Autism Spectrum CEU Courses for OTs

Sensory-based therapies are frequently used for children with autism. Families of children with autism rank occupational therapy and sensory-based therapies in the top three services sought for their children. Few studies have examined the efficacy of sensory-based therapy for autism, however. In this workshop, participants will be provided with an overview of the evidence for sensory dysfunction and sensory-based therapies in autism.

While the importance of evidence-based practices is acknowledged by practitioners, it is not easy to sort through competing claims. This update on recent treatment research in ASD will focus on identifying current popular approaches that have evidence, and at what level.

***For optimum viewing, please DO NOT pause or fast-forward during this course.*** This course will describe and discuss sensory-based thinking. Personal experiences and examples will be shared to demonstrate how sensory-based thinking occurs in individuals with ASD. Please Note: This live event will include an interview with Temple Grandin that was pre-recorded at Dr. Grandin's request.

This course will emphasize the critical role of emotional regulation in facilitating social and communicative competence in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Typical developmental sequences in emotional regulation will be reviewed along with the core developmental challenges in emotional regulation that are common in children with ASD. Practical supports to prevent behaviors that interfere with communication and social engagement during transitions, task engagement and emotional expression will then be highlighted.

Social Skills programs are increasingly becoming a widely used component of intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within school and clinical settings. This course is intended to highlight the importance and relevance of applying behaviorally-based techniques and goals within the context of a group-based social skills intervention program for students with ASD.

The session will assist the therapist in better understanding components of a multidisciplinary evaluation of children with ASD.

This session will help participants to identify and treat deficits related to the domains of social-interaction, social-communication, and social-emotional regulation thereby allowing for more appropriate service delivery to this challenging population.

***THIS COURSE HAS MANY VIDEOS CLIPS. PLEASE BE SURE TO BE USING A HIGH SPEED CONNECTION AND THAT ALL OF YOUR OTHER WEB BASED APPS AND WINDOWS ARE CLOSED. THANKS**

Theory of mind (ToM) deficits occur not only in children with autism spectrum disorders, but also in many children who have a variety of language impairments. This presentation will describe the development of ToM, types of ToM, and strategies for assessing ToM. The role of ToM in social and academic skills will be explained and suggestions will be given for promoting the types of ToM that underlie social and academic skills.

With the prevalence of autism on the rise, it is crucial that families and professionals understand one of the key aspects of this complex disorder. Children with autism have a difficult time understanding social rules and expectations due to their limited perspective taking abilities, the changing nature of social situations, and the complexities of pragmatic interactions. Professionals and families need to be aware of their role in providing intervention support for social skills and a clear understanding of current strategies is imperative.