Professional Development
Customized half-, full-, and multi-day continuing professional development opportunities
offered onsite and virtually for schools throughout Arkansas.
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Continuing education workshops focus on the latest research, evidence-based practices, and best practice recommendations for speech-language pathologists serving the pediatric population. Shelly Wier, M.S., CCC-SLP designs program-specific professional development to meet the requested needs and interests of your group. Whether you prefer a virtual day of training or an onsite and in-person presentation, Shelly will provide all of the materials your team needs to prepare for the training, a workshop evaluation form, and Certificates of Attendance and ASHA Verification of Attendance forms for your entire team.
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Below you will find a description of some popular and recent trainings. Your team can select from these topics or request a day of education on a topic of your choice.
Executive Functions: Using Language to Think
5-6 Hours
This workshop is based on training and text by Jill Fahy, CCC-SLP, updated with recent evidence, and is designed to explain Executive Function (EF) skills and the communication and learning difficulties that can occur when development is delayed or when deficits are present as a result of language disorder and/or brain injury. Content includes the underlying cognitive foundation for and components of executive functions, associated impairments, basic anatomy and physiology, normal development, the role of language as it mediates EF development and behaviors, formal and informal assessment tools and options, intervention concepts, and treatment strategies that target specific areas of EF deficit.
Vocabulary Strategies for SLPs
5-6 Hours
Comprehending content-area information is critical for any student to achieve the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and can be especially challenging for students with communication disabilities. Vocabulary development is a key to a student’s ability to access the curriculum. Based primarily on the work of Judy Montgomery and Isabel Beck, this workshop will examine four types of vocabulary and their relationship to the CCSS, review key attributes of “word learning,” demonstrate how to choose appropriate target vocabulary, and explain how to design efficient intervention strategies and measure student progress for direct vocabulary intervention. Consultation and collaboration with classroom teachers, which is essential to providing more effective, integrated vocabulary instruction, will also be discussed.
What’d You Say? The Acoustic to Linguistic Continuum of Processing
5-6 Hours
This workshop is based primarily on the work and training of Gail Richard, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, and Jeanane Ferre, Ph.D., CCC-A. The neuropsychological Processing Continuum Model for understanding and differentiating between auditory and language processing disorders will be presented, which provides a clear, evidence-based structure to guide assessment practices and specify intervention strategies. Content includes clarified terminology, the neurological perspective on processing, behavioral characteristics, deficit profiles, a language processing hierarchy, compensatory strategies, and suggestions for remediating both auditory and language processing disorders.
Grammar Bootcamp! Syntactic Forms & Functions
2 Day Workshop
Professionals who provide educational and/or clinical services to students with language disorders require a sophisticated knowledge of syntax. Knowledge of syntax is required for assessing a student’s language abilities, for formulating short-term objectives and long-term goals, for monitoring progress, and for evaluating the outcomes of language intervention. SLPs must be prepared to define, explain and illustrate syntactic terms to maximize acquisition and facilitate progress in the CCSS. This workshop reviews elements of syntactic form and function, acquisition milestones, as well as includes application exercises which tie the material to the process of syntactic analysis and intervention planning. Based on “The Syntax Handbook: Everything You Learned About Syntax But Forgot!” by Laura Justice and Helen Ezell. This workshop is for SLPs who work in schools with students who are attempting to meet the CCSS in ELA. General and special educators who address language in coordination with SLPs may also benefit.
Delivering Professional Support You Can Count On
Use the form below to get in touch or reach out to Shelly directly at:
Phone: 501-381-7776