Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Taming the Social Context Jungle: Teaching Individuals with ASD to Effectively “Read” and Respond to Social Context

Presenter: Carol Gray, President, The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding

Workshop Description: It is well documented by research and practice that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulty “reading” and responding to the dynamic array of social interactions that surround them each day.  To others, the responses of an individual with ASD may seem “out of context” or “inappropriate”.  The ability to gain meaning from social context is highly complex, yet taken for granted by typical peers, parents, and professionals.  They are able to quickly and accurately derive meaning from a simultaneous consideration of the multitude of social cues that lie within spoken words, pragmatics, and context.  This presentation breaks new instructional ground, providing a working definition of social context that supports effective intervention, and leads to practical, inexpensive, instructional strategies.  This is a lively, activity based workshop, with time for participants to discuss ideas and apply them to the specific challenges of the individuals in their care.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Teaching Verbal Behavior to Children with Autism

Presenter: Thomas Caffrey, M.Ed., BCBA

Workshop Description: Using the analysis of language as a behavior that is under the influence of the principles of operant conditioning provides a viable model for helping children with language deficits.  Research has demonstrated that the application of these principles leads to the development of functional communication skills, reduction in problem behavior and an increase in social interactions.

This workshop will demonstrate through extensive use of video how the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) that emphasize the teaching of verbal behavior are being applied effectively in schools to teach children with autism language, academics, and other important skills.

Specifically, participants will be introduced to scientifically-based principles and procedures that enable teachers to:

• Build rapport with their students
• Promote peer interaction and social skills
• Select socially significant and developmentally appropriate IEP goals
• Teach functional communication skills to vocal and non-vocal students
• Capture and contrive motivation (Motivating Operations) to develop/expand language repertoires
• Transition students from natural environment teaching (NET) to discrete trial training  (DTT)
• Establish and maintain high-rate (accurate and fast) student responding during structured teaching
• Teach academic skills (reading, math, etc.) using research-based curricula
• Manage problem behaviors in classroom settings

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Contemporary Views of “Working” with Children who Have Challenges in Language Comprehension and Production and Why it Doesn’t Look Like “Work” At All

Presenter: Sima Gerber, Ph.D., CCC, Queens College, City University of New York

Workshop Description: Contemporary views of language assessment and language intervention, based on an integration of developmental language models and the DIR Approach (Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-Based Approach, Greenspan and Weider, 1998) will be presented. Videos of children who present language challenges (e.g., children who are non-verbal, children who demonstrate comprehension difficulties, children who use scripts) will be used to discuss language intervention goals and strategies. Discussion of the most recent approaches to addressing the speech, language, and communication problems of children on the autistic spectrum will be highlighted.