Developing communicative competence for children with combined hearing-vision loss, sensory impairment, and/or multiple disabilities can be challenging. The Supporting Communicative Competence Professional Learning Series includes six one-hour virtual sessions focused on core and fringe vocabulary, considering the needs of children with visual impairment, using core as part of the curriculum, developing peer supports, fostering communication partner strategies and social networks, and preparing students with complex communication needs for transition. See the learning objectives for each of the six sessions and register for one or more sessions.
Presenters/Facilitators:
Jacqueline Kearns, EdD – Dr. Kearns is Associate Director of the Inclusive Large-Scale Standards and Assessment Group at the Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky. With expertise in serving students with significant disabilities, she supports professional learning for educators in the areas of communication, inclusive education, and assessment and accountability.
Dr. Kearns is also the principal investigator for the University of Kentucky subcontract for the national TIES Center. At the University of Kentucky, she leads major projects at the Human Development Institute such as the TAALC (Teaching Academic Age-appropriate Learning via Communication) project. She is also the previous director of the National Alternate Assessment Center (NAAC) and the developer of the Learner Characteristics Inventory.
Judy Page, PhD, CCC-SLP – Dr. Page is Associate Professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Health Sciences, at the University of Kentucky. She serves as recent past president of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). Her primary areas of interest are communication intervention strategies for persons with severe disabilities and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. Other research interests include early intervention, early literacy development, and interprofessional education and practice. She is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a Fellow of the National Academies of
Practice, a recipient of the Honors of the Kentucky Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and a past nominee for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation's DiCarlo Award for Oustanding Clinical Achievement.