Barkley Clinic offering parent-focused communication training for children with down syndrome

08 Feb 2021     By Kelcey Buck

Speech-language pathologists at the Barkley Speech Language and Hearing Clinic are collaborating with Down Syndrome Advocates in Action Nebraska (DSAANE) to offer a parent-focused training to promote early language development for children with down syndrome. 

“Building Blocks of Communication” is open to up to 10 families with flexible start dates rolling throughout February. The eight-week training consists of one 45-minute session per week for children ages 12 months to pre-kindergarten. All sessions will be conducted via Zoom. The cost for families is $40, as DSAANE is covering the other $200 per family. 

A single specific communication strategy will be covered during each session. They will focus on increasing communication, including verbal and other modalities, and will be tailored to each family as the clinician sees fit and based on family preferences. Children must be present during all sessions, but the focus is on training parents to facilitate and provide strategies with their children. 

“We hope to positively impact children with down syndrome and their families by providing education and practice around strategies to facilitate communication development,” said Adrienne Pitt, lecturer and clinical supervisor at the Barkley Speech Language and Hearing Clinic. “It is our hope that by learning and implementing these strategies throughout their daily life, these families will see growth in successful communication for their child.” 

Participants are not required to be members for DSAANE in order to participate. Specific times will be arranged between the clinician and family on a first-come, first-serve basis. At the conclusion of the eight weeks, clinicians will provide the families with information regarding all of the strategies that were targeted throughout the training. 

For more information and to sign up, visit https://go.unl.edu/kqc3.