SSN Trainings

Day 1: Communication Fundamentals and a Few Extra Tidbits for Good Measure 

Communication is at the core of everything we do with children and youth who are deafblind. Supporting students who are deaf-blind to become proficient communicators can challenge family members and even the most skilled and experienced educators. But there is rarely anything as thrilling as watching a child successfully communicate for the first time, whether it is to name an object or action or whether it is to express an emotion or describe an abstract concept. Day one of a two-day training will include a focus on the features of communication that are unique to children who are deaf-blind and/or who have significant support needs and offer evidence-based strategies that address the needs of emerging communicators. The session will also cover the use of authentic assessment data to drive decision making, how to manage large transdisciplinary teams, the impact of stress and anxiety on communication, and will debunk the myth that it is ever too late to become a competent communicator. 

Day 2: Teaching Social Skills, Facilitating Friendships, and Preparing Students to Have Wonderful, Self-Determined Lives

There may never have been a more important time to focus on social skills, friendships, and self-esteem. Children and young adults are growing up in what public health experts are calling the loneliest generation in recorded history. What can families and educators do to ensure that these students have the skills they need to live rich, self-determined lives that include meaningful engagement and lasting friendships? This session will include strategies that can be implemented right away to address these critical issues, including strategies for facilitating and maintaining natural peer relationships, and the development of communication systems that support making and keeping friends. The session will also cover independence and interdependence and how they are influenced by familial cultural factors, the ways in which social relationships change throughout children’s lives, and the importance of maintaining a presence on social media in the 21st century. 

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Summer Institute
 

"Making Inclusion Meaningful for Students with Significant Support Needs - Part 1"

• Inclusion for Students with Significant Support Needs PowerPoint (PDF)
• Supporting Handouts (PDF)
• Article - Making Inclusion a Reality for Students with Severe Disabilities (PDF)

"Making Inclusion Meaningful for Students with Significant Support Needs - Part 2"

• Elementary Presentation Handouts
  • Successful Inclusion for All Students, Elementary (PDF)
  • Meaningful Inclusion for Students with Significant Support Needs, Elementary (PDF)
  • Elementary Scenarios (PDF)
• Secondary Presentation Handouts
  • Successful Inclusion for All Students, Secondary (PDF)
  • Meaningful Inclusion for Students with Significant Support Needs, Secondary (PDF)
  • Secondary Scenarios (PDF)
• Articles
  • The Golden Rule of Providing Support in Inclusive Classrooms: Support Others as You Would Wish to be Supported (PDF)
  • Don't Lecture Me! (PDF)
  • 20 Ways to Adapt the Science Lab (PDF)
  • Rewriting History and Nine Other Ways to Adapt Textbooks (PDF)

"Filling Your Behavior Toolbox" Workshop

• Elementary Presentation: Lives in the Balance
• Secondary Presentation: Lives in the Balance
• Articles
  • Identifying and Reinforcing Islands of Competence in Children with Special Needs
  • 10 Steps to Foster Organization: Homework and Beyond!
  • Learning to Take Control of Emotional Reactions as Part of Problem Solving
  • Field Notes: The Boy on Red and the Problem with Public Behavior Charts
  • Top Ten Engaged Learning Strategies
  • Differentiating Instruction: 10 no-fuss Strategies for Inclusive Classrooms
  • Beyond Treats and Timeouts: Humanistic Behavioral Supports in Inclusive Classrooms