Treatment Strategies for Children with Social Cognitive Deficits including Asperger's, Autism, PDD, NLD, ADHD

Thursday - Friday, October 20-21, 2005
With Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC

Location:

Harraseeket Inn 162 Main Street Freeport, Maine

Program Description:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20

Thinking About You Thinking About Me.

All participants, whether they be parents or professionals leave this workshop day with not only new insights into the treatment for their students but also with a new awareness of their own intuitive perspective taking skills. Michelle believes that when adults learn more their own social thinking skills they become better teachers to students who need coaching to develop these skills.

Persons with social cognitive deficits, which include those with diagnoses such as Asperger Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, PDD-NOS, NLD and ADHD often have difficulty efficiently considering and responding to the perspective of those around them. Perspective taking is referred to as "Theory of Mind" in the research. This workshop will explore how central the skill of "perspective taking" is to all social contact and interpretation, be it non-verbal or verbal.

This workshop day is an exploration of what it means to be able to "take perspective" and how a deficit in this area impacts students heavily in every environment in which they participate be it school, home, community, and/or work. Perspective taking as a social executive functioning skill will be discussed. Michelle will introduce a model of explaining 3 different levels of perspective taking deficits along with overall prognosis for each of these levels.

Functional educational strategies to facilitate growth in thinking about how other people think and the related social skills will be reviewed to teach to students who function higher on the autism spectrum or with related deficits. A four-step model of developing social communication skills will be introduced. The audience is encouraged to be active participants across the day. Videotape examples of treatment strategies will be heavily utilized.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21

The Nuts and Bolts of Starting Social Thinking Programs: Practical Strategies for Assessment and LIFE.

This workshop is designed for parents and professionals to gain more specific knowledge about assessing and teaching our students at home and at school. On this day the audience will be required to work in small group activities and engage in active dialogue about informal/qualitative assessment and treatment techniques that will be specifically described for use in the classroom, home and in the therapy room.

Given that all people who live and work with these students are constantly engaged in their own "diagnostic treatment", the day will begin with a video illustration of an informal assessment procedure that helps parents and professionals to more fully understand their child's range of social thinking strengths and weaknesses. Information reviewed in this assessment process will directly help with the planning of functional treatment plans. This information is useful not only for the speech language pathologist but also the paraprofessional, parent, classroom teacher, etc.

In the afternoon, participants will learn more specifically about how to develop a "ME Binder" to teach a student about his own IEP; Social Behavior Mapping, a user-friendly strategy to help explain to students why behavioral expectations exist in all places but vary from activity to activity. Strategies will be reviewed for running social thinking groups, participants can practice these in small group experiences.

This workshop has helped to illuminate how to break down abstract concepts into more concretely defined teachable moments!

Intended population discussed in workshops:
The core focus of these presentations is on the literate child (generally 8 years old through adulthood), however information is also helpful for those living and working with younger children as well. The bulk of the strategies presented will be for school aged children and young adults.

About the Speaker:
Michelle Winner, MA, CCC, is the director of The Center for Social Thinking in San Francisco CA, where she serves approximately 250 students a year in regular treatment sessions with her staff of 3 other speech pathologists. In addition she consults with family and school educators. She has also developed an assessment approach for better understanding the practical and IEP needs of her students.

Michelle has written two books, "Inside Out: What Makes the Person with Social Cognitive Deficits Tick" (2000), and "Thinking About You Thinking About Me" (2002). She is known internationally for her user-friendly approach and engaging speaking style. She has been an invited speaker at conferences and workshops for education districts across America, including the national conference put on by The Gray Center, The Linguisystems National Conference and at Stanley Greenspan's ICDL conference. Michelle's business partner is her husband, Wilson Winner and together they put on their own workshops each year.

Michelle's great areas of self study currently involve the exploration of perspective taking (Theory of Mind) and its impact on many different aspects of functioning, and the complex array of skills demanded when we request students to "get organized".

Testimonial:
"Michelle's work is invaluable! Her expertise is matched by her enthusiasm, practical ideas, and engaging speaking style. Parents and professionals arrive with questions, and leave with answers and ideas of their own! Anyone looking for a workshop to recharge their enthusiasm and reignite their commitment to teach social concepts and skills, will leave with a wealth of new information and insight."

Carol Gray, educator and developer of "Social Stories" and "Comic Strip Conversations".

Intended Audience:
Teachers, Speech Language Pathologists, Clinical and Educational Psychologists, Administrators, MFT's, LCSW's, OT's, PT's, Nurses, Instructional Aides, and family members of students with social cognitive deficits.