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Assessing and Teaching Social Referencing and Joint Attention in Children With Autism |
Friday, May 24, 2013 |
8:00 AM–3:00 PM |
101 G (Convention Center) |
Area: AUT/DEV; Domain: Service Delivery |
CE Instructor: Gabriel Schnerch, M.A. |
GABRIEL SCHNERCH (University of Manitoba), MARTHA PELAEZ (Florida International University), PER HOLTH (Oslo and Akershus University College), FLAVIA JULIO (University of Manitoba) |
Description: Two key skills that children normally acquire early in their development are social referencing and joint attention. These skills are important for children to efficiently learn from the people and events in their environment. However, children on the autism spectrum usually show significant deficits in these areas, and thus early intervention is very important. This workshop will define and explain what social referencing and joint attention are (emphasizing a behaviour analytic model), elaborate on their importance, and provide guidance, examples, and hands-on practice with how these skills can be taught to children with autism using the methods of contemporary applied behavior analysis. |
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop attendees should be able to:
Verbally define social referencing and joint attention in behaviour analytic terms.
Be able to verbally describe some of the key research supporting a behaviour analytic model of joint attention and social referencing.
Task analyze and assess the key components of joint attention and social referencing in a child with autism.
Start to create behaviour analytic interventions targeting social referencing and joint attention skills.
Implement procedures to effectively condition social reinforcers. |
Activities: Participants will listen to a lecture-based presentation of the defining features, research, and assessment and intervention procedures of social referencing and joint attention with reference to autism. Participants also will engage in practice exercises in assessing, task analyzing, and teaching these skills. |
Audience: BCBAs, BCaBAs, psychologists, educators, and other professionals working with children with autism. This workshop also may be appropriate for parents and paraprofessionals, but the workshop does assume at least basic understanding of behaviour analytic principles and standard teaching methods. |
Content Area: Practice |
Instruction Level: Basic |
Keyword(s): Autism, Joint attention, Social referencing |