Transcript Diabilities - Allegheny Intermediate Unit

Effective
Communication
Credential of Competency Standard # 6: Language
Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)
Prepared: October 13, 2008
Pennsylvania’s Commitment to
Least Restrictive Environment
(LRE)
Recognizing that the placement decision is an
Individualized Education Program (IEP) team
decision, our goal for each child is to ensure
IEP teams begin with the general education
setting with the use of Supplementary Aids and
Services before considering a more restrictive
environment.
District, IU, Preschool Agency Policy
Your local district’s policies
regarding paraeducator job
descriptions, duties, and
responsibilities provide the
final word!
Agenda
• Effective communication
• With adults in school
• In the community
• With students
• Resolving conflict in the work setting
• Working with students who have
communication or language disorders
Learner Outcomes
Participants will:
• Describe basic elements of communication
• List strategies for communicating effectively with
adults and students.
• Describe specific ways to respond to difficult people
and situations within the work setting.
• Describe the types of communication and language
difficulties that students with disabilities may
experience in school.
• Learn strategies to support students who have
challenges with communication or language.
How Do You Communicate?
• With a partner or your table group,
brainstorm ways in which you communicate
throughout a typical day.
• Jot down your ideas
• We will share out
What is Communication?
Communication is a process by
which information is exchanged between
individuals through a common system of
symbols, signs or behavior.
Effective Communication
Comprehension of spoken messages:
• 7% from the meaning of words
• 38% from voice pitch, emphasis, timing
• 55% from facial expression, body language
Mehrabian, A. “Nonverbal Betrayal of Feelings” Journal
of Experimental Research in Personality 5, (1971):64-73
Effective Communication
Four possibilities:
Speaker: says what he means
A student says, “This assignment looks
really hard and I don’t think I can do it”.
Speaker: says something other than what he
means
A students says, “This is a dumb
assignment and I’m not going to do it”.
Effective Communication
Four possibilities:
• Listener: may not accurately hear what is said
The teacher may feel that this student is
lazy and just does not want to make the
effort to complete the assignment.
• Listener: accurately hears what is said
The teacher understands that the student
needs extra help with the assignment.
Activity – How well do you communicate?
• Take the Communication Skills Inventory
from your handouts.
• Read each item and circle the number that
best describes how well you use each skill.
• After you are through, choose 1 or 2 skills
you would like to improve.
Effective Communication
As members of the education team, good
communication and problem-solving skills
are essential
• To your job success and satisfaction
• To support student success
Effective Communication
With Adults In School
Styles of Communication
• Passive / Non-assertive
• Aggressive
• Positive / Assertive

Effective Communication
With Adults In School
Use effective communication strategies
• Active listener
• Be aware of “filters”
• Use “people first” language
Effective Communication
With Adults In School
Communicate in a professional manner
• Report objectively
• Recognize roles and authority
• Follow communication policies
• Respect others’ perspectives
Effective Communication
with Adults and the Community
Maintaining Confidentiality
Effective Communication
with Adults and the Community
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) 1974
• Paraprofessionals may have access to student:
• Testing results
• Behavior plans
• Ability levels
• Family information
• Paraprofessionals must:
• maintain students’ privacy, giving out student
information according to district policy
Activity - Confidentiality- Do or Don’t?
• Work with a partner
• Read over the confidentiality
worksheet
• Mark each statement as Do or Don’t
Confidentiality - Do or Don’t?
• You tell a parent of one of your students that
the reason the child’s P.T. has been out is
because she had a miscarriage. She’ll make up
the sessions when she returns.
• You are asked by a student’s stepfather to let
you know if the child’s father acts “funny” in
any way when he comes to pick up the child.
The mother and he are worried the father may
be drinking – again – and are concerned for
the boy’s safety.
Confidentiality - Do or Don’t?
• Before leaving for your two-week
honeymoon, you lock students’ files in your
desk drawer.
• A general education teacher who taught
Reilly two years ago asks you how Reilly is
doing in math. She struggled in his class, and
he wanted to know if her math aptitude had
improved.
Confidentiality - Do or Don’t?
• You are at a school baseball game as a
spectator. A mother of one of your students
tells you she was considering putting her
daughter on ADD medicine. She knows her
neighbor recently started her son, Brandon,
(who is also your class) on it. “Off the record,
do you see a big improvement in his behavior
in school?” You tell her, “Yes, he has
definitely benefitted from it.”
Confidentiality - Do or Don’t?
• When questioned about a student’s disability
by a substitute teacher filling in for the day,
you provide specific information on the child
and the teacher’s notes concerning his
behavior.
Effective Communication
With Students
•
•
•
•
•
•
Treat students with respect
Give clear directions
Use humor, not sarcasm
Look for opportunities to praise students
Tell students what it is they did right!
Be genuine
Resolving Conflict in the Work Setting
• Dealing with Negativity and Difficult People
• Resolving Conflict
Dealing with Negativity and Difficult People
Is it getting to you?
