FROM GOALS TO DATA AND BACK AGAIN
Giving Backbone to Developmental Intervention for Children with Autism

Jill Fain Lehman, Ph. D. and Rebecca Klaw, M.S., M. Ed.

Developmental approaches to working with young children with autism have long been criticized for not collecting valid data. Professionals and parents alike have said, "We can`t do it! The developmental process can`t be translated into measurable goals… It`s too hard."

YOU CAN DO IT. IT`S NOT TOO HARD.

• What developmental areas to target
• How to write basic goals
• How to shape goals into measurable objectives
• How to design intervention that generalizes
• How to collect data
• How to analyze data
• How to present results to others in a meaningful way
• How to use a computer to make this process easier

The information is presented in multiple formats: lecture, exercises, discussion & extensive handouts.

VISUAL COGNITION IN AUTISM
The Basics of Visual Thinking

Jill Fain Lehman, Ph.D.

Conventional wisdom says "visual memory and visual reasoning task are areas of strength for most children with autism." But what does that really mean? And how can you use this fact in practical situations to teach communication, organization, sequencing, and other time-related concepts?

In this workshop we examine:

• the characteristics of visual memory,
• the differences between visual memory & language memory, and
• the implications of such differences for teaching visual learners.

Our primary focus is to help participants understand some of the basic cognitive theory that explains the child with autism’s learning style. The theory we introduce is then reinforced by participation in group exercises and discussion of concrete teaching strategies that can be used to support children with autism in their everyday life are discussed.

This half-day workshop can be presented alone, or in conjunction with:

Visual Communication

Visual thinkers must still live in the language thinker's world. Building on our understanding of visual cognition from the morning session, in the afternoon we examine communication issues more closely.

In particular, we discuss:

• models of typical communication and the ways communication can break down,
• recruiting the visual system to help teach early communication and first language,
• using translation and second language learning as powerful metaphors for understanding first language acquisition in children with autism, and
• unexpected sources of difficulty that arise in language tasks beyond the level of functional communication.

As in the morning session, the theory we introduce is grounded by participation in group exercises and the discussion of concrete teaching strategies.