Real Talk: Am I In The Zone? Level 1 for Kids

Students will learn what it means to be in or out of the zone (of expected social behaviors). They will learn to recognize when they are doing something unexpected, which might elicit a negative response, and when they are doing what is socially expected, which would be more likely to elicit a positive response from others.

I am a speech-language pathologist with an M.A. in Education (Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology) and a B.A. in Linguistics, with an emphasis in Sociolinguistics (in other words, how people use language socially, in interactions, and in popular culture). I have worked with students from one end of the autistic spectrum to the other, as well as non-ASD students who have pragmatic language issues and social language difficulties. I have been in practice as a speech-language pathologist since 2003, and have owned my own private practice since 2006. I have hundreds of continuing education hours in topics related to speech-language pathology, social language, reading, dyslexia, language disorders, stuttering, traumatic brain injury, psychology, executive functioning, autism, articulation, and phonology, among other areas. 

No homework will be assigned as this is an introductory class.

No assessment. This class lays the groundwork for a Part 2 class, which will involve getting deeper into real-life situations and practicing new skills.

35 minutes per week in class, and no time outside of class.

Material is based on 25+ years of experience in the fields of education, special education, and linguistics, as well as the work of Timothy Kowalski, M.A., CCC, an award-winning social communication specialist and author of multiple books.