Tatyana Elleseff, from Smart Speech Therapy, LLC is at it again.  She’s created another great product that is currently on sale at her online store.  Comprehensive Assessment of Monolingual and Bilingual Children with Down Syndrome is a 90 page pdf (yes you read that correctly 90 pages!) that explains all we, as SLPs, need to know about effectively using standardized testing measures as well as dynamic assessment to accurately determine the strengths and weaknesses of our students with Down Syndrome.  This pdf is clear, concise and to the point.  It includes information in which one would typically have to scour textbooks to extract but which is already available at your fingertips in this product.  Click on the link above for a complete description of what this product includes.  Below is graphic of the overview of this presentation.

Here are some of my favorite aspects of this pdf and why I think EVERY clinician working with children with DS should have this material in their office as a reference:

• General Milestones table (comparing the ages at which gross motor, language and self-help milestones are met by typically developing children as compared to children with DS): this table is a MUST HAVE for any clinician who is working with children with DS.  It illustrates visually the WIDE range of development among children with DS and personally I feel it provides a realistic view of development for children with DS as a whole.  It’s a great educational tool to share with parents as well!
• Detailed descriptions of developmental difficulties this particular population experiences in the following areas:  feeding, swallowing, speech, voice, fluency, prosody, and language.
• Detailed description of numerous assessment options for children with DS which aids in one’s ability to determine the need for purchase and use of each assessment.  The best part of this section is that Ms. Elleseff shares a few FREE assessments you can find online to add to your collection!
• A functional explanation of how to assess and what to expect from bilingual children with DS.  This is imperative for bilingual SLPs as well as SLPs in rural areas who unfortunately may not have the availability to refer the patient to a bilingual SLP.
• A step-by-step description of the assessment process with samples of evaluation write-ups.  These examples will help any SLP streamline their report writing and guide them in effectively communicating the child’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Examples of goals/objectives written for children with DS in all communication areas.  Here is another valuable resource for clinicians.  Sometimes it’s difficult to determine where to begin in therapy after completing a comprehensive assessment.  However the examples provided within this pdf can guide clinicians in this process and relieve some stress and anxiety that is sure to accompany such an evaluation.

I HIGHLY recommend this product to anyone who is or will work with children with DS.  It’s a wonderful resource,  full of useful information and great ideas!  For more information or to grab this amazing product on sale, click here!

Enjoy and happy talking!