PECS 2 Day Basic Training

PECS 2 Day Basic Training

Presented by JoAnne Matteo
Hosted by Easter Seals Arkansas Outreach Program
August 2-3, 2012
8:00 am - 4:00 pm (Registration begins at 7:30 am)
Located at: Easter Seals Oureach Training Facility
3724 Woodland Heights Road, Little Rock, AR 72212

Space is limited so please register early!

To download flyer and registration form, click here

In cooperation with Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc., Easter Seals Outreach Program will be oering a two-day Basic Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) training. PECS is a language training package that is used to teach communication skills rapidly to those with limited functional speech. It promotes communication within a social context, without lengthy prerequisite
training.

Training in PECS begins by teaching a spontaneous request and goes on to teach additional communicative functions such as responding to questions and commenting. An added attraction for preschool children with autism and related disabilities is the high proportion of children who acquire independent speech. Participants will learn how to implement the six phases of PECS, including attributes,through presenter demonstrations, video examples and role-play opportunities. Participants will leave the workshop with an understanding of how to implement PECS with individuals with autism, related developmental disabilities, and/or limited communication skills.

What You Will Learn:
• The key Pyramid components to designing effective educational environments
• Strategies to create an abundance of opportunities for communication
• How to discuss in detail the Picture Exchange Communication System and
its relationship to traditional training programs
• How to implement behavior with target individuals using behavior
analytic orientation
• The criteria for transitioning from PECS to other communication modalities
REGISTRATION FEE for the 2-day traing includes
• The Second Edition PECS Training Manual (a $70 value)
• Detailed handouts with space for note-taking
• Certificate of Attendance
• Continental breakfast and Lunch both days
• ASHA CEUs are available

Presenter:
Jo-Anne B. Matteo began her career as a public school speech-language pathologist in Connecticut in 1980. She received her B.A. in Communication Disorders from Southern Connecticut State College in 1979, M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Adelphi University in 1980, and an advanced degree in Administration and Supervision from Southern Connecticut State University in 1983. As a special education administrator since 1994, she has been involved in sta and program development. She is the founder of a public school program for preschool and elementary children who present with signicant special needs in the areas of communication, cognitive, social, behavioral and motor disabilities. These students have been using PECS to improve functional communication skills while they take part in a classroom that has been implementing the Pyramid Approach to Education. Jo-Anne has worked in this program as the speech-language pathologist and the program coordinator. Jo-Anne has presented extensively at various conferences and workshops to parents and professionals in the areas of speech-language development, functional communication and program design. She is also an active member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.