Wednesday, February 4, 2026
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (AST) / 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. (NST)
Functional Communication Training (FCT) is an evidence-based intervention designed to replace challenging behaviours with appropriate, socially acceptable communication skills. It empowers students to express needs effectively, reducing frustration and improving classroom engagement. This presentation will provide an overview of FCT, the benefits of teaching functional communication skills, and some tips for implementation.
Sarah Coughlan is a Learning Specialist for the Autism Learning Partnership, a branch of the Education and Early Childhood Department in New Brunswick. She has a BSc and a BEd (Secondary) from Acadia University, a MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from UNB, and Graduate Certificate in Behaviour Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology. She has 10 years’ experience as classroom teacher and 8 years as an Education Support Teacher- Resource. Sarah’s areas of expertise include assessment and programming for school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other diverse needs, intervention for complex behaviour, consultation with school teams to support inclusion, and developing and implementing training for educational personnel.