Verbal expression and comprehension (understanding)
What do I need to be able to do?
Understand and respond to verbal communication.
On professional experience placement, this will assist you when speaking with and responding to school students, teaching supervisors and other professionals.
Verbally communicate clear instructions and explanations in a time responsive way.
On professional experience placement, verbal communication is the primary source of communication between you, professional co-workers, teaching supervisors and school students.
Clear communication assists with completing your professional experience placement tasks safely.
What adjustments to my study conditions can I access?
A range of adjustments can be organised through the Equitable Learning Services (ELS). Contact the ELS to discuss what adjustments may be helpful to you.
Additional time allowances for comprehension and expression may be available to you for on-campus learning activities.
Professional experience placement activities may require time responsive communication. This should be discussed with your placement coordinator prior to commencing your placement.
Social communication
Social Communication refers to the capacity to understand and use appropriate non-verbal communication such as: eye contact, gestures, facial expression, speaking volume, tone of voice, proximity and verbal turn-taking.
What do I need to be able to do?
Recognise, interpret, use and respond to non-verbal communication appropriately in both on-campus and professional experience placement settings to build relationships, assess school student’s needs and provide student safety.
In the professional experience placement environment, tasks which require social communication abilities include:
- using gestures to gain student’s attention or alert students of safety concerns where verbal communication may not be sufficient e.g. on a field or in a swimming pool
- recognising the social communication used by school students, particularly in relation to distress, discomfort or fear
- responding to school students by using your own social communication skills, such as open body language, eye contact, facial expressions to display understanding and empathy.
What adjustments to my study conditions can I access?
A range of adjustments can be organised through the Equitable Learning Services (ELS). Contact the ELS to discuss what adjustments may be helpful to you.
Consideration will be given to the use of non-verbal communication appropriate to your disability or condition for example, if you have a vision or hearing impairment, you may rely more on using either auditory or visual means of social communication.