Overview

Coaching is a valuable component of helping educators deliver evidence-based practices with fidelity. Assistive technology service providers, speech-language pathologists, and others who support educators working with students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) can take a lead role in providing coaching, but they need access to resources and supports. Project Core is aimed at students with significant cognitive disabilities who have limited use of language and could benefit from augmentative communication systems . This presentation will highlight Project Core, and an implementation model focused on helping educators address the early symbolic communication needs of students with SCD, and describe the ways that a variety of service providers can use Project Core to improve student outcomes through effective coaching.

Content Disclosure: This session is focused on Project Core, a grant funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (#H327S140017), and there will be limited or no information provided about similar research projects. Project Core is aimed at students with significant cognitive disabilities who have limited use of language and could benefit from augmentative  communication systems.

Learning Objectives

1. Explain how to implement the different professional development module options on Project Core
2. Discuss role of SLPs, peer teachers, instructional coaches and other facilitators in Project Core Implementation Model.
3. Identify three forms to use for planning, observing, and providing feedback.

Primary Strand

Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Secondary Strand

Education & Learning: Early Intervention – 12

Target Audience

• Administrators
• AT Specialists
• Communication Specialist
• Consultants/Trainers
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Educators
• Occupational Therapists
• Paraprofessionals
• Physical Therapists
• Rehab Therapists
• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Special Education Educators
• Teachers of the Visually Impaired
• Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Experience Level

Intermediate

Primary Life Cycle Addressed

Elementary - Secondary (K-12)

Content Area

Professional Area

Course Schedule

This course was included in the ATIA 2021: AT Connected virtual event education program.

Continuing Education Credits

For Satisfactory Completion and Continuing Education information, please visit: ATIA Online Education CEUs

ASHA CE Information: 
Recorded Session
Start date of ASHA CEUs offering: March 1, 2021


This course is offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs. (Intermediate level, Professional area.)

This course is also offered for the following CE Provider Credits:

AOTA; IACET
For: 0.10 CEU Units or 1.0 CEU Hours.

Speaker/s:

Kathryn Dorney, MA CCC-SLP

UNC at Chapel Hill, PhD Student

Biography

Kathryn Dorney MA, CCC-SLP is a Ph.D. student at the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina. She is a practicing speech-language pathologist with 20 years’ experience working within preschool special education programs and families’ homes with students with autism and multiple disabilities. Ms. Dorney has presented the findings of the present study as a poster session at ATIA in 2018 and the North Carolina Speech, Hearing & Language Association Annual Conference in 2018.

Relevant Financial Relationship: Yes
Kathryn Dorney is employed as a research assistant at the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Relevant Non-Financial Relationship: No

Sofia Benson-Goldberg, M.S., CCC-SLP

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Research Assistant

Biography

Sofia Benson-Goldberg is a speech-language pathologist who is pursuing her PhD at UNC - Chapel Hill and working as a research assistant at the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies. She has worked with families of children and adolescents who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for 5 years.

Relevant Financial Relationship: Yes
Salary from employment and funding on Project Core as a research assistant.

Relevant Non-Financial Relationship: No