The I LAUGH Model: May 13, 2010Designed for parents and professionals alike to understand the inner mind of persons high on the Autism Spectrum (Asperger Syndrome, PDD-NOS or high-functioning autism), ADHD, nonverbal learning disability (NLD or NVLD) or have no working diagnosis but they fit the clinical picture! Participants will learn not only functional treatment strategies they can use both at school and at home, but they will also better understand why these students react and respond the way they do.
On this day we will introduce the ILAUGH model of Social Cognition which helps to demonstrate how social processing difficulties impact not only social skills but also the ability to work as part of a group and focus on specific academic tasks such as written expression, reading comprehension and organizational skills for many of our students. We will also address how best to approach writing IEP goals that impact real, albeit, slow change in how students understand the world around them. Concepts related to assessment will also be introduced and the problem with using only standardized tests to qualify these students will also be explored. This workshop is noted for its depth in explaining WHY students with social skills difficulties have related academic challenges that impact them across their school and home day.
Objectives for the ILAUGH Day
- Participants will be able to define the acronym ILAUGH to explain aspects of social cognition.
- Participants will be able to explain why a person with social skill deficits has academic problems in the classroom.
- Participants will be able to distinguish and describe the difference between a useful IEP goal and one that is of little benefit towards developing their program.
- Participants will be able to describe 3 critical elements that must go into an assessment of persons with social cognitive deficits.
- Participant will be able to describe why formalized tests are not of strong benefit when trying to identify critical deficits in persons with social cognitive weaknesses.
- Participant will be able to describe at least 3 functional treatment strategies.
Thinking about You, Thining About Me: May 14, 2010
Participants leave this workshop day with new insights into treatment and instructional methods for their students -- and with a new awareness of their own intuitive abilities to take the perspective of others! Michelle believes that when adults learn more about their own intuitive social thinking skills, they become better teachers of students who need coaching to develop these skills.
Persons with social-cognitive deficits, which includes those with diagnoses of Asperger syndrome, high-functioning autism, PDD-NOS, NLD and ADHD, often have difficulty efficiently considering and responding to the perspectives of those around them. Perspective-taking is referred to as "Theory of Mind" in research, but is considered an important innovation of Social Thinking for the practical understanding and treatment of students who are experiencing social and communication challenges. This workshop will explore how central the skill of "perspective-taking" is to everyone's social contact and interpretation, whether it involves nonverbal or verbal communication.
This workshop day explores just what it means to "take perspective" of another person and how a deficit in this area affects students heavily in the most important environments they participate in: school, home, community, 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 prognoses for each of these levels.
We will review functional educational strategies that facilitate growth in the thinking of students who function higher on the autism spectrum or who are experiencing related deficits. A four-step model for developing social communication skills will be introduced. The audience will be encouraged to be active participants across the day! Videos of actual treatment strategies will be heavily utilized.
Course Objectives
1. Participants will be able to define what "perspective taking" means.
2. Participants will be able to define 3 different levels of perspective taking deficits.
3. Participants will be able to define the term "thinking with your eyes" and apply its use in educational situations.
4. Participants will be able to state the 4 different steps towards working on developing social communication skills.
5. Participants will be able to describe a set of activities that can be done to work on each of the 4 steps of treatment.
SEE REGISTRATION FORM BELOW FOR ONE OR TWO DAY OPTIONS
