Connecting Communication and Instruction for Students with Complex Access Needs

Learning Objectives:

• Define communication and establish the importance of teaching communication skills.
• Demonstrate the relationship between communication and behavior.
• Review considerations in developing and acquiring communication systems.
• Investigate student response modes.
• Explore strategies for teaching communication skills.
• Discover ways to connect communication and instruction.

This course aligns with Quality Indicator V: Social Communication on the Rubric of Effective Practices for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities. 

Coaching Support Included

This training includes a coaching component delivered by experts at each regional education service center to help educators apply what they’ve learned with confidence and fidelity. Coaching provides personalized, job‑embedded support grounded in four research‑based practices proven to strengthen instruction: alliance-building, observation, modeling, and performance feedback.

Educators and coaches complete a three‑step coaching cycle—pre‑observation, observation, and performance feedback—to reinforce training content and improve implementation. Coaching is designed to fit flexibly into your existing schedule and enhance your work, not add to it.