#157: Replay Episode - The Importance of Comprehension Skills with Dr. Merrill Winston
Description
Replay: Episode 107
As SLPs and BCBAs, we are tasked with teaching comprehension to our learners, but do they really understand these skills? Dr. Merrill Winston joined me to discuss not only reading comprehension but comprehension in everyday life and the building block skills to be successful.
What is comprehension?
Whether you're reading a book or listening to a statement, there are 3 markers for comprehension.
Repeat it.Follow the Directions or Instructions within it.Talk about it.Dr. Winston and I get into the nitty gritty of that last marker and talk about it when it comes to comprehension of daily life. He says that a major prerequisite for reading comprehension is comprehending their day. You can check this by having your learner sequence, or "serieate," their day. (First I did this, then I did this, then we did that…)
With this skill, students are pulling information from the past and making a time reference. You can practice by working in smaller increments, like the last hour even. This doesn't have to be verbal; it can be in pictures or icons as well! But the important thing is to ask those questions!! Students may not be able to serialize their day simply because they aren't being asked these questions.
We also talk about goal setting and realistic expectations. If you're considering setting a comprehension goal for your learner, Dr. Winston says to be sure to ask: What is the end goal? Where is this skill going to take them? Every skill you spend time on should have a goal that extends across the lifespan and opens more doors and opportunities. He even goes as far as to say that working on a goal for too long without progress is careless!
This was such a great chat with a leader in the field of ABA, and I hope you found it helpful!
#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
What does comprehension really mean?How should providers be working on comprehension?What is “seriating your day” and why is it important?Determining functional goals for your learners.How goals and skills build to reach larger goals.Goals that will impact your learners life.Mentioned In This Episode:
Winston Behavioral Solutions
ABASpeechByRose - Rose Griffin - Instagram
Membership - ABA Speech
Today, we're diving into empowering parents and the magic of early intervention through teletherapy with Glory Lichon, founder of Glow Bright Therapy. Glory’s journey started in school-based therapy, but like many SLPs, she faced burnout. That experience led her to create a teletherapy practice...
Published 11/19/24
I connected with my guest Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author, Dr. Paul Gavoni, on LinkedIn. His work focuses on creating positive and safe cultures by driving meaningful behavior change. He explains that learner behavior often reflects the actions of adults in their...
Published 11/12/24