TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile (TTAP) — Second Edition

Gary Mesibov • John B Thomas • S Michael Chapman • Eric Schopler

Ages:                    5th-12th Grade and adulthood

Testing Time:    1½ hours for direct observation, 3½ hours for
                               three scales

Administration:  Individual

The TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile (TTAP) — Second Edition is a newly titled and improved version of the Adolescent and Adult Psychoeducational Profile (AAPEP). This new comprehensive test was developed for older children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorders, with special emphasis on those with transitional needs. In particular, the TTAP is structured to satisfy those provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 that require adolescents to be evaluated and provided with a transition plan by age 14.

Educators, parents, counselors, and care providers can use this powerful tool to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders to prepare for a successful, semi-independent adult life (i.e., personal development, recreational living, adult integration into employment and residential arrangements, etc.). It includes both an initial formal assessment instrument and an ongoing informal assessment instrument.

The formal assessment will help providers identify the individual’s initial transition goals, strengths, and weaknesses and can be used to facilitate educational and transitional planning.  Emphasis is on evaluating the six major functional skill areas [1) Vocational Skills, 2) Vocational Behavior, 3) Independent Functioning, 4) Leisure Skills, 5) Functional Communication, and 6) Interpersonal Behavior] within three different contexts: 

• Direct Observation — a direct skill assessment that can be administered by a teacher, psychologist, job coach, or other trained professional in a quiet testing environment
• Home — an assessment that evaluates performance in the residential setting via interviews with the primary care provider
• School/Work — an assessment of performance in an academic/vocational setting via interviews with the individual’s teacher or work supervisor

The informal assessment is a tool for the development of appropriate transition goals and objectives within community-based instruction settings.  Using it, providers will compile a “Cumulative Record of Skills” (CRS) to help identify individual vocational preferences (even for individuals with limited communication skills) and to serve as a functional resume.  Along with two other data collection forms, it provides an efficient method of ongoing assessment in community-based instruction so as to help the individual achieve positive long-term vocational and residential outcomes.

Both parts of this indispensable resource also feature: 

• A unique scoring system that helps maximize instructional time by clearly guiding the provider to teach those skills that can be most readily learned and incorporated into the individual’s functional skill set
• Guidelines for making environmental accommodations to enhance an individual’s positive behavior and performance

The TTAP manual, which is sold by Pro-Ed, Inc., includes instructions for putting together your own test administration kit.  However, a prepared kit assembled in part by people in our TEACCH Supported Employment program can be purchased from Orange Enterprises.

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