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| Fun and Effective Programs to Teach and Promote Non-Verbal Communication |
| Friday, May 23, 2014 |
| 8:00 AM–3:00 PM |
| W179b (McCormick Place Convention Center) |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| CE Instructor: Rebecca Thompson, Ph.D. |
| REBECCA THOMPSON (Wisconsin Early Autism Project, Inc.), MARY HOPTON-SMITH (Wisconsin Early Autism Project, Inc.) |
| Description: The ability to interpret and use non-verbal communication is a widely acknowledged deficit in individuals affected by autism. This workshop provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of the significant role that non-verbal communication plays in human interactions. Participants will learn the difference between non-verbal and verbal communication, and how these forms of communication are used during our everyday discourse. Within a behavior analytic framework, participants will learn how non-verbal communication develops during infancy through the three key stages of sharing, following, and directing joint attention. Participants are provided with written programs designed to teach children increasingly complex non-verbal communication skills following a developmental sequence. Each program includes sample target items, prompting strategies, and data collection documents. Programs start from simple interactive games that promote sharing attention and progress to complex activities that teach children to understand how intonation and volume can influence the meaning of information that is vital to navigating social situations successfully. Video examples of the teaching activities are provided, and participants will have the opportunity to role-play and collect data on the activities. This workshop provides participants with a comprehensive curriculum for teaching non-verbal communication to children of all skill levels in both home and school-based settings. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this workshop, the participant will be able to (1) define the difference between non-verbal communication and verbal communication, (2) identify how non-verbal communication develops in neuro-typical children and how autism might impact the development of non-verbal communication skills, and (3) implement a series of programs to teach a child non-verbal communication skills within structured learning sessions. |
| Activities: Workshop objectives will be met through lecture, video presentation, and participant practice of activities. |
| Audience: BACB certificants and licensed psychologists, ABA clinicians, teachers, and parents. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): autism, communication, home-programs, intervention |