Autism Online Session Descriptions
Introduction
Assessment and Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Role of the SLP
Patricia A. Prelock, PhD, CCC-SLP
University of Vermont
This presentation provides an overview and framework for the conference lectures. Topics include understanding ASD and the SLP’s role in assessment, a review of appropriate models of service delivery, and a continuum of interventions to support communication, social interaction, and social cognition in children with ASD. Emphasis is given to the application of evidence-based practice in intervention decision making following the ASHA guidelines for SLPs. Recent findings of the National Autism Center’s 2009 National Standards Project, which identifies established, emerging, and unestablished interventions for ASD, are discussed.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Describe the role of the SLP in the diagnosis and assessment of ASD
- Explain the continuum of interventions to support communication, social interaction, and social cognition in children with ASD
- Identify both established and emerging interventions that facilitate social communication in children with ASD
Assessment and Diagnosis
Language and Cognition in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Helen Tager-Flusberg, PhD
Boston University
The profiles associated with ASD in children and adolescents, from Asperger's syndrome to classic autism, are described, along with the brain bases for these differences. Language is the single most important predictor of outcomes for children with ASD because it influences theory of mind, executive functions, and social adjustment. Research highlighting these influences is discussed, as well as some of the ways in which variability in language and cognitive functions influences a child's ability to handle academic work and peer relationships.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Describe the different language subtypes among children with ASD
- Discuss the relationship between language profiles and brain structure and function in ASD
- Describe how language influences theory of mind skills and executive functions in children and adolescents with ASD
- Evaluate the impact of a child's specific language profile on success in school
Improving Early Identification of ASD in Toddlers
Amy M. Wetherby, PhD, CCC-SLP
Research indicates that early intervention can substantially improve outcomes for children with ASD. This session reviews research on early indicators of ASD and identifies "red flags" in children aged 12 to 36 months. Video clips illustrate red flags to help you develop a better eye for spotting ASD in toddlers. Recommended practices for screening and early diagnosis to improve early identification are described, and the critical role of the SLP in improving early identification of ASD is highlighted.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- List the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics for developmental surveillance of developmental delays and screening for autism
- Describe the critical role of the SLP in improving early detection of ASD and early referral to intervention
- List typical behaviors whose absence and atypical behaviors whose presence are "red flags" for ASD in toddlers
- Describe strategies to improve screening and early diagnosis of ASD
Service Delivery
Supporting Communication and Learning for Students in Inclusive Settings
Vicki Barnitt, MA
Florida Inclusion Network, University of South Florida
This session focuses on inclusive practices for students with autism spectrum disorders in general education classrooms and contexts. The collaborative roles of teachers and speech language pathologists in instructional decision making and the provision of individualized supports are addressed. Examples of effective communication and instructional support strategies including visual supports, anchor activities, curriculum modifications, self-management, and peer supports are described.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Discuss how professionals collaborate to serve students with autism in inclusive settings
- Describe an instructional decision-making process to support communication within general education instruction and other contexts
- List at least five strategies to support communication and learning in inclusive settings
A Problem-Solving Process for School Teams
Sylvia Diehl, PhD, CCC-SLP
University of South Florida
