Help! I can't Wait to ask for a Break...and more!

This training discusses how to teach critical communication skills that lead to greater independence in the home, work, school and community settings for all students regardless of communicative modality.

There are many skills that are typically taught in communication intervention programs. Individuals with complex communication needs, however, must master certain critical communication skills if they are to function independently in the home, community, school and/or vocational setting. One set of critical skills deals with expressive communication – skills individuals need to convey important messages to others. Specific skills include: requesting reinforcers; requesting help; requesting break; acceptance and rejection skills. These skills are crucial because if a person cannot calmly and effectively communicate wants and needs, s/he may demonstrate a range of contextually inappropriate behaviors. To reduce such behaviors, we need to teach five critical expressive communication skills. A second set of critical skills relates to receptive communication – a person’s ability to understand important messages from others. Specific skills include: waiting; following direction; schedule following and transitions. Failure to understand such messages may be distressing and/or dangerous for the individual. In order to reduce contextually inappropriate behaviors that occur as the result of such distress, and to ensure that the individual is safe, we need to teach four critical receptive communication skills. This one-day workshop focuses on why these nine skills are the highest priority for teaching and how we teach them. The strategies covered are relevant for anyone with complex communication needs, regardless of their communication modality (e.g. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), signing, speech).This workshop is a must for anyone working and/or living with people with complex communication needs. It is an important adjunct to training in PECS, but also stands alone for those who have not completed PECS training. Parents, care givers, and professionals alike will benefit from this day.

What You Will Learn:

• How to define functional communication
• How to identify and evaluate the nine critical communication skills
• How to design effective teaching strategies to promote these skills independent of modality
• How to incorporate effective visual strategies for all communicators
• How to incorporate these skills into functional activities and routines