Therapy Target Selection and Baseline Data

Therapeutic Methods: Selecting Therapy Targets and Baseline Data

Course Objectives

• Demonstrate knowledge to describe and define the 5 steps to selecting meaningful therapy targets and methods of gathering baseline data.

• Demonstrate application of therapy target selection and baseline data collection to write meaningful goals, through completion of LAB 2.

The Therapeutic Process

• Pre-Treatment Tasks

  • Gather Data

  • Choose Treatment Targets

  • Write Goals

  • Determine Baseline

• Session Planning and Implementation

  • Determine Teaching Methods

  • Develop Scaffolding Strategies

  • Develop Generalization Plan

  • Create Treatment Activities

• Session Documentation

  • Data Collection

  • Document SOAP Note

  • Write Progress Note

Selecting Therapy Targets

• What communication needs does the patient/client have?

• Which of these needs will be addressed in therapy during this episode of care?

• Needs: All areas of deficit.

• Targets: Communication areas to be addressed in therapy.

• It is important to remember we do not necessarily target EVERY area of need.

General Guidelines for Selecting Therapy Targets

1. Select targets after thorough assessment.

2. Select functional targets.

3. Targets should be culturally appropriate.

4. Targets should be linguistically appropriate.

5. Select targets that can make an immediate improvement to the client’s abilities.

6. Select targets that can serve to be building blocks to more advanced targets.

7. Use Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) to select targets.

Steps for Selecting Therapy Targets

• Step 1: Obtain a thorough assessment/assessment update.

• Step 2: Develop a list of areas of need.

• Step 3: Choose a Strategy

• Step 4: Gather Information from the family

• Step 5: Consult the Literature

Step 1: Assessment Review

• Thorough Assessment Review/Update to answer the following questions:

  1. What can my client do? What are my client’s communication strengths?

     • Reported abilities

     • Response to intervention or dynamic assessment

  2. What are my client’s needs?

     • Developmental needs / delays

     • Functional needs

     • Cognitive needs

Step 2: Develop a List of Areas of Need

• Guidelines to develop a list of needs:

  1. Consider all areas of need identified in your thorough assessment.

  2. Be specific:

     • Expressive Language

     • Morphology

     • Pragmatics

     • Semantics

     • Past Tense -ED

     • 3rd person /s/

     • Subjective pronouns

     • Limited verbs

     • Word finding

     • Reciprocity

     • Non-verbal

Step 3: Choose a Strategy

1. Normative/Developmental Strategy

   • Comparative to the rest of the population.

   • Choose a target based on what comes next in the developmental progression of typical children.

   • Most often used with pediatrics who are developing typically in all areas except speech and language

2. Client-Specific Strategy

Selecting Targets: Normative Strategy - Case Examples

• Case Example 1: Cora is a 4-year-old referred due to difficulty being understood. Evaluation reveals a speech sound disorder with errors in /b/ and /r/.

  • Areas of need: /b/; /r/

  • Given a normative strategy, address /b/ first because it develops by 2 years, while /r/ develops by 5 years.

• Case Example 2: Thomas is a 4.5-year-old referred because

Baseline: the patient’s or clients ability to achieve a selected therapy target in the absence of treatment

clooected prior to treatment: starting point