Play and Narrative Skills: A Two-Day Event with Dr Carol Westby

Description of the event

In this two-day event, Dr Carol Westby, developer of the renowned Westby Symbolic Play Scale, will present two master lectures focusing on play skills and narrative skills.

You can participate in any of these lectures or get a special offer if you sign up as a bundle event.

Day 1: Learning to Play and Playing to Learn: Exploring the Play Profiles of All Children

Benefits of play are both immediate and long-term and contribute to all aspects of children’s health and development including their physical and mental well-being, their educational development, brain development, self-regulation, opportunities for language development, spatial and mathematical learning, creativity, and the formation of identity. Goals and objectives for young children with developmental impairments frequently focus on isolated skills and tasks rather than on strategies to promote meaningful participation. Yet children's play experiences promote development of integrated cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills that underlie comprehension and self-regulation of behavior essential for learning. And it is in play that children participate with others.

This session will describe the development of functional and symbolic play in typically developing and neurodivergent children, the dimensions of symbolic play and how these dimensions contribute to comprehension of oral and written discourse, and strategies to promote children’s play. Participants will be able to develop play-based goals and objectives that promote development of the language, social-emotional, cognitive, and self-regulatory skills essential for social and academic competence.

Day 2: Narratives for Social and Academic Success: Theory of Mind and Autobiographical Memory Foundations

Narrative language skills are critical for effective social interactions and academic success. Consequently, narratives are regularly an aspect of assessment and intervention for children with communication impairments. The ability to comprehend and generate fictional narratives at 5-6 years of age is associated with academic success throughout much of students’ school years. Development of coherent personal narratives in primary and secondary school is associated with growth of children’s individual identity and cultural identity which are linked to psychological well-being. Development of theory of mind and autobiographical memory are foundational for development of narrative comprehension and production.

This presentation will describe the types of theory of mind (ToM) and their development, the nature of autobiographical memory (AM), and the role of ToM and AM in narrative skills. Approaches for evaluation of children’s fictional and personal narratives will be described and strategies for promoting narrative developed will be provided.

Learning Objectives

Day 1: Learning to Play and Playing to Learn: Exploring the Play Profiles of All Children

• describe and assess the development of play and language from birth to age 7
• describe ways that the play of typically developing children and neurodivergent children differ in terms of exploratory/functional/symbolic levels and playfulness
• explain possible reasons for play differences between typically developing and neurodivergent children
• describe the relationships between play, language, and literacy
• design play routines to promote functional and symbolic play

Day 2: Narratives for Social and Academic Success: Theory of Mind and Autobiographical Memory Foundations

• describe the characteristics and development of cognitive and affective theory of mind
• describe the nature of autobiographical memory
• Explain the relationships between theory of mind, autobiographical memory, and narrative skills
• Evaluate children’s fictional and personal narratives
• Implement strategies to develop children’s personal and fictional narrative skills

Continuing Professional Development

Hong Kong Institute of Speech Therapists - please refer to Continuing Professional Development Framework (HKIST >>> Continuing Professional Development)

The Continuous Professional Development points to be granted by the professional bodies related to the event participants will be confirmed later.

Biography of Speakers

Dr. Carol Westby, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a consultant for Bilingual Multicultural Services in Albuquerque, NM and holds an affiliated appointment in Communication Disorders at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. She is a fellow of the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), has received the Honors of ASHA and the Kleffner Lifetime Clinical Achievement Award, and holds Board Certification in Child Language and Language Disorders. Dr. Westby has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Geneva College and the University of Iowa's Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology and the ASHA Award for Contributions to Multicultural Affairs. She is widely recognized for her development of the Westby Playscale, an assessment tool for young children. She had published and presented nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics including screen time and learning in the 21st century, assessing and facilitating play in children, theory of mind, narrative development, adverse childhood experiences, and issues in assessment and intervention with culturally/linguistically diverse populations. Dr. Westby has a BA in English from Geneva College and an MA and PhD in Speech Pathology from the University of Iowa.

Program Rundown

Terms and Regulations

• All video or audio recordings, or using mobile devices for filming or photography is prohibited during the seminar.
• Contingency Plan in case of Bad Weather: If Typhoon Signal No. 3, Red, or Amber Rainstorm Signal is hoisted, the seminar will be held as scheduled. If Typhoon Signal No.8 or above, or Black Rainstorm Signal remains hoisted by 6:30 am on the event date or other unforeseeable circumstances, the seminar will be switched to Zoom. You will be informed of the Zoom link by email in due course.