Autism Spectrum
Penn Social Skills Seminar offered by
The Social Learning Disorders Program
of the University of Pennsylvania
Clinical Director/Senior Instructor: Carol Moog, Ph.D.DATES: Thursday, February 25, 2010
(runs weekly for 10 sessions)
TIME: 5-8 p.m.
COST: $800
WHERE: 3535 Market Street, 2nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA
MORE INFO and to register: 215-746-7233;
http://www.med.
Adults with Asperger Syndrome and other social learning disorders have unique social deficits that interfere with their ability to communicate effectively, find employment, and develop meaningful interpersonal relationships. Many cannot effectively “read” nonverbal social cues such as facial expressions and body language. Their ability to intuit others’ emotional states is limited, and therefore they have trouble predicting the behavior of others. These problems in communication often lead to misperceptions of other people’s feelings and motivations.
The Social Learning Disorders Program of the University of Pennsylvania Psychiatry Department offers an innovative 10-week social skills seminar designed for young adults to improve social skills. The program was developed under the direction of Mary Riggs Cohen, Ph.D., and has been running for more than five years.
- The seminar focuses on noticing and understanding nonverbal communication which helps promote conversational, job interviewing, and relationship skills.
- The curriculum explores evolutionary, anthropological and human developmental roots of social behavior and emphasizes observation and practice of social skills.
- In addition to role playing and other activities designed to enliven in-class learning, each participant spends the last hour working individually with a social coach outside the classroom. The social coaching component of the program is invaluable in that it takes students into real-world situations to try out new behavior.
- Past participants have reported feeling successful in improving social skills. Preliminary studies found that after completion of the seminar, students experienced more motivation to socialize as well as significantly reduced social anxiety.
Eligibility: This class is designed for young adults with Asperger Syndrome, High-Functioning Autism or Social Phobia who would like to improve their social awareness and sense of social competency.
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On February 6 at 8PM (ET/PT), HBO will premiere an original film based on the inspirational true story of Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes. Temple Grandin paints a picture of a young woman’s perseverance and determination while struggling with the isolating challenges of autism. Temple is a highly successful doctor of animal sciences, a best-selling author, and an internationally renowned autism advocate.
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Indian Creek’s Therapeutic After School Program (TASP) will begin late January/early February. It is specifically for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder between the ages of 5-14. If you have any questions regarding the program or are interested in learning more, you may contact Kristen Raught, M.A., Therapeutic After School Program (TASP) Supervisor, Indian Creek Foundation, 420 Cowpath Road, Souderton, PA 18964, ph: 267.203.1500 x 139, fax: 267.203.1530, kraught@indcreek.org
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Socially Speaking Success (formerly Socially Speakingis in its 8th year and has been highly regarded by parents and educators throughout the Montgomery County community. The program is run by two licensed speech pathologists and an occupational therapist committed to working as a team to provide social communication skills and sensory integration skills in a structured setting. The targeted population includes but is not limited to those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, PDD and those students who demonstrate social pragmatic delays. The children and young adults from ages 5-25 must be verbal and capable of integrating themselves in a small group setting with minimal behavior disruptions. They must also possess a cognitive level for understanding basic directions and participation in discussion.
For those of you who are not aware, the Bureau of Autism Services provides grants to support individuals with ASD of up to $500 to help costs of such programs. It is possible they will be offering grants this year beginning in February. You may apply for this grant at the Bureau Website: www.autisminpa.
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STUDY SEEKS PARTICIPANTS: The EARLI Study – Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation, a study to find the causes of autism.
Location: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Drexel University’s School of Public Health.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Craig J. Newschaffer.