Learn a problem-solving process that interdisciplinary teams can use in school contexts, drawing on data gathered during the school day. The process incorporates the basic premises of positive behavior support to identify and address problems using interventions that are identified as effective by the National Standards Project. Emphasis is placed on interventions that are context-appropriate and respect both the child's learning preferences and the family's vision. A case study shows how teams can work together to develop action plans for evidence-based, effective interventions.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Identify established interventions as defined by the National Standards Project (2009)
- Describe a six-stage, team-based, problem-solving process to select intervention strategies in school settings
- Apply principles of evidence-based practice in the team process
- Locate resources for continued learning
Navigating the Service Delivery Continuum
Sherry Sancibrian, MS, CCC-SLP, BRS-CL
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Service delivery is dynamic. For children and young adults with ASD, the service delivery model should change over time to meet the individual's evolving needs and priorities. This session helps you evaluate and select options along the continuum from traditional, direct pull-out services to collaborative services in natural environments. Considerations include addressing the core social and communication challenges of individuals with ASD; achieving meaningful, functional outcomes that generalize across environments; obtaining commitment from significant partners in the individual's life; working with available resources; and overcoming systemic, organizational, and financial barriers.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Identify variables involved in service delivery, including direct and indirect services, location, and frequency
- List the benefits and limitations of at least three service delivery models
- Match the features of a service delivery model with the unique needs of the individual
Intervention Approaches
Video Self-Modeling Interventions
Tom Buggey, PhD
Siskin Children's Institute, University of Tennessee–Chattanooga
Video modeling (VM) is an instructional method in which an individual develops a skill or behavior by viewing images of someone demonstrating it. The model may be a peer, an adult, an animation, or, in the case of self-modeling, the viewer. This session reviews evidence supporting the use of video modeling with individuals with ASD, focusing on the effectiveness of self-modeling to help children as young as 3½ years improve existing skills or behaviors, acquire new ones, and replace or extinguish maladaptive behavior. Practical steps to create and edit videos for professional applications are emphasized, along with aspects of the video medium that play to the strengths of many persons with autism.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Differentiate among the various forms of VM
- Identify and train client behaviors appropriate for VM
- Create storyboards to enhance language and social communication
- Describe the technology needed to develop and edit videos
- Access resources for ongoing technical assistance
A View from the Floor: The DIR/FT® Model
Sherri Cawn, MA, CCC-SLP
Cawn-Krantz and Associates, Developmental Therapies
This session provides a brief introduction to the DIR® (Developmental Individual Differences Relationship-based) /Floortime™ model developed by Drs. Stanley Greenspan and Serena Wieder.
The model provides a developmental, interdisciplinary framework for constructing a comprehensive assessment and intervention program based on each child's and family's developmental profile. It enables the clinician, educator, or parent to bring the child into a shared world, and from there, interact with the child in ways that build foundations for social, emotional, and intellectual development. The profile includes understanding the child's emotional, social, and intellectual level; individual differences in motor, sensory, and language functioning; and the existing caregiver, child, and family functioning and interaction patterns, with intervention offered in the context of developmentally designed play and learning situations.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Describe the basic components of DIR™ theory and practice
- Discuss the relationship between affect, sensory processing, and communication
- List the six stages of functional emotional development
- Discuss the importance of collaboration with the child's family in all aspects of intervention
Floortime®: A Developmental Intervention Strategy for Children with Autism
Sherri Cawn, MA, CCC-SLP
Cawn-Krantz and Associates, Developmental Therapies
This session focuses on using the the DIR™/Floortime® model to encourage developmentally appropriate interactions for children on the autism spectrum. Emphasis is on understanding the child's individual sensory profile and maintaining a continuous flow of interactions while supporting affect regulation.
