Autism Spectrum Disorders and Communication

This course will provide foundational information to parents and others interested who have a child or person in their lives with a condition on the Autism Spectrum. These conditions could include autism, pervasive developmental delay not otherwise specified, Asperger’s syndrome, attention deficit, and nonverbal language disorders. This is intended to clarify confusions and answer questions regarding the abilities and communication of those on the Autism Spectrum. It is the purpose of this workshop to empower parents and others to become active participants in their child’s learning and rehabilitation.

Objectives:

To discuss what constitutes speech, what constitutes
language, and the difference,
To discuss what constitutes receptive language and
expressive language,
To discuss those disorders that are cited on the
Autism Spectrum and how they are defined,
To discuss and define sensory integration processing
and how it effects communication,
To compare and contrast the communication develop of
a typical child and a child on the Autism Spectrum,
To discuss the traditional training and teaching methods offered to those on the Autism Spectrum.

Activities

The seminar will be conducted to maximize interaction
and understanding for all participants in an informal discussion setting
Information will be provided to and among all seminar
participants in the form of hand-outs and exchanges among participants
Questions and answers among and between all participants

Presenter:

Deborah Adams is a Speech/Language Pathologist with a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is founder and director of Nature’s Place Therapy & Learning Center which is a 501 ( c ) 3 nonprofit organization offering speech, physical, and occupational therapies with a specialization in family training. Workshops are tailored to the training of parents to be active participants in their child’s learning and rehabilitation.

The specific modalities she utilizes to facilitate such training include animal-assistants, horticulture, music, and the environment. She was formerly an animal/human evaluator for the Delta Society Pet Partners Animal Visitation Program. Ms. Adams has directed animal-assisted therapy and research programs in joint affiliations with the Clearwater Marine Science Center, Walt Disney World, Sea World, Exceptional Equestrians, and Freedom Ride Therapeutic Riding Center. She is currently completing a Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies at Union Institute & University. The focus of her research is on the learning and cross training between animals and autistics and how this effects communication. Her anticipated date of completion is 2010.

Workshop Schedule:

8:30 – 9:00 AM	Check-in
9:00 – 10:00 AM	Discussion of speech and language (individual participant discussion)
10:00 – 12:00PM	Autism Spectrum Disorders and sensory integration
12:00 - 12:30PM	Brown bag lunch
12:30 – 1:30PM	Communication development
1:30 - 3:00PM	Training and Teaching methods
3:00 – 4:00PM	Questions & Answers/Open Discussion

* Breaks will be decided as needed by participants.

Workshop Location and Fees

This workshop will be held at Nature’s Place Therapy & Learning Center. The workshop is limited to 10 participants to allow for greater informality and direct discussions. The workshop fee is $120.00. A 20% discount will be honored for Triangle of Ability members. Cancellations will be accepted 7 days prior to the start date for a full refund. Thereafter, the fee is forfeited and WILL NOT BE REFUNDED.