Please join The Family Resource Network, Inc.

and The Syracuse University Parent Assistance Center for

A FALL CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE AND

FACILITATED COMMUNICATION FOR
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Registration: 9 am to 9:30 am
Morning Session: 9:30 am to 11:45 am
Lunch on Your Own: 11:45 am to 12:45 pm
Afternoon Session: 12:45 pm to 3 pm

Hotel Ithaca
222 South Cayuga Street
Ithaca, NY
Morning Session: Language

Development: What Happens, When, and What Helps?

This workshop is designed to introduce caregivers and childhood educators to typical language development. Topics
discussed include building vocabulary, expanding the sound system, and mastering stages of literacy. Emphasis will
also be placed on facilitative language strategies for young children who struggle with communication.

Our Presenter: Skott Freedman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Speech-Language
Pathology and Audiology at Ithaca College, and is director of the Collaborative Language Research Laboratory. His
research, aspects of which have been supported by the National Institutes of Health, focuses on variables that
influence language processing in children and adults.

Afternoon Session: Facilitated

Communication for Students with Autism

As more and more students are being identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders, parents, teachers and school staff
are increasingly looking for ways to best support these young people in their homes and classrooms. This interactive
session will focus on communication for academic and social access. Specifically, we will explore the use of
Supported Typing or Facilitated Communication for individuals who do not demonstrate reliable verbal speech. We
will discuss the theory, research and practice of this approach to communication support and cover topics including:
the connection between movement and communication, presuming competence, creating a context for
communication, the nature of support, and including individuals who type to communicate in inclusive classrooms.
Our Presenter: Christine Ashby, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Teaching and Leadership Department of the
School of Education at Syracuse University and the Director of the Institute on Communication and Inclusion, where
she oversees research, training and dissemination of information on communication strategies for individuals with
disabilities who are non-speaking or who have limited speech. This work aims to enhancing participation of people
with disabilities in inclusive school and community settings. Her teaching and research focuses on inclusive
education broadly, with specific emphasis on supports for students with labels of autism and other developmental
disabilities, facilitated communication, disability studies, and inclusive school reform.

This conference is free, but registration is required.

Kindly register by October 15, 2015
To register by email send your name and phone number to register@familyrn.org.
Please indicate if you are a professional or
the parent of an individual with a disability.
For questions or to register by phone please call 607-437-0077.