Dealing with Negativity and Difficult People
What you can do about negativity
• Get specific
• Let it go
• Choose to be positive
Dealing with Negativity and Difficult People
What you can do about verbal assault
•
•
•
•
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Do not argue
Silent refocus
Respond in a professional manner
Caring comeback
Write it down
Activity - Resolving Conflict
How do you respond to conflict?
• Think of your work setting and people with
whom you occasionally may have conflict
• Place a check in the box next to each
statement on the form that best describes
how you respond when conflicts arise
Resolving Conflict
Use “I” messages
• the feeling
• the situation
• the reason
“I feel__________when________
because____________.”
Resolving Conflict
“I” Message Scenario:
You are allotted a ½ hour duty-free lunch
each day. Your partner teacher takes lunch
first and then you go to lunch. Lately, the
teacher has been stretching it and arriving
back to class 5 or 10 minutes late. You must
escort students to their general education
class directly following your lunch so you
must be on time. You are being shorted on
your lunch time.
Resolving Conflict
•
•
•
•
Find a good time to talk
Listen carefully, speak carefully
Take the time to get at the real problem
Focus on what you can do to solve the
conflict
• Take action and evaluate the situation over
time
Working with Students Who Have
Communication Disorders
A communication disorder is:
“An impairment in the ability to receive, send,
process, and comprehend concepts, or verbal,
nonverbal, and graphic symbol systems.”
www.asha.org
Who has communication disorders?
• Students who receive special education
may have communication disorders.
• Impairments range from mild to severe
What types of speech and language
disorders affect school-age children?
•
•
•
•
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Speech sound disorders
Language disorders
Cognitive-communication disorders
Stuttering (fluency) disorders
Voice disorders
Working with Students Who Have
Communication Disorders
General Strategies
Strategy # 1
Model appropriate speech and language use
Strategy # 2
Expand the student’s language
Strategy # 3
Create language extensions
Strategy # 4
Use parallel talk
Strategy # 5
If the child stutters. . .
Strategy # 6
Use gestures
Strategy # 7
When the student uses augmentative
and alternative communication
(AAC)…
Strategy # 8
Emphasize quantity rather than quality
Strategy # 9
Encourage curiosity about words
Strategy # 10
Use conversational repair
Strategy # 11
Use scripts
Strategy # 12
Use visuals
Working With Students Who Have
Communication Disorders
What would you do if…?
Scenario # 1
You are working with Rosario, a student with
cerebral palsy. Rosario uses a Touch Talker
to communicate. Ms. Brown is teaching a
lesson in geography. She asks if anyone
knows the name of the Pennsylvania state
capital. Rosario would like to give the
answer.
What do you do?
Scenario # 1 (response)
1. Raise your hand and tell Ms. Brown that
Rosario would like to give the answer.
2. Start typing the answer for Rosario on her
Touch Talker.
3. Tell Rosario she can try another time.
Scenario # 2
You are working with Chance, a student who
has difficulty initiating conversation. The
students sitting near Chance are discussing
baseball. He wants to join in.
What do you do?
Scenario # 2 (response)
1. Tell the students sitting nearby how
much you love the Phillies.
2. Tell Chance he needs to speak up.
3. Whisper a conversational starter to
Chance, “Hey I saw the Phillies play…”
and encourage him to move closer to the
other students.
Scenario # 3
You are working with Ashley, a student who
has multiple articulation errors. She is
currently working on the /s/ and /ch/
sounds. In the cafeteria line, she wants to
order a sandwich.
What do you do?
Scenario # 3 (response)
1. Tell the cafeteria staff Ashley wants to
order a sandwich.
2. Practice the /s/ and /ch/ sounds in the
word “sandwich” with Ashley before she
gets in the cafeteria line.
3. Let Ashley ask repeatedly for a sandwich
even though the cafeteria staff cannot
understand her.
Scenario # 4
You are working with Kareem, a student with
autism. It is the end of the day and time to
get on the bus to go home. Kareem begins to
exhibit anxiety as he is putting on his coat.
What do you do?
Scenario # 4 (response)
1. Ignore Kareem’s screaming and put him on
the bus.
2. Tell Kareem everything is fine and he should
stop screaming.
3. Before the end of the school day, review
Kareem’s script, “Now it’s time to go on the
bus” with him.
In summary, communication disorders:
•
•
•
•
Impact language, speech or hearing
Range from mild to severe
Can be developmental or acquired
Can be a primary disability or secondary to
another disability
• There are many strategies to use to support
student success with communication
Learner Outcomes
Participants will:
• Describe basic elements of communication
• List strategies for communicating effectively with adults and
students.
• Describe specific ways to respond to difficult people and
situations within the work setting.
• Describe the types of communication and language
difficulties that students with disabilities may experience in
school.
• Learn strategies to support students who have challenges
with communication or language.
Bureau of Special Education
Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network
Edward G. Rendell
Governor
Gerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed.
Secretary
Diane Castelbuono, Deputy Secretary
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
John J. Tommasini, Director
Bureau of Special Education
Contact Information: Name of Consultant, Email address
www.pattan.net