(APPSI-2) Assessment for Persons With Profound or Severe Impairments-Second Edition

The APPSI-2 is an easy-to-administer test built specifically for clinicians working with clients of any age who are preverbal and functioning at a mental age of 0 to 24 months. The test’s second edition has been fully reconceptualized to create an assessment system that is comprehensive enough to aid in planning effective individualized instruction for these examinees. Results can be used to (a) identify abilities and behaviors that clients are able to demonstrate, (b) plan effective intervention, and (c) monitor progress in mastery of new abilities. The APPSI-2 also aids in defining an individual’s preferred methods of communication, which is most useful for planning instruction to enhance his or her independence.

Covering both foundational learning components as well as major developmental components, the five APPSI-2 domains are:

• Alertness
• Preferences
• Problem-Solving Prerequisites
• Communication
• Social–Emotional 

Specifically, the assessment measures an examinee’s alertness, the types of stimuli likely to evoke his or her attention, and the rewards likely to serve as reinforcers, all of which are important foundational components of instructional planning, particularly for this population. The APPSI-2 also measures an examinee’s prerequisite problem-solving skills, ability to communicate with others, and social–emotional abilities—important traits for the examinee’s successful development and for enhancing his or her quality of life. Depending on the type and amount of information needed for instructional planning, clinicians can administer the entire APPSI-2, a combination of several domains, or a single domain at any given time.