Parramatta Speech, Language and Literacy Solutions Training Workshops - Parramatta Speech, Language and Literacy Solutions

Training Workshops - Parramatta Speech, Language and Literacy Solutions

We offer professional development and training workshops for parents, carers and disability support staff on the following topics:

Key Word Sign & Gesture

Larissa at Parramatta Speech, Language & Literacy Solutions is an accredited Key Word Sign & Gesture presenter. She is very passionate about teaching key word sign to:

Parents
Teachers
Preschool and day care staff
Early Childhood Education TAFE and University students
Allied Health Professionals
Disability support workers (e.g. Group Home and Day Program staff) and other people who are interested in supporting people with communication difficulties.

Basic and Advanced workshops for parents, teaching staff and disability support staff.

Basic Key Word Sign & Gesture workshops explore the benefits of using Key Word Sign and Gesture to facilitate the receptive and expressive communication skills of children with developmental delays and disabilities and/ or adults with disabilities. Ways of incorporating Key Word Sign & Gesture into daily activities and routines and ‘creating a sign environment’ will be personalised for participants, depending on whether they work with children or adults. Over 100 interactive signs are taught during these fun, dynamic and interactive workshops!

Advanced Key Word Sign & Gesture workshops provide a forum for graduates of the basic workshops to practise and maintain their signing skills, double check the accuracy of their sign production, learn new vocabulary that is pertinent to their child or clients at work, meet other individuals using Key Word Sign in their local area, and above all, continue to have FUN with Key Word Sign and Gesture!!!!!

Key Word Sign & Gesture workshops are suitable for parents who have a child with delayed speech and language development or complex communication needs, teaching staff working with children with delayed communication skills or complex communication needs, and disability support staff who are working in group homes, day programs, respite care centres and other disability care settings.

Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)

Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) refers to the use of various communication methods (e.g. pictures, photos, real objects, key word sign & gesture, facial expression and body language) to either support or ‘back up’ an individual’s verbal communication, or in some cases, to replace an individual’s verbal communication. For individuals who have very unclear speech (e.g. as a result of stroke, neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, articulation difficulties, low tone in their facial and oral muscles), it is often necessary for them to make use of an augmentative communication system in order to get their messages across successfully to others.

In other cases (e.g. acute period after having a stroke and speech and language skills have been lost; after surgery to the throat or mouth), it may be necessary for a person to make use of an alternative communication system (e.g. an eye gaze board, an alphabet board, using a white board and marker to write down messages) to convey their messages successfully.

This workshop explores the many ways in which people can communicate with out speech, demonstrating how speech is just ‘the tip of the iceberg’ when it comes to successful communication! Practical strategies, activities and role play situations are undertaken to consolidate participants’ understanding of AAC options and how to use them effectively with family members, friends or clients. This workshop is suitable for parents who have a child with complex communication needs, teaching staff working with children with complex communication needs, and disability support staff who are working with adults with disabilities in group homes, day programs, respite care centres and other disability care settings.

Larissa at Parramatta Speech, Language & Literacy Solutions is passionate about teaching and implementing a range of low- and high-technology Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems with her clients, including visual supports, key word signing, chat books, social stories and electronic voice output devices.

Safe Swallowing and Mealtime Management

This practical, ‘hands on’ workshop explores:

the main causes of swallowing difficulties
signs and symptoms of unsafe swallowing
practical solutions for reducing and alleviating unsafe swallowing characteristics / factors
preparation of texture modified foods and fluids
strategies for surviving mealtimes outside of the home / classroom environment – finding and selecting appropriate texture modified foods and fluids at cafes, restaurants and fast food outlets

This workshop is suitable for parents, teaching staff, respite care staff and other carers of children with swallowing difficulties, as well as disability support staff who are supporting adults with disabilities in group homes, day programs and other disability care settings.

Hanen Centre Programs

Larissa at Parramatta Speech, Language & Literacy Solutions is a Hanen certified Speech and Language Pathologist. She is qualified to provide the following parent and teacher education programs:

It Takes Two To Talk – Involving parents of young children with language delays (birth to 5 years) in their child’s intervention.
More Than Words – Involving parents of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (birth to 5 years) in their child’s intervention.
Learning Language & Loving It – Involving Early Educators in promoting the social, language and literacy skills of young children (birth to 5 years).
Talk Ability – Involving parents of young children (3 to 7 years) with High-functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome in their child’s intervention.
Target Word – involving parents of young children who are late talkers (18 to 30 months) in their child’s intervention.
ABC & Beyond – Helping Early Educators learn and apply practical strategies for using book reading, everyday conversations and activities to promote the six building blocks of literacy: oral language, vocabulary, story comprehension, language of learning, print knowledge, and phonological awareness.

Larissa enjoys incorporating the well-researched principles and strategies of these programs in to her day-to-day clinical practice and enjoys teaching parents and other caregivers how best to facilitate their child’s communication development.

More Training Workshops

Parramatta Speech, Language & Literacy Solutions is also able to offer training and workshops on:

Communication difficulties post stroke
Development of early communication skills
Development of feeding skills in children

If you or your organisation would like Parramatta Speech, Language & Literacy Solutions to develop and deliver a training workshop on a topic that is specific to your clients and staff, please don’t hesitate to contact the Clinic on 0417 190 760 to discuss your individual requirements and learning needs.