VB Workshop in Charlotte, NC

[Guest guest]

Promoting Functional Communication And Interactions In Children With Autism

Presented by: Tammi Kasper, CCC-SLP/BCaBA

Where: Charlotte, NC Airport Sheraton

When: March 11, 2005

More info:

http://www.nss-nrs.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/NSS.woa/wa/Seminars/detail?id=1000439

Therapists are often faced with difficult cases in which valuable therapy

time is spent addressing challenging behaviors such as avoidance, aggression, or

self-stimulation. Non-verbal children or children with limited functional

communication present a special challenge. Often, children with autism or other

developmental disabilities have a very restricted range of interests or appear

to quickly lose interest in foods/toys/activities. Participants in this seminar

will learn to analyze behaviors and implement valuable strategies to reduce

problem behaviors during teaching. Strategies to develop and maintain a wider

variety of interests will also be shared. Emphasis will be placed on use of

Skinner's behavioral classification of language (as applied by Sundberg,

Partington, Carbone, and others) which refocuses and refines teaching of

requesting.

Methods for effective transfer of skills from imitative to spontaneous

requesting will be presented, viewed via videotape, and practiced. Procedures to

maintain cooperation and systematically shape functional verbal and/or manual

communicationin children with limited verbal and motor imitation will be

addressed.

Application of Kaufman's hierarchy of vocalizations and use of simplified

" word shells " with this population will also be explored.