When assessing and treating a child with complex communication needs, it is important to look at the whole child. This means taking into account not just the child's disorder or disease, but also their anatomical body parts and their functions, as well as their execution of tasks and involvement in life situations. By looking at the whole child, you will be able to write more functional goals for them that will help them lead a more fulfilling life.
The International Classification of Functioning (WHO - ICF) is a great tool to use when looking at the whole child. The ICF is broken down into four domains: health conditions, body functions and structures, activities and participation, and environmental and personal factors. Each domain provides valuable information that can be used to write more functional goals for the child.
Health Conditions: The first domain, health conditions, looks at the child's disorder or disease. This domain is important because it provides information about the child's condition that can be used to write more specific goals. For example, if a child has autism spectrum disorder, you would want to write goals that focus on social skills and communication.
Body Functions and Structures: The second domain, body functions and structures, looks at the child's anatomical body parts and their functions. This domain is important because it provides information about how the child's body works and what they are capable of doing.
For example, if a child has cerebral palsy, you would want to write goals that focus on accommodating their tone and increasing their mobility.
Activities and Participation: The third domain, activities and participation, looks at the execution of tasks and involvement in life situations. This domain is important because it provides information about how the child functions in their everyday life.
For example, if a child has ADHD, you would want to write goals that focus on organizational skills and task completion.
Environmental and Personal Factors: The fourth domain, environmental and personal factors, looks at physical, social, attitudinal, familial, cultural, economic, political/legal barriers that affect functioning. This domain is important because it provides information about the factors that can influence the child's ability to achieve their goals.
For example, if a child has sensory processing disorder, you would want to write goals that focus on accommodations or modifications that need to be made in order to help the child function in their environment.
The WHO-ICF is a great tool for looking at the whole child when assessing and treating a child with complex communication needs. By breaking down my assessment in the WHO-ICF framework I am able to write much more functional goals for my patients. If you are a parent or professional working with a child with complex communication needs, I encourage you to learn more about this framework and how you can use it to help your child achieve their goals.
By: Katherine Wallisch M.S., CCC-SLP, CAS, BCCS
Speech Language Pathologist
AAC & Autism Expert
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