“What Can I Say?” “What Did You Say?”— Using Language to Build Social Skills

Instructor: Elsa Abele, CCC-SLP
Location: Espousal Retreat Center, 554 Lexington Street, Waltham,
MA (Directions: www.espousal.org/directions.htm or call the Espousal
Center at (781) 209-3101)
Dates: (choose one pair)

  • Thursday/Friday, March 25 & 26, 2010
  • Tuesday/Wednesday, May 11 & 12, 2010

Time: Check-in 8:30 - 9 AM; Workshop 9 AM - 4 PM

Designed for:

Parents of, or Professionals/educators working with, children or adults on the autism spectrum.

Description

Persons with Asperger Syndrome (AS), High-Functioning Autism (HFA), Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD) and language-learning disabilities are often in need of services to increase their skills in social communications or pragmatic language.

Learn about the challenges and satisfaction of teaching a child with AS (the group of persons whose major problems in school are neurological in origin, and who most clearly exemplify pragmatic language deficits). Learn about the educational implications of Theory of Mind, Central Coherence Deficit, and Executive Function for these children. Learn about the behavioral consequences of the rumbling stage, the meltdown or neurological storm, and the recovery stage.

The skills that will be presented on social interaction/social skills development that need explicit teaching can be used in a variety of settings. Classroom teachers, specialists, and special needs personnel can infuse them into regular class settings. Psychologists, guidance counselors, speech/language pathologists, and school social workers can use them not only in group work, but also in family work and in working with individuals. Some children are not ready to learn these skills in a peer group context until they have explored the basics with an adult who can get them ready to learn with their peers.

Registration Information

Parents: To register, please visit our online registration form on AuctionPay, or print out our PDF mail-in form and send it to AANE.

Professionals/Educators: To register, please visit our online registration form on AuctionPay, or print out our PDF mail-in form and send it to AANE.

Fees: (includes continental breakfast and lunch each day)
$265 - AANE member
$300 - Non-member (Parent)
$315 - Non-member (Professional/Educator)
Non-member fees include new one-year AANE membership/renewal.