B-2 Behavior Is Communication

Presenter

• Margot Johnson, M.A., BCBA, PENT Administrator

Format and Time

• On-Demand Webinar: 2.5 hours

Content

Behavior is the earliest form of communication. While some students will develop verbal language, others will continue to communicate non-verbally using their behavior. This training will focus on students with extensive support needs who use behavior as communication and teach those who work with these students how to recognize, respond to, and shape more appropriate and comprehensible forms of communication. Attendees will learn how to utilize the Form and Function matrix to identify appropriate replacement behaviors for challenging behaviors, which are already within their repertoire. This will serve as a guideline for selecting replacement behaviors during the development of appropriate behavior intervention plans. Additional topics will include identifying the student's level of symbolism and implementing developmentally appropriate supports.

Intended Audience

Individuals working with students with extensive support needs who primarily use non-verbal language and/or present with challenging behavior. This includes speech-language pathologists, special education teachers, school psychologists, paraeducators, and parents.

Participants Will

1. Increase awareness of the many forms of communication.
2. Utilize the Form and Function matrix through case studies to identify pre-symbolic vs. symbolic communication.
3. Understand how to identify functionally equivalent replacement behaviors (FERBs) based on current communication repertoire.
4. Fill out a Form and Function matrix to clarify a current student's forms and functions of communication and identify behaviors to target for increase to expand a student's communicative repertoire.