Vocational Skills for Students With Communication Disorders

We constantly communicate while we’re at work. We greet co-workers on the way into work. We chat at lunch with people about our favorite shows and weekend plans. Communication in the workplace, no matter how short or how long, is an essential part of how we’re perceived and how we participate as a professional team member. It’s an example of a “soft skill” that contributes to job success. These vocational soft skills can present challenges for older students with communication disorders who are seeking meaningful and competitive employment. Work: Only Its Name Will Stay the Same What’s So Hard About Soft Skills? The Importance of Soft Skills for Professional Success How can we, as speech-language pathologists, help students increase these functional skills? I work with my middle school and older students on communication skills needed for employment as part of their regular service delivery. Below I share some tips and strategies I’ve learned for working on these functional language skills with older students. Shared goals   For all students, but especially for our older learners, I encourage all team members to teach, support, and embed opportunities to practice functional communication skills throughout the day. Helping support vocationally focused goals—created together with special education teachers—assures this collaborative programming that allows for multiple opportunities to practice skills. Vocational ideas Create jobs for your stu...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Autism Spectrum Disorder Language Disorders social skills Source Type: blogs