We recommend that you complete "A View from the Floor: The DIR/FT® Model" before beginning this session.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Identify and explain four Floortime® strategies
- Identify three components of a child's individual sensory profile
- Discuss the importance of collaborating with the child's family to develop an appropriate intervention program
Applied Behavior Analysis for Speech-Language Pathologists
Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP
Pyramid Educational Consultants
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the practice of systematically applying interventions based upon the principles of learning theory to result in meaningful improvements in socially significant behaviors. It is an evidence-based treatment for individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and related disorders. This presentation provides an overview of ABA and how its use in daily practice aids in treatment planning, monitoring, and modification. Because treatment goals for SLPs and behavior analysts often overlap, effective collaboration between the two disciplines for optimal treatment outcomes is emphasized.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Define Applied Behavior Analysis
- Describe the components of the three-term contingency for analyzing behavior
- Discuss how to analyze language treatment protocols for optimal outcomes
Relationship, Intentionality, and Meaning: An Integrated Paradigm for Language Intervention
Sima Gerber, PhD, CCC-SLP
Queens College, City University of New York
Facilitating a child's language development is often thought of as teaching the child to produce more words and longer sentences. Although this is an appropriate goal for some children, it is clearly not the priority for many children on the autism spectrum. In this session, contemporary views of child development, relationship-based work, and language acquisition are brought together to create a perspective on the foundations of language. From this perspective, a paradigm for assessment and intervention with children on the autism spectrum is developed. Videos of intervention are shown to illustrate how goals such as engagement and intentionality can be facilitated.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Describe contemporary models of language development
- Use a contemporary paradigm (ICDL-DMIC, 2005) to describe the foundations and components of language acquisition
- Develop goals and strategies for children with autism that are consistent with current thinking about child development and language acquisition
Teaching Literacy to Students with Autism
Paula Kluth, PhD
This session reviews current trends in literacy instruction for students on the autism spectrum, emphasizing ways to provide opportunities for conversation and communication during standards-based lessons in inclusive classrooms. You'll hear about strategies for working with classroom teachers to respond appropriately to students' differences while enhancing skills in comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. Special attention is given to the needs of older students.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Collaborate with classroom teachers to support students with autism in inclusive literacy classrooms
- Describe major barriers to literacy from the perspective of students on the autism spectrum
- Create effective strategies for supporting the vocabulary development, comprehension, and fluency skills of your students on the spectrum
- Develop materials and supports that build on students' fascinations and special interests
Pivotal Response Treatment: Motivation, Initiations, and Social Conversation
Lynn K. Koegel, PhD, CCC-SLP
Pivotal areas are specific target behaviors that, once taught, have a widespread positive effect on many untreated behaviors. This session focuses on two pivotal areas that can be incorporated easily into intervention sessions: motivation and initiations. Research has shown that specific teaching procedures can improve the motivation of a child with autism to increase responsiveness and decrease problem behaviors. Six such procedures are presented, along with ways to measure fidelity of implementation and change in the child’s behavior. In the second pivotal area, initiations, you will learn a variety of procedures for teaching children with autism to initiate communication, and learn about research on the long-term positive effects when children with autism use initiations.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Identify motivational components for improving responsiveness, rate of responding, and for decreasing behavior problems
- Identify and describe procedures for teaching initiations, such as question-asking for initiating verbal interactions and engaging in social conversations
- State at least three reasons relating to the importance of initiations in communication
- Discuss prognostic indicators for children with autism that correlate with positive long-term social, academic, and communication outcomes
Positive Behavior Support (PBS) for Individuals Using AAC
Pat Mirenda, PhD
University of British Columbia
This session introduces the underlying principles of PBS and provides examples of PBS applications for children with autism who engage in problem behavior and require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Augmented input supports such as visual schedules and contingency maps that are designed to clarify contextual expectations are discussed, with clinical examples. Functional communication training using AAC is described, along with a summary of essential features.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Identify the key elements of PBS
- Identify three types of communication supports related to problem behavior
- Discuss four key principles that apply to functional communication training and give an example of each
Communication Intervention Programs: A Spectrum of Efficacy
Rhea Paul, PhD, CCC-SLP
Yale Child Studies Center
