Shining Light on:
Teaching, Communicating and Adapting Play for Special Needs Children
DATE: November 11 & 12, 2010

Cost $180 • 8am-4pm both days

What it is about: Play is the young child’s most powerful mode for learning. Children use play to experiment with how the world works - endlessly discovering and revising those experiments to refine and practice understanding and skills.

Children who face significant physical and multiple challenges as well as those children on the more severe end of the autism spectrum, often struggle to access the world of play, interaction and learning. Some of these children may have very little control of moving their bodies. Others have difficulty taking in and processing sensory information from their environment. Many find communication and interaction skills challenging.

This two day presentation will address questions such as: Which children will benefit from adaptations and augmentation? What are we learning from brain research that can help us better understand what is going on in the child’s mind and what might work to motivate active learning? How can we use adapted play activities to give these children a sense of control and facilitate interaction?

Course Objectives:
1. Discuss how the brain develops and describe implications for teaching and learning for those students who are developing differently.
2. Describe strategies for increasing motivation, cognitive engagement, and active participation in the learning process.
3. Discuss a variety of ways to adapt play materials to facilitate cognitive and communication skills in young children.
4. Briefly describe Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display (PODD) by Gayle Porter (Melbourne, Australia) and explain the significant for beginning communicators.
5. Describe the importance of providing a multi-modal, communication learning environment that provides models of receptive aided language systems.
6. Describe strategies that help the child who are on the severe end of the autism spectrum, develop skills in receptive, expressive language and cognitive processing skills.

About Our Speaker: Linda Burkhart is an internationally known pioneer in the field of simplified technology for children with severe challenges. She has developed numerous adapted switches and innovative strategies for using these devices with children. She is the author of a number of books and software titles on topics of assistive technology and augmentative communication. Linda was a classroom teacher for fifteen years. Then for eight years, she worked as an Augmentative Communication and Assistive Technology Specialist for the Center for Technology in Education - a joint project between the Johns Hopkins University and the Maryland State Department of Education. Currently, Linda works as a private consultant and technology integration specialist.

Hosted by The Little Light House

For more information, call Lois or Lindsay: 918-664-6746.
To register via email, contact Lindsay Vroome.

For mail in registration card, click here. [PDF: 300k]
     - We must receive registration form no later than 30 days prior to workshop.

A tradition the Little Light House has become known for are its Community luncheons hosted throughout the year as an expression of appreciation to friends who have supported The Little Light House by giving their time, talent, resources and/or finances. They also serve as an ideal venue for those interested in learning more about The Little Light House.

Community Luncheons provide an opportunity for guests to tour the center, view the children in their classrooms, hear a parent’s story and testimony of the positive impact The Little Light House is having on their child and meet and hear from the Chairman of the Board of The Little Light House as well as The Little Light House Founder and CEO.

Those wishing to attend a Community Luncheon may call the Little Light House receptionist at (918) 664-6746 for dates and request an invitation and/or place a reservation. Small groups are welcome. These special luncheons are held the last Wednesday of the month throughout the year except during calendar breaks or when another major Little Light House event is taking place. Tours begin at 10:30 a.m. and the luncheon concludes at 12:00 noon. Reservations are required.