Declarative Language & Co-Regulation: Learn to Guide Individuals with Social Learning Differences for Optimal Engagement and Learning

Description

Why are declarative language and co-regulation two tools that are important for engagement and learning?

Often, individuals with social learning differences do not feel competent. Many aspects of life, interactions, and learning are challenging for them, and as a result, they shut down, may exhibit challenging behaviors, or do not respond to our communicative bids. When we engage our learners using declarative language and co-regulation, we create a feedback loop where we become better able to read their cues in the moment, and more confident adjusting what we are doing to support their competence and continued engagement.

As a result:
• our students respond to our communicative bids and join more easily
• our students stay engaged for longer periods of time
• we all feel authentically and positively connected
• we become better able to handle breakdowns and repairs
• challenging behaviors decrease
• our students become more open to novelty, challenge, and change
• our students become more active participants in their own learning journey (i.e., increase in their personal agency)
• our students become more aware of their own learning style, strengths, and vulnerabilities and as a result, are better able to self-advocate
and
• skills develop because our students feel competent, connected, and understood.

As we take the time to establish this type of positive learning environment, that is inviting and helps our learners experience competence, they engage more fully because they trust challenge will be introduced at a pace that is manageable to them. As a result, they learn more about themselves, they learn to self-advocate, and they become more open to learning about others and the world.

In this 5-hour course, participants will learn about these two tools, learn how to teach in a way that is guiding vs. directive, and empowering to the individual vs. compliance-based. Participants will be shown many examples of what this looks like in action.

Part 1- Declarative Language: Using a Thoughtful Language Style to Help Individuals with Social Learning Differences Feel Competent, Connected and Understood

Each time we speak, we have the opportunity to choose our words. Speaking in a thoughtful way means that we are choosing words that will invite and empower individuals with social learning differences to feel connected, feel competent, and feel understood while learning and being guided outside their comfort zone. When we pause to think about what we say and how we say it, kids in turn stop to think about what they say or do in response. In this part of the course, participants will be shown a speaking style called declarative language that can be naturally used within social interactions to help students experience connection and develop and strengthen skills across areas of perspective-taking, flexible thinking, problem-solving and experience sharing. Video examples of learners from preschool age through adulthood will be shared.

Part 2 – Co-Regulation: Creating Competence, Balance and Positive Connection Through the Ups and Downs of Learning

In Part 2 of this session, participants will learn about a teaching process called Guided Participation, which uses co-regulation to create authentic partnerships between the teacher and student, therapist and client, or caregiver and child. When practicing co-regulation, the guide thoughtfully crafts competent, contingent roles for their student in an ongoing way, and responsibility is transferred over time, at a pace that is just right for each learner. This in turn leads to increased self-regulation, positive social connection, true reciprocity, and increased opportunities for engagement, growth, continued learning, and skill building. Video examples of this framework in action, across different contexts and with a range of learners (from preschool age through adulthood, and including AAC users), will be shared so that participants walk away with concrete ideas of how to apply this framework in their own unique settings.

Part 3: Declarative Language & Co-Regulation: Trouble Shooting and Case Studies

Using these tools is a dynamic process, and often we must scaffold in different ways to meet our learners in each moment. In this next part of the course, common reasons for breakdowns will be identified, and more challenging case study examples will be discussed. Specific strategies to navigate these breakdowns, along with specific clinical considerations within these harder moments, will be discussed. Several video clips and real-life examples will be shared to show what this looks like in action, with a range of learning styles, across different environments, and will include peer interaction examples.

Please email info@theramoves.com with any special needs requests at least 2 weeks prior to the webinar

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About the Instructor

Linda is a speech-language pathologist and RDI® Consultant. She co-founded Peer Projects - Therapy From the Heart, a clinic in Beverly, MA dedicated to helping kids and families by using a positive, thoughtful communication style that emphasizes understanding, patience, respect, and kindness.
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What Our Course Participants Say

"I really like how Linda explained how the two topics (co-regulation and declarative language) work together." – Carrie

"The speaker's ability to provide clear explanations for the material with video examples." – Alicia

"The language examples, organization of the conference, presented in a clear and thoughtful manner" – Jamie

"Grounded in both theory and practicality" – Roberta

"Real word examples and strategies, great pace, great handouts" – Heather

"The practical implication that this can be used. I really enjoyed the real-life videos and examples, it helped to visualize this in a real context" – Carina