Child-centred and communication-focused practice with children with disability

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This free short online course introduces communication-focused practice strategies to support the mental health of children with disability.

Building on the knowledge introduced in Emerging Minds’ foundation course, Understanding child mental health and disability, this course looks at ways to support children with disability to express themselves. It centres on a communication-focused approach, which is about prioritising the expression of a child’s social and emotional development needs and working with the child and their family to overcome any communication challenges.

Child-centred and communication-focused practice with children with disability introduces the PATH approach:

• Possibilities – what is the child trying to communicate?
• Alternatives – how else can we meet this need?
• Trying out – how can we go about trying a different approach?
• Holistic – am I considering the child’s strengths as well as their difficulties?

By helping children to develop alternative coping strategies and new ways of communicating their needs, you can support the mental health and wellbeing of children with disability and their families.

This communication-focused practice course is suited to anyone who works with children with disability and their families. It will help professionals in any setting to promote the social and emotional development and wellbeing of children with disability.

Core learning

This course will take you approximately 90 minutes to complete. This includes reading the written content, watching the videos and completing the reflection activities.

Further reading

Additional time can be spent reviewing the supporting resources included throughout the course.

You can undertake the course across multiple sessions at your own pace. The last screen you visit before logging off will be bookmarked and you will have the option of returning to that screen when you next log in.