Nonstandardized Evaluation of Emergent Communication in Individuals with Severe Intellectual Disabilities: Exploring Existing Options and Proposing Innovations

Procedures to evaluate the communication of individuals with severe intellectual disabilities have grown to include myriad nonstandardized tests and procedures. This article examines the utility of existing nonstandardized assessment methods for generating representative and reliable findings for individuals with severe disabilities limited to nonsymbolic or emergent symbolic communicative abilities. Specifically, the use of informants, observations, and structured sampling are explored as to their strengths and limitations as assessment tools. Strategies for improving these methods are provided including preassessment planning, efforts to minimize observer subjectivity, and informant/observer training. Potential new directions for nonstandardized communication evaluation with this special population including applications of eye gaze and digital recording technology are also proposed. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG.