Date:

2025 Dates TBC

Time:

4.00pm – 5.30pm

Venue:

The Autism Training Hub, Building 21, Suttor Street, Gladesville, Sydney

Cost:

$30

Course Description

Understanding the communication profile of each individual child is fundamental to providing supports and strategies that foster engagement and participation in Early Years settings.

This session will address a range of considerations in exploring the communication profile of our students, including both receptive and expressive communication. Examples of practical supports and strategies relevant for both speaking and non-speaking children will be provided.

This course is presented as part of a series about understanding Autism in the Early Years.

Participants will: ​

• Understand how to support the comprehension of children in an early childhood setting​
• Acknowledge the different ways children communicate ​
• Multimodal communication​
• Echolalia (gestalt language processing)​
• Communication as a function of behaviour​
• Learn about key strategies to support a child’s understanding and use of communication ​
• Brainstorm practical strategies to implement with a focus child​

Presenter – Katherine Halter

Katherine Halter has been a Speech Pathologist at Giant Steps Australia since 2017. Katherine is passionate about supporting people with disability and has experience in providing individualised assessment and intervention for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability including designing a variety of Alternative and Augmentative Communication systems to suit individual communication needs. She has worked alongside teachers to integrate these strategies and supports into teaching and learning experiences. Katherine enjoys working in a dynamic team environment with multiple professionals to provide a holistic approach to targeting communication and comprehension. Katherine has a passion for supporting carers and members of the wider community to understand and implement strategies and supports that promote generalisation of skills across contexts.

Presenter – Nicole Dugdale

Nicole Dugdale has been working as a Speech Therapist since 2017 and working at Giant Steps since 2022. Nicole previously worked in early intervention in Sydney and then worked in London in primary schools with children aged 4-11 years. Nicole is passionate about supporting young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and intellectual disability, as well as their families to be able to gain independence with their communication in whatever way is best for them. Nicole also enjoys working in a team with other therapists, teachers and educators to provide a holistic approach to supporting communication, language development and social interactions. Believing that when everyone works together; parents, family, educators, teachers and therapists, a young person is able to achieve and be at their best.

For enquiries specific to this course please contact autismhub@giantsteps.net.au

The Autism Hub professional learning courses aim to increase participants knowledge and confidence to best support the learning of autistic children and adults. Proudly supported by Future Generation Australia.