Communication Corner- Participating During Group Activities

Participating during group activities is a necessary functional communication skill especially in the classroom. Just because a student is non-verbal doesn't mean they don't have meaningful information to provide so it is important that the educational team provides individualized communication supports and direct instruction so students are readily able to participate. This month's Communication Corner will provide a variety of ideas for ways students can participate during group activities throughout the school day.

Calendar Time
Calendar time is the perfect opportunity for students to practice their group communication skills because the routine and vocabulary is consistent from day to day.

We love this awesome interactive calendar book from ALIST teacher Jamie Minnish at Prass Elementary in Kettering. She took her students' daily calendar worksheet and adapted it for a student who needed more interaction using velcro pieces. 

Jamie Minnish

Prass Elementary, Kettering

Other examples of interactive boards include these clipboard and file folder examples.

Amy Beanblossom
Arcanum Elementary, Arcanum

Anne Rosenbaum
Orchard Park Elementary, Kettering

For students using voice output devices, a GoTalk can be an efficient option during calendar since the vocabulary is consistent and wouldn't need to be re-recorded daily.

Mandy Whitfield
Montgomery County ESC Learning Center-East

Snack Time
Food is often a big motivator for many of the students we coach so snack time can be the perfect opportunity to work on functional communication skills. Students can participate through requesting, interacting with peers, and commenting on their meal.

Lindsey Woods
Fairborn Primary, Fairborn 

Katy Philpot & Jennifer Mrockza
Rosa Parks ELC, Dayton

Brittany Bush
Spinning Hills Middle School, Mad River

Christine Scarborough
Tecumseh Elementary, Xenia

Amy Beanblossom
Arcanum Elementary, Arcanum

Lesson Discussion Time
One area we often see nonverbal students left out is during group discussion time. But given the right supports including pictures, word banks, or multiple choice response options, all students can successfully participate.

Emily Ottmar
Stevenson Elementary, Mad River

Mandy Whitfield
Montgomery County ESC Learning Center-East

Check out this video which illustrates how a variety of differentiated communication modes can come together during a single lesson so that all students can participate.

Writing Time
Writing can be another challenging time for our students who are nonverbal and/or have fine motor deficits impacting their written output. In these examples interactive velcro pieces, word banks, and photographs help students express themselves.

Laurie Maravetz
Schaefer Middle School, Springfield

For more ideas on strategies for Functional Communication Training check out our previous Communication Corner posts:

Escape

Protest
Attention
Requesting Items or Activities
Providing Feedback