Handouts

In this hands-on session, participants will examine and assess their local successes and challenges in their family-school partnership practices. Participants will be provided with many resources that they will, in turn, be able to share locally to improve practices.

Presenter: Jacqui DiDomenico, Linda Cartwright

This session will introduce the Communication Matrix Intervention Modules which are being launched this fall. The modules include the Foundation and a separate intervention module for each of the 7 levels of the Communication Matrix. The modules are designed to assist teams in creating and supporting communication across environments and with multiple communication partners. This session will include a description of the modules and how they can be used to create evidence-based communication intervention for individuals with complex communication needs.

Presenter: Nancy Steele

The training will discuss how to maximize potential for children with hearing loss using case studies. Topics discussed will include evaluating children with hearing loss, determining technology needs (e.g., hearing aids, cochlear implants, remote microphone systems), and therapy and educational management for children with hearing loss.

Presenter: Jane Madell, Ph.D., CCC A/SLP, LSLS Cert AVT

Developing educational interventions for children with brain injury-related neurological impairments begins with understanding that helpful interventions a) target specific behaviors and activities, rather than “discrete” neurological impairments, b) apply to all settings in which the behavior/activity is likely to occur, and c) include practice opportunities outside the classroom environment. This session will discuss the value of supplementing task-and skills-specific classroom interventions with practice opportunities that help children with brain injury-related neurological impairments generalize learned skills to real world situations/environments.

Presenter:

This session will provide attendees with the guidelines for an educational approach that begins with the presumption of competence when educating ALL students. To base education on the premise all students CAN learn and hold high expectations creates an environment where students are taught as individuals. Come find out what it means to hold high expectations in the home, school, and community.

Presenter: Lorie Brew, Tammi Morton, Jacqui DiDomenico, William Del Toro Vargas, Jill Houseal, Sharon Janosik

An introduction to cognitive-communication and social communication in children and youth with brain injury: It is well understood that brain injury sustained during childhood can alter the developmental trajectory of a young person, and may result in difficulties with learning, academics and socialization. This session will provide participants with an overview of concepts related to cognitive-communication and social communication, and how these are impacted following brain injury in children and youth. A neurodevelopmental lens will be applied to facilitate an understanding of the developmental interplay between cognition, social-emotional development, and language development across the trajectory from early childhood through adolescence and young adulthood, with consideration of the impact on long-term recovery. Implications for learning and social interaction will be considered and framed within the context of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. The concept of Communication Partner Training will also be introduced. Throughout both sessions, case studies will be presented with opportunities for discussion and problem-solving.

Presenter: Catherine Wiseman-Hakes, Ph.D.

This session will complement session one to provide an interdisciplinary, ‘hands-on’, evidence-based approach to the assessment and support of children and youth with brain injuries, with an aim to maximize functional outcomes. Consideration will be given to the role of families and communication partners including teachers, clinicians, and peers, in addition to the development of self-advocacy for the young person. Practical strategies to facilitate developmentally appropriate, optimal cognitive-communication and social communication will be discussed along with the need to consider both the child’s/young person’s current status along with longer-term developmental status, needs, and outcomes.

Presenter: Catherine Wiseman-Hakes, Ph.D.

This session will summarize mental health conditions that psychiatrists regularly encounter when consulting with special educators. We will encourage discussion about the need for interdisciplinary teamwork, which helps to promote mental wellness and positive self-esteem for youth. Case reviews, including students who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and complex needs, will highlight the ways mental health professionals, educators, youth and parental figures engage in goal planning. Transition plan meetings, Individualized Educational Plan meetings and Individual Support Plan meetings allow mental health professionals an opportunity to connect with teachers and school staff. 

Presenter: Kimberly Mathos, DO

This session presents a collection of tools and strategies that Orientation and Mobility Specialists can use in the evaluation and development of their student’s auditory skills. We’ll examine ways to build strong working relationships with the student's audiologist, specialist for the auditory impaired and the speech and language pathologist (SLP) as we work to better understand the environmental hearing needs of our students and clients with a dual sensory loss.

Presenter: Chris Tabb, M.A., COMS; Kaycee Bennett, M.Ed.

Circle time is a well-known routine in classrooms for students with CCN. However, it has not truly been adapted to encourage student interaction and participation for these students. This session will re-examine our circle time routines. This session will provide a framework to identify methods of independent communication that can be used by students as well as strategies to facilitate natural communication

Presenter: Karen M. Kangas, OTR/L, ATP; Nora Connell, M.A., CCC-SLP