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Agency & Autonomy
Communication Rights & Ethics
Best Practices
The role of a communication partner (CP) looks different from other traditional school jobs, especially once that role is framed within the context of ensuring communication rights of nonspeaking students are being upheld and respected. It's crucial for students to achieve a sense of agency and the autonomy to make and direct decisions about their lives. Best Practices ensure we're supporting our students in the most ethical, supportive ways with a consistent emphasis on reflection.
Watch your free mini-lesson on Agency, Rights, and Best Practices.
Then keep scrolling for an amazing offer!
“No one, and I mean no one, should be talking about what’s best for me besides me. Yes, my parents know me best in the world but that doesn’t mean they know better.”
- Niko Boskovic
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Ready to make changes that will let you be a more confident, knowledgeable support for the nonspeaking people in your life?
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Unlock three related modules:
Building Agency & Autonomy
Communication Rights & Ethics
Best Practices
Autonomy, Ethics, Best Practices Modules
90
Access three modules - Agency/Autonomy, Rights & Ethics, Best Practices - from our full course.
Valid until canceled
Module 13 - Building Agency & Autonomy (42 minutes)
Module 14 - Communication Rights & Ethics (42 minutes)
Module 15 - Best Practices (29 minutes)
a collaboration among
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We believe communication is a basic human right.
What can you expect
from our modules?
Listen to Nonspeaking Presenters
Our team at Communication for Education believes very deeply that any training created to support nonspeaking autistic people needs to be informed by their lived experiences and expertise. From its inception, our course has been designed to include the voices of nonspeakers, both as contributors and content reviewers.
Hear from Powerhouse Professionals
When we developed our training for folks supporting nonspeaking individuals, we knew that we needed to include as many lived experiences as possible, both from nonspeaking autistic individuals themselves and from a diverse group of thought leaders in the disability community. Our work is shaped by some incredibly knowledgeable and experienced professionals as well.
Download Course PDFs and Resources
Each module of our course offers pages of handouts in downloadable PDFs. You'll have access to key concepts from the module, words of wisdom from nonspeakers, and references for the research that supports the module, and lists for further reading from more books and websites.
Learn with our Team
Our core instructional team consists of Dr. Edlyn Peña, Lisa Mihalich Quinn, and Julie Sando. Together the three have trained more than 350 communication partners to serve nonspeaking students in educational, home, social, and community settings.
Module Presenters
Shelley Carnes, M.S., OTR/L
David Teplitz, Nonspeaking Autistic Student
Judith Heumann, Disability Rights Advocate
Samuel Capozzi, Nonspeaking Autistic Student
Tracy Thresher, Autism Advocate & Consultant
Harvey F. Lavoy, Director of Communication Training & Resources
Nadia Sohn Fink, Nonspeaking Autistic Student
Agency & Autonomy: Module Objectives
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Differentiate between independence and autonomy /agency.
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Devise strategies for helping students initiate communication
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Develop skills to teach students to become self-advocates
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Understand importance of having multiple trained Communication Partners support a student
Communication Rights & Ethics:
Module Objectives
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Identify rationale behind instruction in and use of a refusal strategy
Gain awareness of common ways Communication Partners unintentionally restrict access to communication -
Discuss important concepts of privacy as it relates to individuals who require assistance to communicate
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Demonstrate understanding of the role of a CP as opposed to a participant in conversations
Best Practices:
Module Objectives
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Recognize features of best practices for supporting
communication in educational settings while using best support practices -
Demonstrate familiarity with a communication partner self-assessment checklist
Unlock the Entire Course
Want to learn about more than just this one topic?
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All of our full course options offer you:
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15 modules packed with in-depth learning
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example videos of students and communication partners in action
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over 250 pages of downloadable resources
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Our live / hybrid model offers you:
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8 weeks of live online classes with course instructors
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weekly homework tailored to course instruction
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cohort discussion board
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feedback on one submitted video
Autonomy, Ethics, Best Practices Modules
90
Access three modules - Agency/Autonomy, Rights & Ethics, Best Practices - from our full course.
Valid until canceled
Module 13 - Building Agency & Autonomy (42 minutes)
Module 14 - Communication Rights & Ethics (42 minutes)
Module 15 - Best Practices (29 minutes)
“As a teenager that relies on adults to support my communication, there has to be an expectation that my words are shared only with my specific permission. My words are not written to inspire anyone or make a permanent record of a chat with a friend. They are my voice.”
- Nadia Sohn Fink
