Ensuring Consistency: Collaborative Verbal Communication Instruction for Young Children

1. Ensuring Consistency: Collaborative Verbal Communication Instruction for Young Children Heather Coleman M.Ed. Early Childhood Special Education, Ph.D. Candidate

2. Who Am I??? • Heather Coleman • Pretty Cool Mom and Wife 🙃 • Former Early Childhood Special Education Teacher • Ph.D. Candidate with VCU Department of Counseling and Special Education • Research Interests: Early Childhood, Professional Development, Autism, Family Empowerment, and Language • Personal Interests: Family, Water Activities, Podcasts,and Binge Watching T.V.

3. Who are YOU????

4. Presentation Overview • Communication Development in Early Childhood • Developmental Milestones • Encouraging Verbal Communication • Specific Communication Interventions • Reaching out for help • Ensuring Consistency and Collaborating! • Family, Childcare providers, Infant/Preschool Special Education Educators, Speech Language Pathologists

5. Babies • B to 6 months: • Coos, sound and face recognition • Sounds start to make meaning: babbles, differing cries, and ‘happy sounds’ • Responds to caregiver’s sounds and name • “Ah,” “Eh,” “Oh,” “M,” “B” • 6 to 12: • “Understands” no 🤣 and responds to simple requests • Gestures (waving, shaking head for ‘no’), Pointing • Copying Sounds • “Mama…” “Baba..” “Dada” “Uh-oh!” • 18 months • Meaningful pointing • Single Words • Says “no”

6. Toddlers • 2 years • Points to object when named • Begins to name familiar people, body parts • Repeats!!! (careful… 😜 ) • 2 to 4 word phrases • 3 years • Follows 2-3 step directions • 2 to 3 sentence speech • Knows first name, age, sex; and friend’s names • Says “I,” “Me,” “We,” and “You” • Add plurals on some words (cats) • Others can understand speech

7. Preschool • 4 years • Basic rules of grammar- “he” “she” • Sings songs and tells stories • Knows first/last name • Names some colors and numbers • Makes predictions (in a book) • 5 years • Everyone understands speech • Future tenses, “I will eat mac and cheese for dinner.” • Knows name and address

8. HELP!! My little guy/lady is not meeting that milestone!

9. What can I do to help encourage verbal communication? • TALK TALK TALK TALK TALK • Allow ‘wait time’ • Expand on child’s communication • Simple directions • READ! • Interactive reading

10. Requests • Teaching the child how to ask for something that he/she wants • Immediate rewards • Prompting: • Verbal Language: “What do you want?”“/F/” “Fish” “Goldfish” “I want goldfish.” • Using sign language and verbal

11. Let’s Practice…

13. How can you use this in the natural environment?? Let’s Discuss… • Meal time at home • Play with brother on the playground • Circle time at school • Play in the housekeeping center

14. It’s NOT working….. • Reach out for more help… Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education • Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia • Making a Referral • Early Childhood Special Education • Locate the family’s local elementary school • Ask for a child study meeting

15. Ensuring Consistency and Collaborating! • Frequent and open communication with all members • “Experts” and skills of all members • “Avoiding turfism” • Mutual Respect • Family Partnerships and equal decision making • Bridging “gaps” Blue-Banning, Summer, Frankland, and Beegle (2004)

16. Commitment and Collaboration • Understanding and sharing a sense of commitment • Devotion to the child, family, and everyone’s needs • Developing and understanding the importance of common goals • Discussing expectations for the child’s progress • Flexibility …….Leads to Consistency Blue-Banning, Summer, Frankland, and Beegle (2004)

17. Resources • Learn the Signs, Act Early: Milestones Checklist and “What You Can do…” • Infant and Toddler Connection of VA • Child Indicators Booklet • Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning • Comprehensive Standards for 4-Year Olds

18. Thank You! • Heather Coleman fleminghm@vcu.edu Presentation located on Heather’ website: https://colemanhm.wordpress.com/