Join us for Pyramid’s Second Annual FUNctional Communication Conference! Our team of Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs), led by the co-developer of PECS®, Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP, have created all new content for this year’s conference! Day one will focus on communication and collaboration. Lori Frost will begin the conference with a talk on collaboration, including practical suggestions for working effectively with all team members. The team will then discuss an evidence-based teaching strategy, known as Behavioral Skills Training (BST) and describe how this strategy can be used to teach other team members how to effectively teach communication skills. The first conference day will conclude with a practical presentation related to identifying the function of challenging behaviors and teaching replacements skills to successfully ask for help, break and/or waiting skills.
Day two of the conference will focus on best practice for bridging the gap between the fields of speech pathology and behavior analysis. The developers of PECS, Andy Bondy, PhD and Lori Frost will start the presentation on day two with a talk on analyzing the conditions under which communication occurs and using this information for better communication planning. Next, our team explores the topic of prompting including identification of times when physical prompting can be successfully used to teach Augmentative and Alternative (AAC) skills. The conference will conclude with a presentation regarding Ethics and AAC and explore hot topics and scenarios related to AAC language samples, AAC and speech, and carefully selecting goals that are student-specific and grounded by ethical decision-making. Participants will leave the conference with a wealth of information to improve collaboration and increase learner progress
What you will learn:
- Demonstrate skills to effectively collaborate with all members of the educational team
- Analyze current practices related to teaching strategies, particularly for learners using AAC
- Implement a variety of new skills related to sharing information with others and improving the communicative outcomes for all learners
Day 1: Communication and Collaboration
Team Collaboration: Playing Nice in the Sandbox
(90 Minutes)
Presenter and Disclosures: Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP
Description: Treatment goals for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often overlap for speech-language pathologists, families/caregivers, behavior analysts, physical and occupational therapists and other service providers. Collaboration across the disciplines optimizes treatment outcomes. This presentation will describe components of scopes of practice for a variety of team members. We describe how to meet and plan effectively with all team members to develop plans to assess and teach critical communication skills across the day.
Learner Objectives:
- Describe scope of practice for multiple team members in a school-based setting
- Assess and teach critical communication skills across all activities
- Meet effectively with all team members
Behavioral Skills Training (BST) and Applications in Speech Language Pathology
(75 minutes)
Presenters and Disclosures: Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP and Catherine Horton, MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA
Description: Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is an evidence-based strategy that can be applied to teach a variety of skills. BST includes four primary steps including Instruction, Modeling, Rehearsal and Feedback. This presentation will review some of the interesting applications of BST including literature related to the application of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Considerations for SLPs to incorporate BST within their sessions will be explored with specific examples provided. This presentation will also include recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of feedback – one of the key components of the BST model.
Learner Objectives:
- Participants will name the four steps associated with Behavioral Skills Training
- Participants will describe how Behavioral Skills Training has been effectively used to teach a variety of skills
- Participants will identify opportunities to use Behavioral Skills Training within their own practice
Help! I Can’t Wait to Ask for a Break
(75 minutes)
Presenters and Disclosures: Jo-Anne Matteo, MS, CCC-SLP and Jill Waegenaere, MA, CCC-SLP
Description: Many learners with special needs engage in challenging behaviors. The speech language pathologist plays a critical role in assessing whether these behaviors are a function of the student’s inability to appropriately and effectively use critical communication skills. This talk will teach skills such as asking for desired items, requesting assistance, requesting a break, and/or waiting for a desired item/activity. This presentation is appropriate for professionals working with learners using a variety of communication modalities.
Learner Objectives:
- Participants will describe the relationship between challenging behaviors and communication.
- Participants will use a checklist to assess current critical communication skills.
- Participants will implement strategies to teach learners to request help, break and respond to wait.
Conference DETAILS: Day 1
Date: Monday, October 18, 2021
Agenda: 11:00am- 3:30pm EDT (NYC time)
Check-in Time: 11:00am- 3:30pm EDT (NYC time)
CEUs: 0.4 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional Area)
Cost: $69.00 USD for Day 1 only/ $125.00 USD for both Day 1 & Day 2
Tuition Includes: Detailed Handouts with space for note taking, Certificate of Attendance, ASHA CEUs are available
Day 2: Bridging Communication and Behavior: Best Practice
Analyzing and Fine-Tuning Communication
(90 minutes)
Presenter and Disclosures: Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP and Andy Bondy, PhD
Description: As speech language pathologists work with children with complex communication needs and/or social skills challenges, they must be able to analyze treatment protocols so that student skill acquisition can be maximized. Additionally, speech language pathologists more frequently are working cooperatively with behavior analysts in designing treatment procedures using the principles of applied behavior analysis and, therefore, should be familiar with the parallels in the two fields. This presentation will focus on using Skinner’s Verbal Behavior to analyze and fine-tune communication intervention.
Learner Objectives:
- Participants will name Skinner’s primary verbal operants
- Participants will define complex verbal operants
- Participants will label communication examples using Skinner’s and traditional analyses
Prompting: Helpful or Harmful?
(60 minutes)
Presenters and Disclosures: Catherine Horton, MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA and Jill Waegenaere, MA, CCC-SLP
Description: In the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), there exist differences in recommendations related to prompting strategies. Some practitioners insist on avoidance of all physical prompts, while others select prompts that are individualized for each learner within each activity. This presentation will explore the difference between strategies designed to help an individual learn new skills (prompts) versus environmental factors that signal behavior (cues). In addition, strategies to eliminate prompts will be described in relation to AAC instructional design and implementation. To conclude the presentation, participants will explore the conditions under which physical prompts may be introduced and systematically eliminated to ensure independent communication skills.
Learner Objectives:
- Participants will define terms and practical application of concepts related to consent, capacity, and assent behavior
- Participants will classify prompts versus cues within their lessons and instructional plans
- Participants will identify strategies to eliminate prompts to promote independence for all learners
AAC and Ethics: What’s New?
(75 minutes)
Presenters and Disclosures: Catherine Horton, MS, CCC-SLP, BCBA and Jo-Anne Matteo, MS, CCC-SLP
Description: Trends regarding the ethical implementation of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) continually shift. This year, we describe the importance of collecting AAC language samples. Sample forms will be reviewed. Then, we use the analysis of this information to highlight two specific AAC options related to picture layout and encouraging speech with AAC implementation. The importance of analyzing the learner’s response effort will be explored, particularly as it relates to teaching communicative alternatives to replace Contextually Inappropriate Behavior (CIBs). Ethical scenarios will be presented, as well as a review of the ASHA Ethical Code in comparison with codes from other professions.
Learner Objectives:
- Participants will review ethical codes from various professions with a focus on practical application of the ASHA Code of Ethics related to AAC scenarios
- Participants will explore information related to the collection of communication samples and use the analysis of these samples to make informed and ethical decisions related to feature matching
- Participants will define omnibus mand and apply practical concepts to addressing Contextually Inappropriate Behavior
Conference DETAILS: Day 2
Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Agenda: 11:00am- 3:30pm EDT (NYC time)
Check-in Time: 10:45am- 11:00am EDT (NYC time)
CEUs: 0.4 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional Area), including 0.1 ASHA CEU with Subject Code 7070 Ethics and Ethical Decision Making
Cost: $69.00 USD for Day 2 only/ $125.00 USD for both Day 1 & Day 2
Tuition Includes: Detailed Handouts with space for note taking, Certificate of Attendance, ASHA CEUs are available
This course is offered for up to 0.8 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level, Professional Area)
You can view our presenters' financial and non-financial disclosure statements here.