This presentation provides a framework for developing early intervention programs that target the acquisition of spoken language for children ages 2-6 with ASD. Research that identifies skills pivotal to the development of spoken language in this population is reviewed. Intervention goals and strategies most likely to affect speech development are outlined. Preliminary results of ongoing research that supports these guidelines are also presented.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Name the pivotal skills related to the development of spoken language in young children with ASD
- Describe research findings on intervention programs for improving early communication in very young children with ASD
- Discuss a range of strategies for increasing preverbal and early verbal communication
- Outline a comprehensive approach to intervention for spoken language development
Strategies for Sensory Modulation
Gail Richard, PhD, CCC-SLP
Eastern Illinois University
The sensory system plays an important role in intervention planning for children with ASD. Children with ASD tend to overreact or underreact to sensory stimuli in the environment, resulting in misperception and misinterpretation of relatively normal stimulation. Many of the aberrant behaviors associated with ASD are triggered by problems in sensory modulation and emotional regulation. Effective treatment techniques for ASD must address sensory integration challenges in various settings. This session presents strategies to accommodate sensory system differences in the classroom, home, and public situations.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Recognize hypo-responsive and hyper-responsive sensory reactions in children with ASD
- Incorporate strategies across situations (e.g., classroom, playground, field trips, home) to promote better sensory modulation and emotional regulation
- Analyze disruptive behavior objectively, using information about differences in sensory system responses within ASD
Embedding Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Into Natural Routines
Emily Rubin, MA, CCC-SLP
Communication Crossroads and Yale University School of Medicine
Evidence supports the use of AAC to foster social communication and coping skills in children and adolescents with ASD. The session highlights how these supports can be embedded into natural routines at home, school, and in the community. A range of AAC devices is discussed, including object-based, picture-based, and written language communication supports to enhance communicative competence and prevent challenging behavior.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate how to foster expressive language development by embedding AAC into natural routines
- Demonstrate ways to improve comprehension of language by embedding AAC into natural routines
- Demonstrate how to promote emotional expression and the use of coping strategies by embedding AAC into natural routines
Targeting Literacy in Children with ASD
Tina Veale, PhD, CCC-SLP
Explore ways to intervene on behalf of children aged 3–12 years to develop early literacy skills such as letter recognition, sound identification, phonological awareness, decoding, reading fluency and comprehension, and early written language. Many children with ASD are fascinated by visual representations of language and other symbols. Some are able to identify written words before they can speak, or use written symbols to communicate effectively. Their natural tendency to engage with print does not, however, make developing functional literacy an easy task with this population. This presentation explores techniques for promoting a variety of early literacy skills, and addresses difficulties specific to this population that may be encountered along the way.
After completing this program, you will be able to:
- Apply one technique for facilitating early literacy development in children with ASD
- Apply one technique for facilitating reading comprehension in children with ASD
- Apply one technique for promoting reading fluency in children with ASD
- Describe two activities to promote the development of written language in children with ASD
Using Social Thinking Vocabulary Concepts To Teach Why We Use Social Skills
Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP
SOCIAL THINKING: Think Social Publishing, Inc.
Students with near -normal to way-above-normal verbal intelligence but significant social learning challenges need to learn more about how our brains engage in social thinking to better understand their role in social relationships. Rather than teach social skills via behavioral reinforcement, the treatment approach called Social Thinking helps students learn about the social-emotional process we call "communication," as well as related social skills to foster relating and adapting more effectively throughout the school and home day. In this session we explore how social thinking is a necessary prerequisite to teaching social skills and introduce a functional social thinking treatment approach that involves teaching and using core social thinking vocabulary, an evidence-based concept.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Describe how social thinking is different from social skills
- Describe the concept "thinking with your eyes" and how it differs from teaching "eye contact"
- Discuss the purpose of social thinking vocabulary
- Give examples of explicit ways to teach at least three social thinking concepts
The ILAUGH Model of Social Thinking: Social-Academic Learning Issues and Strategies
Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP
SOCIAL THINKING: Think Social Publishing, Inc.
ILAUGH is an acronym that represents many of the core learning challenges of students with social learning differences: initiation of language, listening with eyes and brain, abstracting and inferencing, understanding perspectives, getting the big picture, and humor and human relationships. This workshop explores evidence-based practices that address these issues, emphasizing how they affect students' academic work and their ability to relate to others socially. Strategies are explored to help foster development in each area.
After completing this session, you will be able to:
- Explain how to teach students to "think with their eyes" to decrease blurting in a classroom context
- Describe how to teach students to cope with the "boring moment"
- Discuss how problems with reading comprehension and written expression are related to social learning challenges and the ILAUGH Model.