June 22, 2011
By Autism Society
2011 Autism Society National Conference
July 6-9, 2011 • Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center • Orlando, Florida
Click here for more information and to register!
Evaluating Promising Approaches for Children with Autism: Matching Best Practice to Needs
Noting that there has been no true comparison between educational/behavioral/developmental approaches for working with children on the autism spectrum, qualitative research was initiated to investigate Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication-handicapped Children (TEACCH), Daily Life Therapy (DLT), Miller Method (MM), and Developmental Individual difference Relationships intervention (DIR). Relational Developmental Intervention (RDI) and Social Communication Emotional Regulation Transactional Supports (SCERTS) are also discussed.
Stephen M. Shore, Ed.D.
Looking Beyond Appearances: Considering the Deeper Meaning of Behavior
Behavior is not always what it appears to be. A student who is adamantly refusing to start his work may be perceived as "non-compliant," but be struggling with anxiety. A student who is throwing chairs may be perceived as "oppositional," but may be overwhelmed by emotions. This video-illustrated presentation blends the perspectives of a parent/educator and a psychologist in order to share information related to identifying the deeper meanings of observed behaviors and developing effective behavior supports.
Julie A. Donnelly, Ph.D. and Sheila Merzer, M.A., L.P.
Moving Professional Development Beyond Workshops and Conferences to Coaching and Outcomes
The Illinois Autism Training and Technical Assistance Project (IATTAP) uses a systems approach to data-based decision-making and involves the development of teams to increase capacity and sustainability at the school level. This session describes how IATTAP uses a layered approach that assists school and district teams to translate training into actual practice in the classroom. IATTAP will report on how this focus has demonstrated the impact of professional development and improved outcomes for students with ASD.
Kathy L. Gould, M.S.
Top-Down and Bottom-up: Choosing the Best Therapies
Much time and energy have been spent debating which therapies are “best” for ASD. This session provides a rational framework for selecting therapies, based on the neuropsychological principles of “bottom-up” and “top-down” learning. We will explain these principles, and show how different therapies for ASD can be ranked, according to their degree of bottom-up or top-down orientation. Bottom-up and top-down approaches each have a role to play, but at different points in the evolution of a child’s ASD.
James Coplan, M.D.
Look!! A Curriculum to Teach Sexual Health to Individuals with AS/HFA
This curriculum was designed to include lessons on both sex and relationship education. Earlier lessons focus more on the “technical” aspects of sex education (anatomy, reproductive health, sexual responses, partnered sex, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections), followed by lessons that explore in more detail social aspects of romantic relationships (preparing for dating, regular dating, stages of relationships, moving into longer term relationships). The curriculum tackles more complicated socio-sexual topics of attitudes, values, differences (e.g., sexual orientation), and sexual coercion.
Melissa Dubie, M.S.
A Rational Approach to Psychopharmacology for Children and Adolescents with ASD
Disruptive behavior is common in children with ASD. In this session the presenters describe underlying neuropsychological and neurophysiologic deficits commonly encountered in ASD (cognitive rigidity, dysregulation of attention, arousal, and sensory processing), and the different pathways by which these deficits culminate in disruptive behavior. Using this framework, participants will be able to “reason backwards” from the observed disruptive behavior to consider its primary cause(s), and use this knowledge as the basis for instituting behavioral and pharmacologic interventions.
James Coplan, M.D.
Topics:Education
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