Erin Sheldon was a union negotiator when her first child was diagnosed with significant disabilities, a chromosome disorder called Angelman syndrome. Erin went back to school at Queen's University and earned her master's degree in Education to explore the education needs of students with this syndrome. Erin presents internationally on the topics of school inclusion, emergent literacy and language development, and assistive technology. She has authored articles, book chapters, and manuals for classroom teachers and parents. Erin works with school teams to support students with complex learning needs to learn to use communication systems and succeed in inclusive classrooms. She is on the Communication Advisory Committee of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation and led a free year-long webinar series for educators, The Communication Training Project. She is the CEO of Integration Action for Inclusion, Ontario's parent organization for school inclusion.
Learning Opportunities
This session has been completed.
WEBINAR: Ruby Bridges was Alone: The Descriptive Teaching Method for Emergent Students
Presented By
Erin SheldonSession Details
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| March 28, 2018 | 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm |
Location
Virtual
Grade Levels
AllStudents with complex needs require support in language development, early concept development, vocabulary, and background knowledge. We often struggle to find the time and technology to embed AAC modelling in our lessons and classroom activities, particularly in inclusive classrooms. This webinar was first developed for a teacher who asked "don't tell me WHY I should model AAC, tell me HOW." This webinar will explore simple, hands-on descriptive teaching strategies. Based on Gail van Tatenhove's descriptive teaching method, we will examine how to shift from referential to descriptive teaching to scaffold access to the regular curriculum for emergent students. We will see how the simplest graphic organizers can support our AAC modelling and foster language growth in our students with complex needs.
Target Audience
Teachers, SLPs, Para-educators and teams who serve children and youth with complex communication needs. Additional team members including OTs, Administrators, Assistive Technology Staff and Parents of students who have communication systems are encouraged to attend.