Communication Sciences & Disorders

Skip Cleavenger

Skip Cleavinger is the English Learner Program Consultant and Coordinator for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) at Green River Region Educational Cooperative (GRREC).  Prior to working at GRREC, Skip worked in Warren County Public Schools for 26 years.  He began his work there as a school psychologist, but after working extensively with Multilingual Learners, he decided to leave that department and move to the English Learner Program department.  After a brief stint as the EL Assessment Coordinator, he became the Director of English Learner Programs.   During his 8-year tenure as Director, Skip focused on developing an instructional vision for developing English language and content skills and ensuring that Multilingual Learners are provided with equitable educational opportunities.  Skip was instrumental in creating GEO International High School, the first 4-year international high school in Kentucky.  

Skip is a founding board member and the current Past President of the Kentucky Coalition for English Learners.  He is a Prichard Committee member and serves on its Equity Coalition.  Skip is also Co-Chair of the Community Partnership for Refugee and Immigrant Families, a coalition of organizations and agencies that serve the international community of Bowling Green/Warren County. 

Disclosure:  The presenter will receive compensation for this presentation.  He is a member of ASHA and has no other financial or nonfinancial relationships or conflicts of interest to disclose.

After this course, participations will be able to:

• Know and understand the basics of the identification process and services afforded to multilingual learners identified as English Learners
• Describe some of language errors that English Learners make that are common part of developing proficiency in an additional language
• Identify and debunk some common myths and misconceptions associated with the referral and assessment of English Learners and understand legal requirements and obligations of school-based practitioners
• Gain some foundational knowledge of important sources of language and cultural information about students and ways to access and organize it
• Understand the drawbacks of using standardized, norm-referenced for decision-making purposes and use the tests to gather important qualitative information
• Understand multilingualism and the way it drives our assessment choices
• Gain some foundational ideas about how to gather and consider all the data collected to make an informed and valid decision about the need for services

Dr. A.C. Goldberg PhD, CCC-SLP

AC Goldberg (he/him) is a neurodivergent, physically disabled intersex/transgender professor, consultant and SLP whose mission is to cultivate affirming spaces for all people. AC’s work centers around empathy, humanity and intersectional cultural responsiveness. His continuing education nonprofit, The CREDIT Institute, is dedicated to advancing equity in educational and healthcare settings. AC is the 2022 recipient of the American Speech Language Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Outstanding Service Award. If you’d like to get to know him, he's @transplaining and @CREDITsInstitute on Instagram.

Disclosure:  The presenter will receive compensation for this presentation.  He is a member of ASHA and has no other financial or nonfinancial relationships or conflicts of interest to disclose.

After this course, participations will be able to:

• Explain terminology related neurotype and intersectionality and its relevance to service provision
• Distinguish the tenets of trauma-informed care
• Devise ways to foster trusting relationships with populations who have experienced institutional trauma
• Develop an understanding of goal writing using a neurodiversity affirming framework