Week 5- Midpoint assessment of progress using GAS method
Hi everyone and welcome to week 5 of blog posts! Last week, I mentioned that I was considering creating a poster as my final product. However, after spending more time considering the options, I have decided that I am going to write a paper instead since it is less restrictive in space, allowing me to fully expand on my research and the findings. I will be starting the writing process and plan to use my full proposal to guide the outline of my paper.
This week on 3/13:
On Thursday, I plan to meet with my advisor again at the clinic and have the families measure their child’s progress using the GAS since this week marks the midpoint assessment. Hopefully, we see some progress from week 1 (the baseline assessment) to week 5 (the middle assessment). This is ideal, however, considering that every family’s schedule is different, and that the duration of the project is not too long, not every child might show progression.
The GAS method can sometimes feel limiting, since it requires selecting from five distinct numerical values to represent a client’s progress. However, progress is not always linear or easily categorized, and clients may fall between two designated levels. In these cases, it is recommended to choose the number that most accurately reflects their performance or aligns with the direction of their progress. It is important to recognize all forms of improvement, whether it involves a measurable step forward, such as moving from -2 to -1, or a more subtle shift, like still progressing within the -1 range but moving steadily toward 0 after more practice with their specific goal. Even incremental advancements are valuable and deserve acknowledgment.
Out of the 8 clients involved in my study, 3 of them started their baseline assessment using the GAS on Feb 20 while the other 5 started their baseline on Feb 25. Since the clients began using the GAS during different weeks, their midpoint and end assessments will also vary. This staggered timeline was not ideal but rather due to a meeting being canceled when my advisor was sick, resulting in baseline assessments beginning at different times. The middle assessment for 3 of the clients will be on Thursday as mentioned, whereas the middle assessment for the remaining 5 will likely be next Tuesday (3/18). With everything being shifted, the end assessment will result in my study extending 2 days, which means the end of my research will likely be around April 8.
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading!
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