CDS: Everyone Can Communicate

Lesson Descriptions and Learning Objectives

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CDS: Everyone Can Communicate

This is a list of lessons found in this course with their description and learning objectives:

Lesson 1: CDS-E: What is Communication and Why is it Important?

Lesson Description:

This lesson defines communication and describes why it is important. It will introduce you to the process and components of communication. It will explain the difference between speech, language and communication. You will learn about the Communication Bill of Rights, and much more.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Define communication, language, and speech.
2. Recognize and describe when communication is understood and when it is not.
3. Identify the components of communication.
4. Recognize and describe functional communication.
5. List at least five of the rights in the Communication Bill of Rights.
6. Describe why communication is essential.
7. Identify the barriers and facilitators to communication.

Lesson 2: CDS-I: How People Communicate

Lesson Description:

This lesson explores the communication component of how people communicate. It also explores a bit more about why people communicate. You will discover that people communicate in many different ways about different things. You will learn that we communicate for different reasons. You will learn that an effective communicator is a good observer of non-speech communication. Finally, you will learn to use naturally-occurring gestures in your role as a direct support professional.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Describe the typical ways we all communicate.
2. Recognize a variety of non-speech forms you can add to your spoken language to help your communication partner understand your message.
3. Demonstrate naturally-occurring gestures that can augment speech during routine activities.
4. Recognize communication acts that are intentional or non-intentional whether they are symbolic or non-symbolic, and what each of these terms means.
5. Recognize how challenging behavior may be a form of communication.
6. Identify and correct common myths related to non-speech communication.

Lesson 3: CDS-E: The Role of the Direct Support Professional as a Communication Partner

Lesson Description:

This lesson builds on what you have learned about how the communication partner's behavior can be a barrier or facilitator of communication. As a direct support professional, you are an important communication partner. This lesson will help you understand and make the most of your role.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Describe your role as a communication partner in promoting communication across all environments.
2. Describe how context and objects are currently used to support communication.
3. Analyze spoken language input and evaluate the nature of the messages communicated to the person.
4. Describe how daily routines are currently used to provide opportunities for functional communication.
5. Describe the importance of honoring a person's choices, preferences, as well as rejections.
6. List other people - both professionals and non-professionals - with whom collaboration is necessary to support a person's communication.

Lesson 4: CDS-I-S: Strategies to Enhance Communication

Lesson Description:

There are many things you can do as a direct support professional to enhance communication. This lesson introduces effective strategies. It also helps you apply them. Approaches such as modeling, waiting, and contingent responding will increase your ability to communicate with the people you support. These strategies will help you support the empowerment, participation, and self-advocacy of the people you support.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Describe and demonstrate ways to be an effective communication partner. Include strategies such as modeling, waiting, contingent responding, and providing objects in the environment.
2. Identify ways to structure the environment to enhance communication.
3. Modify your spoken input to reduce the number of controlling messages sent to increase spontaneous and empowered communication of the people you support.
4. Describe and demonstrate strategies that can be used to increase your ability to understand the speech of people with communication disabilities.
5. Utilize strategies to increase the likelihood of a functional response from a person with a communication disability.
6. Identify the characteristics of culturally sensitive and respectful communication.

Lesson 5: CDS-I-S: Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Lesson Description:

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) approaches are effective ways to enhance spoken language. In this lesson, you will be introduced to the range and scope of aided, and unaided AAC approaches. Your role in the selection and implementation of an AAC approach will be introduced. Myths regarding AAC and the development of speech will be addressed.

Learning Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

1. Define alternative and augmentative communication.
2. Identify eligibility for and the benefits of using alternative and augmentative communication.
3. Describe a variety of "low tech" and “high tech” alternative and augmentative communication devices.
4. Demonstrate the use of alternative and augmentative communication devices and resources to learn frequently used sign language vocabulary. Demonstrate the use of at least ten signs that have been learned.
5. Describe your role in aiding in the selection of vocabulary on a person's alternative and augmentative communication device and in assuring that assistive technology devices are available to the person and in good working order.
6. Describe and dispel commonly held myths about alternative and augmentative communication and the development of speech.
7. Demonstrate the "etiquette" of communicating with someone who uses an alternative and augmentative communication device.