Activity Description

This course examines the difficulties with social skill development as a key symptom in autism spectrum disorders (ASD).  It includes recent research that ASD arises from a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social learning.  The presentation discusses theories, challenges, and intervention tactics affecting social communication through the life span and in various settings.

Activity Audience

This course is for Speech-Language Pathologists.

Learning Outcomes

Participants who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• Identify social language challenges in those with ASD.
• Describe the concept of theory of mind as it applies to those with ASD.
• Explain how neurodevelopmental differences in language learning affect social communication.
• Relate the effects of nonverbal communication to social conversations.

Host Requirements

1. Have a minimum of five participants.
2. Schedule your DVDs for Groups with LinguiSystems a minimum of 30 days prior to your in-service.  LinguiSystems is unable to accept late registrations.

Materials Provided

1. FREE ASD: Social Language through the Life Span DVD
2. Downloadable course handout
3. ASHA paperwork for those who wish to receive FREE ASHA CEUs
   • Attendance Roster
   • Course Evaluation form
   • Self-Assessment of Learning
   • ASHA CEU Participant Form
4. Completion certificate for all participants

Author Biography

Phyllis Kupperman, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a founder and executive director of the Center for Speech and Language Disorders (CSLD), a not-for-profit agency located in Elmhurst and Chicago, Illinois.

Phyllis has been a faculty member at colleges and universities as well as public and private schools.  She has developed family-centered therapy programs for children throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries.  At CSLD, Phyllis has worked with many individuals from early childhood through young adulthood.  Through this work, she has gained a unique understanding of how to develop communication and learning at various ages and levels of functioning.

Phyllis has presented workshops and seminars to numerous professional organizations, school districts, and universities, including state and national conferences for the Autism Society of America and national and regional conferences for the American and Canadian Speech-Language-Hearing Associations.  Topics include autism spectrum disorders, hyperlexia, social communication, language disorders, reading and reading comprehension.  Phyllis has published articles in journals and newsletters and has produced multimedia products for distribution through CSLD.  She also serves on the professional advisory council of the Autism Society of Illinois.

LinguiSystems, Inc. funded this presentation, Autism Spectrum Disorders: Social Language through the Life Span, in its entirety.