Description
The EFCP measures subtle, functional changes in nonverbal communication skills in children with severe disabilities and larger gains in children with moderate disabilities. The targeted skills are hallmarks of atypical development in the preverbal child. The EFCP can be used to gather information that will help determine a starting point in therapy and show progress over time. Subtests include:

• Joint Attention: Requesting Objects
• Social Interaction: Turn-taking
• Communicative Intent: Requesting Continuation of Actions
• Communicative Intent: Requesting Assistance
• Social Interaction: Response to Greetings
• Joint Attention: Receptive Language
• Communicative Intent: Protesting

The EFCP is appropriate to use with children who have suspected or diagnosed autism spectrum disorder, severe to profound cognitive impairments, coexisting disorders, or augmentative and alternative communication.

Administration and Scoring
This dynamic assessment uses a hierarchy of prompts to provide information about what skills a child can perform with some degree of adult assistance. Skills and the level of progress are defined by: developmental level; level of environmental prompt; gestural prompt; verbal cues; and level of adult-action prompt.

Since the EFCP is a criterion-referenced tool, it does not supply age or number scores. Its precise descriptive measures tell you what a child can do and how he or she responds to different types of prompts.