This study of women who are less than 20 weeks pregnant and already have a biological child diagnosed with autism has the potential to provide ground-breaking clues relevant to discovering possible environmental and genetic links to autism. A network of leading autism researchers from across the country are participating in the largest, real-time research study to investigate early risk factors for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). EARLI will follow up to 1200 pregnant women from 20 or less weeks of pregnancy up to the new baby’s 3rd birthday. This current project aims to discover biological markers and environmental risk factors for autism, collecting wide ranging data with extensive biosampling and investigating the influence of hundreds of environmental factors from diet to infection to pesticides and medications.
Participants needed –
Mothers who have a biological child diagnosed with ASD.
Mothers who are pregnant 20 weeks or less, or may become pregnant.
Mothers who live in the participating counties for the various study sites in Southeast Pennsylvania, Northeast Maryland and Northern California (please see our website for more specifics on locations of the study).
Benefits:
Participants will receive developmental and behavioral assessments for their new baby, beginning at 6 months of age through their 3rd birthday, along with reports detailing these assessments.
Participants will be compensated between $545 and $605 for completion of the entire study from pregnancy through the baby’s 3rd birthday; they will also be reimbursed for travel and related expenses.
Small gifts for the baby and the family will be given throughout the study, such as books for the baby, a diaper bag, and a social story for siblings about the baby’s birth.
Access to local autism resources and information about study findings.
For more information, visit www.EARLIStudy.org
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KenCrest announces its new product for youth with autism available called Mi-Stories™ at www.kencrest. org/mi-stories. Mi-Stories™ were created by Debbie Lord of Harleysville, PA, a Speech Language Pathologist who directs clinical, educational, and healthcare services; and KenCrest Centers and are designed as brief social scenarios that focus on everyday activities. The videos, ranging from 2 – 4 minutes in length, will target communication and social behavior in community settings. They can be viewed on an iPod to allow an adolescent or adult with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities to easily watch them and learn the appropriate social behavior in numerous different situations. The stories can also show the viewer what to expect in certain situations. Mi-Stories™ utilize modeling, social scripting, and visual strategies to help target appropriate behavior and social skills. There are numerous stories available including going to the grocery store, going to a restaurant, calming, getting dressed, crossing the street, riding in the car, as well as a video on how to use the iPod and a parent training protocol. More stories will be available soon.
The Mi-Stories™ work in numerous ways. People with disabilities are able to watch the stories and hear and see appropriate behavior and social interaction. They also hear a scripted social scenario that describes how to act and interact all while watching the story. Also, with the iPod, the story can be utilized right before or during the activity, if necessary.
Mi-Stories™ are available at www.kencrest. org/mi-stories in DVD format or in a downloadable format for ITunes.
RESOURCES
Advisory Board on Autism and Related Disorders (ABOARD) offers comprehensive services to help children, adolescents and adults with autism reach their maximum potential. ABOARD offers information, education and family support, including free telephone services.
The Autism Society of America, Greater Philadelphia Chapter was established by a dedicated group of parents with a strong desire to band together and be a united voice to represent individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and spread awareness. ASA’s mission is to promote lifelong access and opportunities for persons within the autism spectrum and their families, to be fully included, participating members of their communities through advocacy, public awareness, education and research related to autism
The mission of ASCEND is to raise public awareness about Asperger Syndrome, to advocate for improved education and services, and to provide support and information to the Asperger community.
Autismspeaks is another organization providing information and support to people with autism and their families.
Autismspot describes itself as a platform for the parent, caregiver, extended family, doctor, therapist, student, and person living with Autism: “We are capturing the best practices, the more than 75 different therapies, various education opportunities, resources, tools and home program ideas from around the world and presenting them in a format that is current and relevant to today’s society.”
AutismLink has teamed up with TACA (Talk About Curing Autism Now) to provide a comprehensive nationwide database of providers that support all types of therapy — speech, occupational, biomedical, and much more. They have created a comprehensive database of providers to enable families to be able to quickly and easily find practitioners of all types in their areas.
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Bureau of Autism Services Virtual Training Center: This comprehensive resource center has been designed to enable professionals and families to easily access trainings, documents, and other resources in one convenient location.