and school community
- Socialisation: interpersonal relationships (caring, conversation and friendship), play and leisure, coping skills
- Motor Skills: gross and fine motor skills
- Maladaptive behaviour: undesirable and atypical behaviours that interfere with adaptive functioning, such as internalising (anxiety and depression), externalising (hyperactivity and disruptive behaviour) and critical items (self-injury, aggression and suicidality)
The Vineland-3 assessment involves a structured interview where the parent/caregiver and teacher complete separate questionnaire forms.
Developmental Trauma Assessment
Developmental Trauma Assessment has been developed to assist practitioners to understand typical developmental pathways of children and recognise indicators of trauma at different ages and stages.
Importantly, the assessment offers practical, age appropriate advice as to the needs of children, parents and carers when trauma has occurred, and ways in which children and families can be assisted in healing and recovery.
North Carolina Family Assessment Scale - General + Reunification (NCFAS-G+R)
The NCFAS-G+R is an assessment tool designed to examine family functioning in the domains of Environment, Parental Capabilities, Family Interactions, Family Safety, Child Well-Being, Social/Community Life, Self-Sufficiency, Family Health, Caregiver/Child Ambivalence, and Readiness for Reunification.
Each of the NCFAS-G+R scales provides an organising framework for Social Workers and other family practitioners to conduct a comprehensive family assessment, intended to inform the development of a service plan and subsequently document changes in family functioning that represent outcomes of the services provided.
ASQ - SE-2 Ages & Stages
The ASQ-SE-2 is a social emotional developmental screening tool for observing and monitoring the social and emotional health and development of children from 6 to 60 months of age.
The ASQ-SE-2 highlights a child’s strengths as well as catching behavioural concerns early. It is designed to be administered through parent / caregiver completion of the questionnaire, making caregivers co-observers in the process while teaching them about child development, social and emotional health and their own child’s skills.
Early identification of social-emotional challenges can make all the difference to a young child. The earlier a behavioral concern is identified, the greater the chance a child has for reaching their full potential in life. This is the driving force behind Accurately identifying behavior through ASQ:SE-2 and paves the way for next steps such as:
- Further assessment.
- Specialised intervention or ongoing monitoring.
- Support children to reach their fullest potential during their most formative early years.
Risk Assessment and Crisis Management Plan - behaviour, safety & wellbeing
The Risk Assessment and Crisis Management Plan (CMP) addresses a specific pain-based behaviour that places the individual and/or their community at risk and is designed to determine the:
- level of risk to the safety or wellbeing of the child or young person and members of their micro, meso and macro systems.
- likelihood the behaviour will adversely affect the safety and wellbeing of the child or young person.
- Identify ecological and psychosocial response-based strategies across the individual's distress-cycle.
This process involves determining the level of risk associated with the individual’s pain-based behaviour and the potential impact or adverse outcome.
A risk assessment is based on a psychosocial evaluation process and is required prior to identifying an appropriate interdisciplinary response or intervention. The term ‘psychosocial evaluation’ refers to a comprehensive assessment of presenting needs and risk. The assessment of needs is designed to identify those personal psychological and environmental (social) factors that might explain an act of harm. This assessment leads to a formulation from which a CMP can be developed.
A risk assessment may also be completed for a child or young person whose behaviour has been identified as presenting such significant risk to themselves or others:
- that the planned use of restrictive practices is being considered, or
- there is reasonable evidence of pain-based presentations that the individual may pose a critical risk to the safety or wellbeing of self-and/or members of the community.