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What: The Professional Knowledge and Skill Assessment Module is designed as the segment to assess an instructor's guiding, assisting, and tethering skills, as well as their knowledge of how these skills are best used in an adaptive lesson for a student with a cognitive or visual diagnosis.

The Professional Knowledge and Skill Assessment Module may be passed at a Level 1 or Level 2 competency. This does not, however, indicate Adaptive Level 2 certification. Please see the PSIA-AASI-C Adaptive Alpine Pathway to Certification below for more information.

The complete Adaptive Alpine Cognitive and Visual Diagnoses certification consists of passing: (1) Alpine Level 1 or 2 certification, along with the specified Adaptive maneuvers, (2) Online Written Exam, (3) Teaching and Movement Analysis Assessment Module, and (4) Professional Knowledge and Skill Assessment Module.

Note: In 2020-2021 all Adaptive Alpine Level 1 & 2 Modules are conducted in a hybrid online process.

Why: The Professional Knowledge and Skill Assessment Module gives the candidate the opportunity to demonstrate their professional knowledge, as well as their "on- hill" technical skills relating specifically to students with cognitive and visual diagnoses.

Pre-Requisites:

• Cognitive Disabilities/Visual Impairment Workbook-Cog_VI_Level_1&2_Workbook-12-5-17 (PDF):
  It is highly encouraged, but not required, that all candidates complete the Cognitive and Visual Diagnoses workbook prior to taking the online written exam, as well as the Teaching and Movement Analysis Assessment Module and the Professional Knowledge and Skill Assessment Module.


• Alpine Cognitive/Visual Disabilities Written Exam: Prior to registering for the Teaching and Movement Analysis Assessment
  Module and the Professional Knowledge and Skill Assessment Module, the candidate must pass Alpine Level 1 or 2 certification, along with the specified Adaptive maneuvers and the online written exam. To take your written exam, please click here: https://lms.thesnowpros.org/


• Candidates who are successful at their Teaching and Movement Analysis Assessment Module and Professional Knowledge and Skill Assessment Module retain the modular pass so long as they remain current in dues and education.


• The Teaching and Movement Analysis Assessment Module and the Professional Knowledge and Skill Assessment Module may be taken in any order and repeated, if necessary. All modules must be passed for certification. (If you pass only one module, you do not need to retake it in future attempts.)

How:  Fulfill all pre-requisites above and then register for the exam module. The assessment consists of an individual 30-minute online assessment with a member of the PSIA-AASI-C Adaptive Alpine staff. The candidate shares their computer screen and presents previously recorded demonstrations and presentations (no need to upload them to another site). The examiner follows up with probing questions to determine the depth of the candidate's knowledge. Please note that for some of the videos, the examiner may ask the candidate to fast-forward during certain portions.  The videos must be taken in the season in which the candidate is being assessed. The demonstration and presentation video must include the following list of tasks. Regardless of the order in which the videos were taken, they must be presented in this order:

• Demonstrate a flat-terrain kinesthetic guide (your choice of technique) indoors or outdoors, but not on the slope.


• Demonstrate how to do a visual assessment for a student who has a visual impairment. Must include assessment of visual acuity, visual field, and color vision deficiency. Remember that you can interact with your "student" to do the assessment.


• Demonstrate the use of the clock system to guide a student from a stopped position to a first turn.


• Demonstrate a visual guide, with a minimum of six turns and a stop. In the video, identify the visual diagnosis of your "student."


• Demonstrate an audible guide, with a minimum of six turns and a stop.


• Demonstrate a kinesthetic guide, with a minimum of six turns and a stop.


• Demonstrate a verbal guide, with a minimum of six turns and a stop.


• Demonstrate a two-point hold, with a minimum of six turns and a stop.


• Demonstrate a tip-hold, with a minimum of six turns and a stop.


• Demonstrate stand-up tethering, with a minimum of six turns and a stop. The tether must be attached to the skis with a tip retention device. No boot tethering is allowed. The video must show the candidate start from a stopped position, make a minimum of six turns, then come to a controlled stop with proper tether management.


• Demonstrate a side-by-side bamboo pole assist, with a minimum of six turns and a stop.


• Demonstrate a chairlift load of a stand-up student with a bamboo pole.


• Demonstrate a chairlift unload of a stand-up student with a bamboo pole.


• Demonstrate a chairlift load of a stand-up student who is tethered. The tether must be attached to the skis with a tip retention device. No boot tethering is allowed.


• Demonstrate a chairlift unload of a stand-up student who is tethered. The tether must be attached to the skis with a tip retention device. No boot tethering is allowed.


• Give a presentation explaining the use of the following categories of on-ski appliances: (1) rigid tip retention devices, (2) semi-rigid (bungee and pipe) tip retention devices, (3) non-rigid (bungee cord) tip retention devices, (4) spacer/spreader bar, (5) bungee at heel, (6) tethers. Your presentation should include safety considerations and appropriateness of each category for typical students. Maximum length of video for all six categories: three minutes.


• Give a presentation explaining the use of the following learning/communication pieces of equipment: (1) bamboo pole, (2) Hula Hoop ® /Ski-Pal ® , (3) augmentative communication picture cards. Succinctly explain the fundamental skiing and/or communication skills each piece of equipment addresses to compensate for a deficit/challenge. Maximum video length for all three categories of equipment: two minutes.


• You must follow all requirements and guidelines for recording videos.  Read the "Video Requirements for Adaptive Alpine Assessment" document linked in the Education Resources section below.


• Workbook


• Written Exam