Please
check
SPCD 582:
Teaching Students with
Intensive
Communication Needs
Prof. Julia Scherba de Valenzuela
Today’s Topics:
1. Introduction: Instructor’s vision,
expectations and classroom norms,
assignments & grading criteria, and
web site orientation
2. An overview of language,
communication, and individuals with
intensive communication needs
Julia:
devalenz@unm.edu
Appointments available:
•
•
•
•
Tuesdays, 4:00-6:30 (Hokona Hall 254)
Fridays, 10:30-11:00 (HH 254)
Fridays, 5:00-6:30 (Satellite coffee shop).
Also some Fridays 4:00-4:30.
o Please schedule appointments in
advance via e-mail.
Syllabus? Assignments?
• UNM Learn
• Julia’s UNM website
There is an assignment due next
week (reading reviews) – see
syllabus and template online.
Accommodations
Need accommodations or
instructional modifications?
Contact Accessibility Services ASAP:
277-3506, Mesa Vista Hall, Room 2021.
They will inform me what
accommodations would be appropriate
and helpful.
Class Attendance
Class attendance is mandatory.
Consistent with policy in the Concentration in
Intellectual and Severe Disabilities:
o Second absence: Five points (or half a letter
grade) will be deducted from your final grade.
o Third absence: Ten points (or a full letter grade)
will be deducted from your final grade.
o Fourth absence: You will be dropped from the
course, regardless of the reason.
o Missing more than 50 minutes of any class
session will be considered an absence.
Late Papers
Due on date listed on class schedule at start
of class. Major assignments (not reading
reviews) can be turned in up to one week
late, with 1 point deduction per day. I will not
accept assignments that are more than 1
week late, except for major emergencies or
significant illness (doctor note required).
Re-Writes
Sorry. No do-overs.
I encourage you to bring in
questions, ideas, and
drafts ahead of time to my
office hours.
Academic Honesty
The syllabus contains a very explicit policy
regarding academic honesty. All students are
expected to read and follow this policy.
Resources are available on the course
website to help students learn to follow
academic guidelines for citations.
Note: The Indiana University plagiarism
tutorial assignment will help with this.
You must turn this in no later than the 3rd
week of class.
Class Participation
I expect students to participate in the class
in a manner that is non-disruptive. I will ask
students whose behavior is disruptive to the
learning environment or whose behavior is
disturbing to other members of the class
(students or instructors) to modify their
behavior. If the student is unable to do so, I
will drop him/her from the course.
Course Textbook????
UNM Learn
UNM Web Site
 Class outlines for class sessions.
 Links from each outline to the
overheads and handouts.
 Optional reading questions for required
readings.
 Links to relevant web sites.
 Copies of the syllabus and assignment
templates.
Web Address
http://www.unm.edu/~devalenz/
Communication:
Any act by which one person gives to or
receives from another person information
about that person's needs, desires,
perceptions, knowledge, or affective
states. Communication may be
intentional or unintentional, may involve
conventional or unconventional signals,
may take linguistic or nonlinguistic forms,
and may occur through spoken or other
modes.
(National Joint Committee for the Communicative Needs
of Persons with Severe Disabilities, 1992, p. 2)
“Language is a complex and
dynamic system of
conventional symbols that is
used in various modes for
thought and
communication.”
(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1982)
“Language is a complex and
dynamic system of
conventional symbols that is
used in various modes for
thought and
communication.”
(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 1982)
“Contemporary views of human language hold that:
• language evolves within specific historical,
social, and cultural contexts;
• language, as rule-governed behavior, is
described by at least five parameters –
phonologic, morphologic, syntactic, semantic,
and pragmatic;
• language learning and use are determined by
the interaction of biological, cognitive,
psychosocial, and environmental factors;
• effective use of language for communication
requires a broad understanding of human
interaction including such associated factors as
nonverbal cues, motivation, and sociocultural
(ASHA, 1982)
roles.”
…language, as rule-governed
behavior, is described by at least five
parameters – phonologic,
morphologic, syntactic, semantic,
and pragmatic…
Intensive Communication Needs?
Individuals with extensive or pervasive
support needs in the area of
communication and/or language.
Examples might include some
individuals with:
• Intellectual disabilities
• Developmental delays
• Autism spectrum disorders
Main Points:
1. Language and communication are
related concepts, but they are not the
same. All individuals communicate.
However, not all can be said to have
developed language (yet).
2. The definitions of language and
communication have very specific
components. We will “unpack” these
components as the semester progresses.
Main Points, cont.:
3. Many individuals with severe
disabilities also have intensive
communication needs.
4. Many behavioral “problems” have a
basis in communication difficulties.
5. Facilitating an individual’s ability to
communicate more effectively is one of
the most important interventions to
promote meaningful participation in
their family and community.
Looking ahead…
What is communication?
What is language?
•
.
Please
take a
minute for
the minute
paper.