Learning Opportunities

Children and adults with disabilities use a wide variety of behaviors that are interpreted by listeners as meaningful, many of which are not necessarily produced intentionally even by symbolic communicators. For early communicators that rely heavily on these partner-perceived communication behaviors, it is necessary to have a strategy to record and interpret possible meanings associated with these behaviors so that partners can respond similarly across activities and settings. A communication signal inventory (CSI) is a simple tool that creates an ongoing record of the individual’s signals and context produced, possible interpreted meanings, and planned partner responses to those behaviors, that can be used for anyone from very basic communicators through multiword symbolic communicators. A  CSI can be one of the most powerful tools for both assessing communication and developing an intervention plan for basic communicators and it can incorporate a wide variety of communication modalities and strategies in both signals and partner responses. This webinar presents strategies for creating a CSI, categories of possible partner responses that enhance different aspects of communication, and video examples of CSI application for children with disabilities.

Target Audience

Teachers of students with Complex Communication Needs, Speech Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists working with CCN students

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Parents