Identifying and Supporting Diverse Communicators in the Preschool Environment: Virtual Training

Dr. Angela Barber was named Chair of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Samford University in 2022. She previously served as Department Chair of the University of Alabama Department of Communicative Disorders. Barber’s teaching, clinical work, and research focus on autism and social communication in early childhood. Her primary research looks at improving accessibility to effective early identification and interventions for children with an increased likelihood of autism by building cooperative and sustainable solutions that promote health equity. As a licensed clinical Speech-Language Pathologist, she combines evidence-based practice into instructional settings and real-world applications to bridge the research-to-service gap experienced in rural and underserved areas. Barber also studies the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in CSD Programs as it relates to preparing students to work with minimally verbal individuals. She has received grants to support her and her students’ participation in community-based research.

During this virtual training participants will learn to:

•  Informally assess communication forms, functions, and motivators in the classroom.

• Identify how diverse communication styles affect academic and social learning.

• Create learning environments to support diverse language levels and communication styles.

• Develop low and high-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication systems to support learning  AAC for non-speaking and minimally-verbal students.

• Prepare effective visual supports to improve communication and reduce challenging behaviors. 

• Describe the double empathy problem and identify solutions to reduce mis-attunement in the classroom environment between neurotypical and neurodiverse peers. 

November 4, 2024 8:30-11:30 

3 OPI Renewal Units are offered for this free training. 

Register here for this virtual training.

Pyramid Educational Consultants: Transitioning from PECS to Speech-Generating Devices

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS®) is an evidence-based protocol that teaches vital communication skills such as initiation, persistence in relaying messages, picture discrimination, and basic sentence structure. After mastery of these skills, the learner likely has a large repertoire of pictures in the communication book. If the learner is not speaking, the team may need to explore a transition to a dedicated Speech Generating Device (SGD) or tablet with a communication app that will accommodate larger vocabularies and allow for continued language development. To ensure the rapid transfer of existing communication skills, the transition will require the team to assess current PECS skills and then analyze features of various apps/SGDS to select a device that will best meet the learner’s needs. Following device selection, detailed lesson plans are necessary to teach the use of the new device as a functional communication system. This workshop is appropriate for teams supporting learners who may be ready to transition from PECS to SGDs. It is also appropriate for teams working with learners who are not currently using their devices effectively. 

*Please bring a Speech Generating Device (SGD) or a tablet with an AAC app to the training to use during a variety of activities

Learner Objectives:  

• Review of the PECS protocol
• The unique challenges of learners with complex communication needs
• Procedures for analyzing current PECS skills
• Determining candidacy for transitioning from PECS to a Speech Generating Device
• The 5 criteria for appropriate device selection
• Preparing the learning for the transition
• Using elements of the PECS protocol to teach functional SGD use
• Problem-solving SGD use

November 15, 2024, 8:00 am- 3:30 pm Bozeman, Homewood Suites

7 OPI Renewal Units are offered for this free training. 

Register here for this 1 day in person training.

Classroom Strategies to Support Executive Function Barriers

Executive functioning encompasses a large number of cognitive processes including: Organization, Attention, Planning, Sequencing, Problem-solving, Working memory, Regulation, Initiation of action, Self-control, Emotional regulation, Monitoring internal and external stimuli, Moral reasoning, and Decision-making. All of these skills are paramount in accessing education. Come learn "use today" strategies for your classroom that will support learners with executive functioning barriers. 

Kelly Miller and Colleen Wattles are Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Autism Consultants. Their practical and hands-on experience spans two decades, including mental health and school settings. Kelly and Colleen work to expand teachers’ instructional repertoires to encompass not only academic, but social, emotional, and behavioral systems of support. With a focus on maximizing positive behavior momentum in the classroom, educators will reclaim valuable learning time. Kelly and Colleen coach and provide live modeling and support within the classroom. Workshops are rooted in inclusive practices, enabling teachers to develop their own “take away toolkit” full of evidence-based strategies that can be immediately applied in their classroom

November 18, 2024 1:00-4:00

March 7, 2025 9:00-12:00 

3 OPI Renewal Units are offered for this free training. 

Register for this virtual training here.

For more information, contact: 

Katie Mattingley, Statewide Coordinator, OPI Montana Autism Education Project

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The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.