Titel: |
ComFor: Forerunners in Communication
|
| Authors: | R. Verpoorten, I. Noens, I. van Berckelaer-Onnes |
| Product code: | GZ3 (explanation and
registration). |
| Available: | April 2008 |
| Purpose: | The ComFor is a clinical instrument to obtain a precise indication of individualised augmentative communication. It addresses two core questions: first, what is the most suitable form of augmentation; second, at which level of sense-making can the means chosen be offered? |
| Material: | Exclusive publisher of Manual and record forms:
PITS. Order form: see below. Exclusive publisher of test materials: AutiToys. E-mail address: see below. A video/DVD concerning augmentative communication in children with autism and a mental handicap is available (see below: International orders). |
| Target group: | The target group of the ComFor consists primarily of people with autism without or with only limited verbal communication. The ComFor can also be used for individuals with other communication problems, for example in the case of intellectual disabilities. The scope of the ComFor varies from a (psychomotor) developmental level of about twelve months up to approximately sixty months. The ComFor is appropriate for children and adults. |
| Application: | The ComFor aims to provide a clinical and
individualised indication of augmentative communication. One considers
for each individual client what he/she succeeded in doing and what went
wrong. The interpretation is content-referenced, not norm-referenced.
The form of augmentative communication can be three-dimensional
(objects) or two-dimensional (photographs, line drawings, pictograms
and written text). With respect to the level of sense-making, three possible indications exist: sensation, presentation and representation. The manual provides a detailed explanation of the indication of the form and the level of augmentative communication; the further implementation of the indicated augmentative communication is briefly discussed. |
| Structure of the ComFor: | The ComFor consists of two levels with a total of
five series and 36 items. The script of the test activity is very
straightforward: each item is organised as a sorting task. Level I: items at the level of presentation: identical objects or pictures have to be sorted according to shape, colour, matter and size. Series 1 is the so-called learning series, in which sorting is trained step by step. In series 2 and 3, objects (series 2) and pictures (series 3) have to be sorted. Level II: items at the level of representation: non-identical objects or pictures have to be sorted on the basis of sense-making beyond the concrete, literally perceptible features. Series 4 involves sorting within one form; series 5 sorting of different forms. |
| Administration and scoring: | The ComFor should be administered by a
psychologist, psycholinguist or a speech-language pathologist. The
ComFor introduction course is recommended. In order to interpret the results and to translate the indication into clinical practice, insight into communication processes in general and more particular in people with autism is necessary. The mean administration time is approximately 45 minutes. |
| Psychometric data and norms: | Research: the ComFor was tested on a
sample of 623 children and adults from the Netherlands and Flanders
with a developmental level between 12 and 60 months on the domain of
daily living skills. The sample consisted of three subgroups: (1) a
group of children and adults with autism and an intellectual disability
(n=310), children and adults with an intellectual disability without
autism (n=174), and a control group of typically developing children
(n=139). Psychometric data: the internal consistency (Cronbach´s α) for the five series ranges from 0.83 to 0.93; for the two levels from 0.95 and 0.94. The inter-rater reliability is very high (the mean Cohen´s κ is 0.95). The test-retest reliability (Spearman´s r) is 0.98 for the total score. The individual’s top scores are less stable. Construct validity has been established by comparing results of the groups with and without autism, principle component analysis, computation of intercorrelations, and analysis of the course of the scores of the clinical subsamples. Convergent and divergent correlation patterns were also identified. Normative data: not applicable (content-referenced, not norm-referenced). |
| Publications: |
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| Training: | Training is optional and recommended. Information on courses can be found on the site of KU Leuven: click here. Or phone: +32-(0)16-326204 or e-mail with Erik Lenaerts. |
| French language version: | The French language version will be published by De Boeck. Click here. |
| International orders: | Manual and record forms: PITS: order form
ComFor. Test materials: AutiToys: e-mail. |
| Flyer: | A short description of the ComFor: click here Adobe Acrobat Reader
file: (pdf) 113 kB. |
| Prices: | See order form ComFor. A video / DVD concerning augmentative communication in children with autism and a mental handicap is available: 'In OTHER words' (PAL, NCTS). If you are interested, please click here. |