Webinar Title
Assessment of Social and Communicative Functioning in Youth with Intellectual Disability (1.5 CE/CPD)
Date and Time
Thursday, September 10, 2026
11:30 am – 1:00 pm CDT
Abstract
Social and communicative functioning involves the coordination of a multi-domain and interdependent set of skills during everyday social interaction. For those with intellectual disability, it is important to evaluate and consider these skills when planning interventions aimed at optimizing their independence and supporting everyday functioning across settings. Traditional standardized assessments are particularly limited in their ability to capture clinically meaningful differences that can inform intervention targets and monitor response to intervention in this population. This intermediate-level webinar will review the current evidence on the use and limitations of standardized assessments of language and social communication for youth with intellectual disability. Taking a holistic approach, participants will learn about alternative approaches to assessment that balance precision measurement (i.e., isolating skills to determine an individual’s strengths and areas in need of support) with authentic assessment (i.e., evaluating how an individual uses their skills in everyday settings). The webinar will include case studies and offer hands-on practice for participants who want to learn practical ways to approach holistic assessment of social and communicative functioning in educational, clinical, and community settings.
Learning Objectives
Following this webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Explain how social and communication skills are distinct yet interrelated in individuals with intellectual disability.
- Identify key limitations of standardized assessments of language and social communication for youth with intellectual disability.
- Name three evidence-based alternative approaches to assess social and communicative functioning in youth with intellectual disability.
Bio
Dr. Marie Channell is an Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She earned her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Alabama and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Davis MIND Institute. She has been a faculty member at the University of Illinois since 2015 where she also serves as Regional Co-Director of the Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (LEND) program. Her research focuses on how youth with Down syndrome and intellectual disability develop social communication skills and ways to support these individuals through the transition to young adulthood. Recent projects involve identifying the best autism screening and evaluation tools for youth with Down syndrome and using community-based participatory research to engage young adults with Down syndrome as research partners.