Tri-State Webinar: Teaching Advanced Verbal Behavior to Children with Autism using Speech Generating Devices

Webinar Description:

Approximately 30% of individuals diagnosed with autism fail to develop vocal communication. For these individuals, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems such as manual signs, picture exchange communication system (PECS), and speech generating devices (SGD) are often used. Numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of selection-based pictorial systems to promote functional communication. With the increased affordability and accessibility of mobile devices, the demand for high-tech SGDs by parents to use for communication has also increased. Resources now exist to aid clinicians in transitioning from picture communication systems to high-tech SGDs. However, there is a dearth of research on strategies to teach advanced verbal behavior using SGDs. This presentation will cover a series of studies examining procedures to teach mands for information, intraverbals to report past behaviors, and tacts of noun-verb combinations to non-vocal children with autism. Considerations and complications when teaching these skills using high-tech SGDs will be discussed. 

Learner Objectives:

After attending this webinar participants will:

• Describe procedures to promote reporting past events to children with ASD using SGDs. 
• Describe the use of Matrix Training to promote novel noun-verb combinations. 
• Describe methods to establish discriminated mands for information using SGDs. 

Presenter Information:

Dr. Shillingsburg currently serves as Sr. Vice President of Children’s Clinical Services and Training at May Institute. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from Auburn University and completed her predoctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the Marcus Institute. She previously served as the Director of the Language and Learning Clinic at the Marcus Autism Center and held an appointment of Associate Professor at Emory University in the Division of Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Shillingsburg is a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D). Her clinical expertise includes the development of language and behavioral programming to address a variety of behavioral difficulties and social communication deficits associated with autism and other developmental disabilities. She has published over 60 empirical papers and book chapters on interventions for children with autism and related developmental disabilities. She is currently an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, editorial board member of Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, and is past associate editor for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior.

Certificate of Completion:

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1. View the archived webinar on our Moodle site
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The webinars are listed by category and alphabetical order. The category for this webinar is Behavior.