Supporting the Pre-Linguistic Communicator
Supporting the Pre-Linguistic Communicator explores evidence-based, play-based strategies for building functional communication in early intervention. Participants will learn parent-coaching techniques to support gestures, joint attention, imitation, early language and meaningful ways to incorporate AAC use across daily routines and play.
Speaker
Caley Nunnally, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, is a mother of two and a pediatric speech-language pathologist with more than 12 years of experience in early intervention and outpatient therapy. She is passionate about helping families support communication through practical, play-based strategies that fit into everyday routines. Caley lives in Richmond, Virginia, and runs the Instagram account @learnwithchatterboxes, where she shares speech, language, and parenting education.
Disclosure: Speaker received a speaking fee for this course.
Built for you
Who this course is for
Every minute is written for working clinicians, educators, and families. You walk away with real-world tools to try with your next learner, not abstract theory.
Speech-Language Pathologists
Early Intervention Specialists
Parents & Caregivers
Pediatricians
After this course
What you’ll walk away with.
You leave with concrete skills and frameworks you can apply in your next session, classroom, or family visit, not just ideas to think about later.
Earn your CEUs
Attend the full course and pass the post-session assessment at 80% or higher. Your 0.1 ASHA CEUs are reported to ASHA when you opt in on the assessment.
- 01
You’ll be able to
Identify key pre-linguistic communication skills and early developmental milestones that support functional communication.
- 02
You’ll be able to
Apply at least five evidence-based, play-based strategies to increase engagement, joint attention, imitation, and intentional communication during routines and activities.
- 03
You’ll be able to
Describe how to introduce and model AAC in early intervention and coach caregivers to support multimodal communication across daily routines.
The full 1 hour
Your learning path.
- 1
Introduction and Learning Objectives
5 minutes - 2
Early Communication Milestone Overview: Review of early receptive, expressive, social, play, and communication milestones, including considerations for when additional support may be needed
7 minutes - 3
Foundational Pre-Linguistic Skills: Discussion of joint attention, shared engagement, imitation, gestures, turn-taking, intentional communication, play skills, and communicative functions
8 minutes - 4
Building Communication Through Daily Routines: Using predictable routines such as meals, dressing, bath time, outdoor play, and transitions to create meaningful opportunities for functional communication.
7 minutes - 5
Introducing AAC in Early Intervention: Evidence-based guidance for introducing AAC, modeling without pressure, selecting meaningful vocabulary, supporting multimodal communication, and coaching caregivers. Trying different systems, following a child's lead
5 minutes - 6
Ten Strategies to Support Early Communication
13 minutes - 7
Toyless Social Games: Using songs, fingerplays, peekaboo, anticipation games, playful sounds, and face-to-face routines to build interaction, imitation, and shared enjoyment
5 minutes - 8
Movement-Based Communication Games: Incorporating swings, obstacle courses, chase, jumping, dancing, and other movement activities to target functional words
5 minutes - 9
Strategies to Increase Interaction and Attention: Practical techniques for improving engagement, including positioning, reducing distractions, joining the child's play, using animated affect, creating anticipation, and balancing interaction with sensory needs
3 minutes - 10
Key Takeaways and Closing: Review of evidence-based strategies, parent-coaching principles, and ways to support functional communication across everyday activities
2 minutes
Earn ASHA CEUs in three steps
Free courses, ASHA CEUs when you opt in.
Register & attend
Register in under a minute and watch on-demand, whenever it fits your schedule.
Pass the assessment
Complete the short post-course assessment with 80% or higher to confirm mastery.
CEUs reported to ASHA
Choose to be reported on the assessment and your 0.1 ASHA CEUs are filed to ASHA for you. No paperwork, no chasing certificates.
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