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AHA 18-18 Certification

AHA 18-18 Certification

English

04 May – 01 Sep 2027Online course

Dates shown for
Berlin, Europe (GMT+02:00)

The Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) 18-18 is a Rasch-based instrument that measures and describes the effectiveness with which a child/adolescent who has unilateral disability makes use of their affected hand (assisting hand) during bimanual activities. The AHA 18-18 is a standardised criterion-referenced test that is valid, reliable and sensitive to change. The test is intended for children with unilateral cerebral palsy and brachial plexus injuries aged between 18 months and 18 years.

Who should attend

Physical and Occupational Therapists

Course objectives

On completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Explain the construct of the AHA 18-18 and the psychometric evidence that supports its use.

  2. Set up, conduct and video record an AHA 18-18 play session or board game according to the test procedure.

  3. Score an AHA 18-18 session reliably according to the criteria in the manual (AHA Version 5.0).

  4. Interpret AHA 18-18 results and communicate them to families and colleagues to guide intervention and measure change.

Course requirements

To be able to perform the self-produced AHA assessment, you must have access to an AHA 18-18 test kit and at least 2 children with unilateral upper limb impairment. The AHA test kit for children between 18 months and 18 years with specific toys, and/or the board game for teenagers can be ordered by course participants only from www.cpteaching.com

Please do not register for this course if you:

  1. Do not have access to at least 2 children with unilateral upper limb impairment to complete the AHA 18-18 administration reliability procedure.

  2. Do not have access to an AHA 18-18 test kit.

  3. Have planned leave or other factors that will impact on your ability to complete of all steps outlined above within the time frames specified.

Course outline

  1. 1
    Opens
    4 May 2027
    Due
    18 May 2027

    Modality: Self-directed learning
    Time requirements: 10 hours
    Time for completion: 2 weeks

    Self-guided learning modules accessed via the CPTeaching Learning Management System (LMS). These modules include information about the test construct, testing procedure, and the AHA items. Quizzes will be used to test your knowledge. You will also be given the opportunity to practice scoring.

    You must complete the step within the specific time frame (2 weeks) to attend the next steps. There are no exceptions.

  2. 2
    Starts
    18 May 2027 at 9:00 am GMT+2

    Modality: Live online forum
    Time requirements: 4 hours

    The first online forum allows participants to practice scoring with the AHA 18-18 teachers. Participants will be given the opportunity to score three (3) AHA 18-18 play sessions, discuss their scoring the AHA 18-18 teacher(s) and clarify any questions about specific items.

  3. 3
    Due
    1 June 2027

    Modality: Self-directed learning
    Time requirements: 6 hours
    Time for completion: 2 weeks

    Following the first online forum, participants will be required to score three (3) AHA 18-18 play session/boardgames. This self-guided-guided step will be accessed via the CPTeaching Learning Management System (LMS).

    You must complete step within the specific time frame (2 weeks) to attend the next steps. There are no exceptions.

  4. 4
    Starts
    1 June 2027 at 9:00 am GMT+2

    Modality: Live online forum
    Time requirements: 4 hours

    The second online forum allows participants seek clarification about specific AHA 18-18 items, clarify specific scores for the children/adolescents scored in the self-directed learning step and discuss any other questions with the teacher(s). Participants will be given the opportunity to score one (1) additional AHA 18-18 play session/boardgame.

    If participants do not attend and complete the requirements for Steps 1 to 4, they will not be permitted to progress to the AHA 18-18 certification procedure.

  5. 5
    Due
    1 July 2027

    Modality: Self-directed online assessment
    Time requirements: 6 hours
    Time for completion: 4 weeks

    All participants are required to individually score four (4) to six (6) AHA 18-18 play sessions/boardgames. This step must be completed within 4 weeks of attending the workshop.

    To pass this step:

    • Participants need to pass four (4) out of six (6) of the AHA play sessions.

      • Two (2) attempts are provided to pass each play session.

    • After unsuccessful attempts, participants receive feedback indicating whether scores are “too nice” (scores too high) or “too harsh” (scores are too low).

    • Participants must achieve a sum score of ≤ 5 difference for each play session and ≤ 5 items wrong for incorrect scores.

    If participants do not achieve a score within these limits for four (4) of the AHA play sessions and within the required time frame (4 weeks), they will not meet the requirements for AHA 18-18 certification. Participants will need to register and attend another course to consolidate their understanding of the AHA items and reliable scoring.

  6. 6
    Due
    1 September 2027

    Modality: Self-directed clinical sessions
    Time requirements: 4 hours
    Time for completion: 3 months after completion of Step 4 – Online forum 2.

    Participants are required to administer AHA 18-18 sessions with two (2) children/adolescents from their practice, record and upload a video, and complete a self-reflection checklist for these sessions. Each course participant will receive individual, detailed feedback.

    You must have access to an AHA 18-18 test kit and at least 2 children with unilateral upper limb impairment.

    The AHA test kit for children between 18 months and 18 years with specific toys, and/or the board game for teenagers can be ordered online by course participants.