Effective Communication Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) October 16, 2008 Credential of Competency Standard # 6: Language.

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Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)October 16, 2008

Credential of Competency Standard # 6: Language

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 OutcomesParticipants 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


Four possibilities:

Speaker: says what he meansA student says, “This assignment looks really hard and I don’t think I can do it”.

Speaker: says something other than what he meansA students says, “This is a dumb

assignment and I’m not going to do it”.


Four possibilities:

• Listener: may not accurately hear what is saidThe 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 saidThe 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.


As members of the education team, good communication and problem-solving skills are essential

•To your job success and satisfaction•To support student success


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


With Adults In SchoolCommunicate 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.


• 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.


• 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’s definitely benefitted from it.”

• 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 CommunicationWith 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

Physical

Symptom

s

Feel like

quitting

Want

revenge

Can’t function

Make

mistakes

Short-tempered

Irritable

Hold back ideas

Is it getting to you?


What you can do about negativity• Get specific• Let it go• Choose to be positive

What you can do about verbal assault• 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

http://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?

• 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

Expand the student’s language

Strategy # 2

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

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

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. On the cafeteria line, she wants to order a sandwich.

What do you do?

Scenario # 3

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 on 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

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.

• 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

In summary, communication disorders:

Learner OutcomesParticipants 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.

Edward G. Rendell Gerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed. Governor Secretary

Diane Castelbuono, Deputy SecretaryOffice of Elementary and Secondary Education

John J. Tommasini, DirectorBureau of Special Education

Bureau of Special EducationPennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

Contact Information: Name of Consultant, Email addresswww.pattan.net

Effective Communication Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) October 16, 2008 Credential of Competency Standard # 6: Language.

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