Skip to main content

Please REGISTER TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST! 
ATANZ is hoping to organise

2027 Teaching Movements for Communication

A 5-day intensive workshop teaching professionals and families how to help individuals with complex physical and sensory challenges, access Augmentative and Alternative Communication.

Presented by Speech language therapists

Gayle Porter - Speech Pathologist
and

Claire Cotter - Occupational therapist

CPEC Australia

For some children with complex communication needs, it is the method of accessing the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system that is significantly affecting their development of intelligible, autonomous communication. These children, who have significant physical and/or sensory challenges, often need to learn movements to access AAC systems.

This intensive 5-day workshop will provide participants with an in-depth opportunity to explore the movement differences associated with cerebral palsy, other significant neurological movement impairments (e.g. Rett Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome), and severe sensory processing challenges. There will be a focus on identifying these posture and movement challenges in relation to their impact on communication development, assessment and intelligibility. A range of strategies and a process to teach movements for communication will be demonstrated.

Dates: To be confirmed, 

At this stage planned for 12-16 July 2027

(2nd week of school holidays) 

Location(s): To be confirmed

Auckland, Venue to be confirmed

Times:

8.30.am – 4.30 pm
with 45 min lunch break.

Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea will be provided                                                                     

Expression of Interest for this 5- day workshop close 15 August 2026

Claire Cotter

Occupational therapist

Claire Cotter (B.App Sc. (OT), Dip. CE (Hon), OTR) is a senior Occupational Therapist with 47 years’ experience in this field.
Claire is currently the CEO and cofounder of the
Cerebral Palsy Education Centre
in Melbourne, Australia.

Read More

Gayle Porter

Speech Pathologist

Gayle Porter is a senior Speech Pathologist with 30 years hands on experience in the field working with people with complex communication needs.

Read More

After this 5-day workshop, participants will have developed their ability to:

  • Identify the role of movement in communication.
  • Identify the communication and cognitive assessment challenges for individuals who have sensory motor challenges and complex communication needs.
  • Describe the key movement issues that affect the development of all graded movement including that required for intelligible communication
  • Observe and analyse the movement for children whose motor and/or sensory processing challenges affect their development of intelligible communication. This includes children with
    • cerebral palsy (and like conditions)
    • other syndromes (e.g. Rett, Pitt Hopkins, Cri Du Chat)
    • global developmental delay
  • Explain how to accommodate for challenging postural control
  • Explain how to develop sensory & motor control of selective movements
  • Describe an intervention process for developing movements and operational competencies for more intelligible, independent, autonomous communication.
  • Assess and teach movements for communication using gesture, non-electronic and electronic AAC systems including direct pointing, eye-gaze, scanning access.
  • Discuss the concept of parallel learning for electronic and non-electronic including the Stepping Stones to Switch Access (Burkhart) and eye gaze technology.

Case studies

There will be an opportunity for course participants to submit a case study that may be selected for inclusion in the workshop.

Course schedule, expand for content

Day 1

8:30am
Role of movement in communication
Learning to move

10:15am
Morning break

10:35am
Processes for developing movement for communication
Key movement issues

12:00pm
Lunch

12:45pm
Understanding the learner with Cerebral Palsy

2:45pm
Afternoon break

3:00pm
Dynamic assessment
Observation – Identifying key movement issues (CP)

4:30pm
Finish

Day 2

8:30am
Understanding the learner with sensory processing challenges

10:15am
Morning break

10:35am
Understanding the learner with Rett syndrome

12:00pm
Lunch

12:45pm
Key movement issues – learners with different challenges

2:45pm
Afternoon break

3:00pm
Learning to intend
Circle of successful learning

4:30pm
Finish

Day 3

8:30am
Strategies to support learning
Hands-on facilitation, sensory input, time, and equipment

10:15am
Morning break

10:35am
Strategies to support learning (continued)

12:00pm
Lunch

12:45pm
Strategies to support learning (continued)

2:45pm
Afternoon break

3:00pm
Practice, repetition with intent, purpose, and variation

4:30pm
Finish

Day 4

8:30am
Teaching movements for communication – non-electronic systems

10:15am
Morning break

10:35am
Non-electronic communication systems (continued)

12:00pm
Lunch

12:45pm
Non-electronic communication systems (continued)

2:45pm
Afternoon break

3:00pm
Parallel learning
Teaching movements for communication – electronic systems

4:30pm
Finish

Day 5

8:30am
Electronic systems (continued)
Accommodations to support communication at any time

10:15am
Morning break

10:35am
Participant Case Study 1

12:00pm
Lunch

12:45pm
Participant Case Studies 2 & 3

2:45pm
Afternoon break

3:00pm
Daily routines
Where to now?
Service models and collaborative team approaches

4:30pm
Finish

Estimated costs - still to be confirmed:

  • $1725.00 - ATANZ members
  • $1995.00 - Non-members (note: ATANZ membership is $110)
  • $250.00 - Whānau/family members ( Limited numbers )
  • $500.00 - Students ( Limited numbers )

Expression of Interest for this 5- day workshop close 15 August 2026

Places for the actual event will be capped at 50 participants

 

Minimum numbers:

Events require a minimum of participants to proceed. This registration will just hold a spot for you if and when the course will open. By then you will receive an email from us that will confirm the starting date and that gives you first priority to secure your spot before a certain date. An official go ahead of the actual event will be confirmed at the latest two weeks before the start date of the event or as soon as we have reached the minimum required numbers. 

You can find our full cancellation and refunds policy here.

Who can attend?

This 5-day intensive workshop will be most effective for teams who are working with children who have severe physical and sensory challenges and are struggling to access augmentative communication systems. Teams may include: speech language therapists, educators, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, family members, school leadership and support personnel. However, it will also be of significant value and give direction and knowledge to individual therapists, educators and family members.

It would be helpful, but not a requirement, for one of the members of the team to have previously attended an Introductory PODD (Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display Communication) training.

Please note that there is an opportunity to apply for our Whānau Professional Development and Learning Grant and ATANZ Professional Development Grant when you register.


Please check out all our Upcoming 2026 events on our events website page 

Questions: 

Please contact us with any further questions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.