Our work
Last year we had the opportunity to work with Gayl Bowser and Charity Roland on the Communication Matrix Project through Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, OR. Through our work wi...
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Collection Age appropirate activities
Date Created: 9/20/2017
Posts: 2
This collection is about age appropriate activities to support social communication development growth on the communication matrix.
Welcome! We are from Southview School which is a public separate special education school that serves students from kindergarten through age 21 in Special School District of St. Louis County in Missouri. Three of us will be moderating this forum. My name is Mollie Bolton and I am the curriculum coordinator at SSD. I have been in the education field for 26 years and have had a variety of experiences teaching in cross categorical classrooms as well as multiple disabilities classroom. I have my bachelor’s degree in psychology, master’s degree in special education, education specialist degree in curriculum and instruction, and my doctoral degree in teacher leadership. I am joined by Erin Paulus who has her bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education and master’s degree in school counseling. Erin has been teaching for 18 years in a variety of settings including co-teaching, resource, self-contained and is currently teaching elementary students with multiple disabilities at Southview. We are also joined by Tina Rogers who has her master’s degree in special education and is in her 16th year of teaching special education at Southview working with high school students who have autism.
This post gives the activity chart that we created and revised.
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This is a great question to add to this collection
Suggestions for therapy goals and activities/strategies
Hi I think this assessment tool is great for shared understanding between therapist, parents and caregivers/teachers etc. What is your go to for suggestions on therapy goals and activities or strat...
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Statement A
My child doesn't seem to have real control over his body yet.
The only way I know that he wants something is because he fusses or whines when he's unhappy or uncomfortable, and he smiles, makes noises or calms down when he's happy and comfortable. Does this statement describe your child?
Statement B
My child has control over her own behaviors, but she doesn't use them to try to communicate to me.
She doesn't come to me to let me know what she wants, but it's easy for me to figure out, because she tries to do things for herself. She knows what she wants, and her behavior shows me what she wants. If she runs out of something to eat, she will just try to get more, rather than trying to get me to give her more.
Does this statement describe your child?
Statement C
My child clearly tries to communicate his needs to me through gestures, sounds or language.
He knows how to get me to do something for him. He uses some of the kinds of behaviors below to communicate:
- Gestures such as pointing, shaking his head, tugging at my arm or looking back and forth between me and what he wants
- Sounds such as squealing to show you he wants something or fussing when he doesn't want something
- Language or symbolic forms of communication such as speech, written words, Braille, picture symbols, 3-dimensional symbols or sign language
Does this statement describe your child?
How to score your child
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging
Mastered
– Does this independently most of the time when the opportunity arises
– Does this in a number of di erent contexts, and with di erent people
Emerging
– Does this inconsistently
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Only does this when prompted or encouraged to do so. Only does this in one or two contexts or with one person.
Tips on Communication Devices
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging
