 |
The ASA's 39th National Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders of ASAThe Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, AZ |
| For a complete author index with session numbers, please click here | |
| Wednesday, July 9, 2008: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM | |||
| Destin 1 & 2 | |||
| #3840- W7: ASA Panel of Professionals Workshop: A "Best Practice" Approach to Key Issues in Autism | |||
| This pre-conference workshop brings together four members of ASA’s Panel of Professional Advisors (PPA) to weigh in on the following important issues: functional communication training; usage-based communication and language development; functional visual skills training; and the nature of feeding problems in autism. The information presented will be based on the latest research findings across several fields, and will be geared towards helping parents and professionals translate research-based findings into effective practices in both the home and school settings. | |||
| 9:00 AM | Functional Communicaiton Training and Beyond: Hope and Help for Challenging Children V. Mark Durand, Ph.D. | ||
| 10:00 AM | "Organic" Language Development: A Usage-Based Approach to Social Communication Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D. | ||
| 11:00 AM | "See What I Mean?": Functional Visual Skills for Learning and Safety Margaret P. Creedon, Ph.D. | ||
| 12:00 PM | Calling a Truce in the "Food Wars": Strategies to Address Food-Related Issues in Children on the Autism Spectrum Jennifer Twachtman-Reilly, M.S., CCC-SLP | ||
|
| |||
|
Panel Moderator: Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Panel Members, Individual Titles, and Abstracts: ➢ V. Mark Durand, Ph.D. Title: Functional Communication Training and Beyond: Hope and Help for Challenging Children Abstract: This talk will describe a 5-year, federally funded project that teaches parents the skills they need to take on the challenges their children present. This multi-site randomized clinical trial is finding that adding a cognitive behavioral intervention to parent training is successful in helping parents feel more optimistic about their abilities as parents, and in turn keeps them in parent training. “Positive Family Intervention” is an approach to handling child behavior problems that stresses the importance of being ready to take on this challenge. Only when parents feel capable of tackling these problems are they able to carry out the techniques that lead to success. ➢ Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Title: “Organic” Language Development: A Usage-Based Approach to Social Communication Abstract: This presentation will explore the dramatic differences between language development that stems from the child’s own needs and interests (“organic”), and that which is imposed on the child from the outside (“inorganic”). The components of a usage-based, organic language system will be discussed, as will intervention techniques designed to promote its development. ➢ Margaret Creedon, Ph.D. Title: “See What I Mean?”: Functional Visual Skills for Learning and Safety Abstract: Persons with autism are described as visual thinkers or learners. At the same time, individuals can still have difficulty with joint attention, social interaction, reading and environmental safety. This presentation will review everyone’s need to learn to look and then use looking for learning and interacting. Some symptoms can be related to disruptions in this process; sometimes we fail to see their perspective. Functional visual skills need to be appreciated and taught at home and in the classroom. Practical examples of home/school testing, strategies for increasing speed and skill, including more perceptually manageable environments, will be included. ➢ Jennifer Twachtman-Reilly, M.S., CCC-SLP Title: Calling a Truce in the “Food Wars”: Strategies to Address Food-Related Issues in Children on the Autism Spectrum Abstract: This presentation will describe the nature of feeding problems in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), placing special emphasis on those aspects of feeding difficulties related to the symptoms of ASD. Following this, practical and easy-to-implement strategies designed to increase tolerance for non-preferred foods, and expand the variety of foods that the child accepts, will be provided. |
|||
See more of Preconference Sessions
See more of The ASA's 39th National Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders