Bridging Assessment and Instruction: Strategies after the Communication Matrix Assessment

Workshop description

The Communication Matrix is a powerful tool designed to assess the communication skills of students who are developing communication at the emergent level. This presentation will guide educators, speech-language pathologists, and family members on the IEP team in understanding how to translate assessment results into meaningful, evidence-based strategies for communication development. The session will begin with a brief overview of the Communication Matrix, including its structure, purpose, and the seven levels of communication development it measures. Participants will explore how the tool helps identify an individual's current communication behaviors and the next logical steps to support progress. A case study will illustrate how the Communication Matrix can be used to inform individualized communication goals and interventions. Through this real-world example, participants will see how data from the assessment can promote collaboration among team members, guide instructional planning, and ultimately enhance student engagement and growth. The session will conclude with a review of practical resources and tools available to educators. These will include strategy guides, sample goals, and links to free materials that can be used to implement communication supports across the school setting and home. Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to move from assessment to instruction.

Presented by Ann Mayes.

Ann Mayes

Ann Mayes has been working in the field of deaf education for over 35 years. She was a teacher of deaf/hard of hearing in a variety of settings including self-contained classrooms, a charter school, and as an itinerant teacher for 30 years. During her time as a teacher, she also taught a range of students with deafblindness, deaf and hard of hearing students with developmental cognitive disabilities, emotional behavioral disorders and autism. She supported interveners, educational ASL interpreters, and was a lead teacher/mentor. Ann was also a cooperating teacher for several student teachers of deaf/hard of hearing. In the field of deafblindness, Ann is currently the statewide DeafBlind specialist with the MN Low Incidence Projects and the education specialist for the MN DeafBlind Project. She also is the program coordinator for the Minnesota Mentor Program and facilitates professional development for Region 11 (Twin Cities metro) educational ASL interpreters. Ann has a passion for assessing students to determine their primary disability and tailoring individualized programs to meet their accessibility, language and social needs. She is a strong believer in communication, ambassadorship, and collaboration in the interests of deaf/hard of hearing and deafblind children. When she's not working, she is a proud grandmother of two granddaughters. She's also an avid indoor gardener and knitter.