Working with children and adults who have severe communication disorders presents its own set of challenges. The goal of this resource is to provide educators, parents, and guardians with research-based suggestions for how to meet these...

Because autism manifests in so many different ways it is referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). No one approach is appropriate for learners with autism. The idea of this packet if to provide a variety of approaches and materials...

Many developmentally disabled students struggle with accurately conveying messages and interpreting those of others around them, especially when they are non-verbal. This lesson contains fun activities and exercises, such as talking with...

Sometimes a picture reflects a thousand descriptive words. To illustrate the importance of sensory words in descriptive writing, scholars listen to a song and craft a painting in response. After sharing their work with the class,...

Miscommunication is often the basis of conflict. To improve their communication skills, pupils first review what they learned about assertive (as opposed to aggressive or passive) communication, role-play several scenarios, and then...

The Overcoming Obstacles course for middle schoolers continues with a unit module on communication. In the first instructional activity, participants engage in a series of activities that help them recognize nonverbal clues and the...

After defining passive, aggressive, and assertive, class members role-play different scenarios demonstrating these behaviors. Individuals then identify a weakness they wish to improve and, using what they have learned throughout the...

It's not just what you say but how you say it! That's the take-away from a lesson about verbal and non-verbal communication. An engaging activity has middle schoolers demonstrating how tone of voice and body language can totally change...

Disrespect can be as subtle as a frown or a turn of a head. To prepare for a study of Toi Derricote's poem "The Weakness" class members create wordless skits that demonstrate subtle or not so subtle signs of disrespect. After a...

Actions take center stage in an activity that underscores the importance of non-verbal communication. Groups present skits that demonstrate the important role body language plays in any conversation.

In preparation for a game in which they guess the type of communication used in a scenario, scholars examine and discuss the four types of communication: passive, aggressive, assertive, and passive-aggressive. Learners identify "I"...

Communication is key. Pupils receive direct instruction about managerial communications and then independently research communications careers. Scholars then complete exit tickets, answering questions about what they learned. 

The Unit 1 - Overview of the Health Smart Grade 6 series provides instructors with the rationale and goals of a five-resource unit designed to support scholars' social and emotional development. Packed with activity ideas, the resource...

Middle schoolers are offered an opportunity to use what they have learned about effective communication in a "Do-over." First, they create a storyboard of an argument they had with a friend or family member that wasn't productive. Then,...

Listen up! The game of Telephone launches a study of active listening. Class members watch a short video that demonstrates active listening and tips on practicing active listening. Pairs then interview each other and practice their...

Respond rather than react—that's the big idea behind a lesson on conflict resolution strategies. A richly detailed plan teaches high schoolers strategies for resolving conflicts. Pupils play charades, engage in verbal and non-verbal...

Peer pressure is the focus of a lesson that challenges scholars to respond to several scenarios using responsible-decision making skills. Lesson one begins with a live-action example set by class members, followed by a discussion that...

Monsters have feelings, too! Scholars explore a variety of emotions with a festive, Halloween flair with two dice-rolling activities. The first activity prompts learners to draw and write about a monster feeling a specific emotion. The...

The two lessons in the fifth unit in this series are designed to help students with disabilities improve their communication skills. The first lesson has class members practice strategies and skills for appropriate communication. They...

A lesson instills the importance of how empathy has the ability to aid in stopping bullying behavior. Scholars discuss, in-depth, a series of three questions. Using class input, an anchor chart is made then displayed for reference.

Life changes may cause stress. Here, scholars identify stressful situations in a peer's life and offer coping skills to make for a better day. A short story, "Stressed Out Sally," provides pupils with a look inside a bad day. After...

Emotions are written all over your face. Pupils match six emotions with full facial expressions in an engaging online interactive. The scholars move on to align the same six emotions with only the expressions from the eyes by dragging...

Understanding propaganda is very similar to understanding advertising's influence on an audience. Teach learners all about effective propaganda tactics by analyzing posters from World War I. Pupils work together to make their own posters...

The stuff I share goes where? Social media scholars discover how sites collect and use metadata during a lesson about privacy and reputation. The activity demonstrates smart privacy settings and promotes good digital citizenship.