Social Communication of Young Diverse Learners

Catalog description

This course explores the social communication of young children with disabilities (0-8 years old), including the development of skills and strategies to support children?s communication and language acquisition, from non-symbolic to symbolic forms of communication, with the aim being to promote their social actions and engagement with others. The ability to socially engage involves communication at its core. Communication itself can take different forms and serve different purposes within the social realm.In this course theories of language development will be considered as well as non-typical developmental sequences due to disability. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) will be reviewed, including specific devices and the selection of core vocabulary. Issues around communication development and its impact on young children?s behavior as well as issues of language development for multiple language learners with disabilities will be examined. The course will also address ideas of collaboration with other professionals and families to support a child?s social communication across contexts, with an emphasis on generalization of behaviors in meaningful and natural ways.