How to Foster Conversational Skills in Children Presentation on Dec. 4

The following information was provided by the Westfield Special Education committee.

The Westfield Special Education Community is hosting an evening of education and insightful conversation on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Edison Intermediate School Library.

Stimulating Conversational Skills in children with Special Needs is a common challenge.  It is a source of frustration for parents, educators and children alike.  How can we help children with special needs respond appropriately to parents, teachers and peers?  How can we help our kids be successful in social situations in the classroom, at recess, at after school activities, and at playdates?

Elisha Cohen-Monzella, a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, will quickly define pragmatic/social language key terms, and then delve into her vast knowledge of what we, as parents, professionals and family, can do to stimulate the development of our children’s conversational skills.  Elisha will share techniques for various environments within school, home-life and community to help children on the Spectrum or with Special Needs that inhibit pragmatic/conversational speech.  Within the short time allotted, she promises to share as many strategies as possible that can be implemented easily to assist our children.

About Our Guest Speaker:

Elisha B. Cohen-Monzella, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist who specializes in evaluating and treating children and young adults, ranging in age from infancy to 21 years, who demonstrate a variety of communication delays/disorders. Her current scope of practice includes autism spectrum disorders, apraxia/phonological disorders, pragmatic language disorders, auditory processing disorders, receptive and expressive language disorders, and hearing impairment. Elisha attempts to meet the individual needs of each client by offering home-, school-, and office-based private practice services. Additionally, she provides speech and language consultations to child study teams, special educators, and parents, along with their extended families. Elisha’s therapy techniques range on a continuum from behavioral to play-oriented. Her previous experiences include working in an infant-toddler program, special education preschools and various public school settings. Elisha received her MA from Hofstra University and her BS from Ithaca College in speech-language pathology.

This program is free and all parents, teachers, and advocates are invited to attend. CEU’S (1.5 CREDITS) WILL BE OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE TO EDUCATORS. For more information visit, www.westfieldnjk12.org/specialedparents.