Participants in this course are special education practitioners, including teachers, Speech and Language Pathologists, and other related services personnel, that are already serving students with complex communication needs. This course is based on the belief that practitioners, working in partnership with researchers and facilitators, can create, deepen, and share new knowledge within a community of practice. Instruction and dialogue within the course centers on participating practitioners learning to apply a set of research-based tools, the Communication Matrix suite (Rowland, 2011), with students with complex communication needs, that are already being served in school settings. 

The course offers targeted learning opportunities for participants serving children with complex communication needs, predominantly through virtual instruction and dialogue with colleagues from school sites across the country. Participants also have the opportunity to receive limited (up to 6 hours per school year) face-to-face instruction and coaching from facilitators within the course. The ultimate goals of the learning partnership include: increasing participants knowledge and skills regarding best communication practices for serving students with complex communication needs; and supporting fellow professionals as they deepen knowledge and skills for this population via a virtual community of practice. By engaging in this targeted learning opportunity, ultimately students with severe disabilities and their families who are served by participating professionals will experience improved communication outcomes. This course is based upon completing learning assignments, per agreement with local school administrators, and engaging actively in the professional development opportunities provided.