effective Communication Strategies - Secondary
Effective Communication Strategies for Pupils with Speech, Language & Communication Difficulties - Secondary
Thistle Hotel Middlesbrough, 12th November 2010
INTRODUCTION - Your chance to meet the new Communication Champion
Communication is at the core of all social interaction and is a fundamental human right. For some children and young people, acquiring the ability to communicate is a difficult and ongoing challenge. Jean Gross, Communication Champion believes “Without help, a third of children with speech, language and communication difficulties could go on to have mental health problems and in one study, two thirds of young offenders had language problems”. Developing effective strategies to support speech, language and communication (SLC) in school requires consideration of the individual and the environment in which they play, learn and communicate. This conference aims to address key SLC developments affecting Pupils and their learning environment.
Keynote 1: Getting ready for the National Year of Speech, Language and Communication.
Jean Gross, Communication Champion
Jean will consider key national issues in SLCN from her perspective as Communication Champion. She will explore the exciting possibilities that the National Year of Speech, Language and Communication offers to improve children’s language skills in schools and settings.
Keynote 2: And after the National Year of Speech, Language and Communication – what next?
Anita Kerwin-Nye, Director, The Communication Trust
With a new government, three years on from the Bercow Review and difficult decisions in public spending what are the challenges that we need the National Year to address? What next in both the area of speech, language and communication and the wider SEN agenda and how do we keep the ground we have gained and continue the move forward?
Workshop A - An Introduction to Speech, Language & Communication Needs
Emma Jordan, Specialist Speech & Language Therapist and Sue Hayden, Specialist Teacher
Emma and Sue will aim to help practitioners to recognise speech, language and communication needs (SLCNs) in mainstream settings; identify specific skills to be targeted; and share a range of practical strategy ideas that can be used to support pupils at a whole class, small group and individual level.
Workshop B - Teaching Vocabulary: across the day, across the curriculum
Anna Branagan, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Gloucestershire PCT/Worcestershire PCT and Stephen Parsons, Speech and Language Therapy Team Manager, Children’s Integrated SLT Service for Hackney and the City of London
Vocabulary is a powerful predictor of reading comprehension and academic success. Anna and Stephen will outline a practical, flexible and cross curricular approach to developing vocabulary. These whole class strategies are applicable to all children, including those with SEN. More specifically, this workshop aims to build on good practice and provide a short introduction to the evidence about the impact of spoken and written vocabulary.
Workshop C - Child and Adult Interaction
Keena Cummins, Speech and Language Therapist - Consultant Specialist in Parent/Adult Child Interaction
Children with communication difficulties present different signals, which can make it hard for the adult to know how to respond. Experience shows that these children may ‘skew’ timing. By using freeze frame video of adult/child interaction techniques to help identify difficulties, observation and discussion developed from 20 years experience of working with Parents, Teaching Assistants, Practitioners and Teachers, Keena will demonstrate how it is possible to learn optimally from one another as research partners and evaluate over time the impact of our behaviours. Communication, language and learning are developed through interaction. This presentation will draw on a model of 4 sessions of video to illustrate techniques and the strategies used to develop and increase the child’s initiation, exploration and confidence in all areas of communication.
Workshop D - Social Aspects of Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties
Shauna Walsh, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
This workshop will provide a practical look at some of the areas of difficulties commonly presenting in children and young people with a social communication difficulty such as an Autistic Spectrum Disorder/ Condition or Asperger’s. Delegates will find out how learning methods used for/by children and young people with this type of disorder can make school life extremely difficult. Shauna will explain in full the implications of cognitive difficulties found in theory of mind, central coherence and executive function. Delegates will leave with some fun and simple ideas and techniques for helping make communication easier. Better communication should then lead to better behaviour.
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