Podcasts · The ABA Speech Podcast- Easy Strategies for Speech Therapists, BCBAs, and RBTs

#223: Theme-Based Collaborative Groups with Gabriella Cameron & Jennifer Kent

8 Apr 2025 · 33 min · Episode 223

At the ASHA conference in Seattle, I had the opportunity to meet Gabriella Cameron and Jennifer Kent, who presented on their Theme-Based Collaborative Groups within the Endeavour Program at Ivymount, a nonpublic, publicly funded special education environment serving students aged 5–21.

Gabriella and Jen’s theme-based groups are embedded within Endeavour, offering structured but flexible learning experiences tailored to each student. Any student who can tolerate working in a group is a candidate, as the focus is on skill exposure rather than mastery, creating opportunities for participation at varying levels.

Each group consists of 5–6 students, each supported by a 1:1 aide, alongside a specialist (SLP, OT, PT) and a group leader. The framework includes:

• Selecting a theme (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.). • Adapting a story/song for accessibility. • Identifying vocabulary using a language board. • Asking WH-questions, allowing responses through speech or AAC. • Engaging in a supplemental activity, such as an OT craft or a PT movement task.

Looking ahead, Gabriella and Jen are exploring ways to measure skill acquisition, enhance motivation, incorporate high-tech AAC, and share their resources more broadly—paving the way for more inclusive and meaningful learning experiences.

#autism #speechtherapy

What’s Inside:

• Small groups foster an inclusive learning approach. • The repeatable framework of theme-based collaborative groups. • The value of skill exposure. • An environment that increases multidisciplinary support. • Future goals for theme-based collaborative groups.

Mentioned In This Episode: Membership - ABA Speech ABA Speech: Home

Links in the notes 2

• https://abaspeech.org/membership/
• https://abaspeech.org

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