Developing a University-Based Interprofessional Education Diagnostic Team to Identify Children With Possible Autism Spectrum Disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trisha L. Self ◽  
Linda M. Mitchell ◽  
Sean Hess ◽  
Karissa J. Marble ◽  
Jeffrey Swails

Upon entering the workplace, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are required to work on interprofessional teams, yet many of these professionals have not received adequate preservice instruction on how to collaborate. Furthermore, collaborating to provide services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been found to improve developmental outcomes; however, many SLPs are not prepared to engage in this type of collaborative practice. Based on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) recommendation that university programs include interprofessoinal education (IPE) into Communication Sciences and Disorders programs, coupled with the need to prepare students to provide interprofessional services for children with ASD, Wichita State University developed a field-based interprofessional diagnostic team for SLP students. The process used to develop this team followed Pickering and Embry’s recommended steps for cultivating interprofessional collaboration within a university environment. The purpose of this article is to describe the procedures used to develop the team and activities used to target competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice.

Author(s):  
Mary M. Murray ◽  
Deborah G. Wooldridge ◽  
Sheila M. Smith ◽  
Kristin S. Lierheimer

Bowling Green State University partnered with the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) to develop and provide an online autism spectrum disorder certificate and graduate degree program. The development of the program curriculum was created around OCALI's numerous online autism spectrum disorder learning modules that were developed by experts in the field of autism. Today, over 300 individuals have completed the comprehensive certificate, or graduate Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) program, through Bowling Green State University. Online delivery is an alternative for ASD professionals and allows for a diversity of learners and learning styles. Selecting the right learning management system provides a more interactive on-line learning environment. This program is one example of how technology has broadened the outreach of educational preparation in ASD from local to national and international audiences, as well as met the needs of working professionals.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-76
Author(s):  
O.N. Pervushina ◽  
A.N. Trubitsyna ◽  
N.G. Kondratyeva ◽  
E.N. Pliskovskaya

The paper describes a series of behavioral interventions carried out by the staff of the interdisciplinary Center of Applied Behavioral Analysis of the Novosibirsk State University and aimed at teaching verbal operants to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The paper analyzes how the children acquire verbal behaviors of mands (demands), echoics (imitations), tacts (naming or labelling) and intraverbals (conversations), as well as provides descriptions of trainings.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Cardon

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and behavior analysts (BAs) provide treatment for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Little is known about the similarities and/or differences between the two disciplines with regard to their theoretical perspectives and how it relates to intervention. A survey with 10 scenarios was created and distributed to BAs and SLPs. Responses were collected and a descriptive analysis was conducted. Differences in theoretical perspectives and intervention strategies were evident between the disciplines. The need for interprofessional education was apparent given the similarities and differences identified by both SLPs and BAs. There were limited referrals being advocated across disciplines. Recommendations for future areas of collaboration and education are included.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1783-1797
Author(s):  
Kelly L. Coburn ◽  
Diane L. Williams

Purpose Neurodevelopmental processes that begin during gestation and continue throughout childhood typically support language development. Understanding these processes can help us to understand the disruptions to language that occur in neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method For this tutorial, we conducted a focused literature review on typical postnatal brain development and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography, and electroencephalography studies of the neurodevelopmental differences that occur in ASD. We then integrated this knowledge with the literature on evidence-based speech-language intervention practices for autistic children. Results In ASD, structural differences include altered patterns of cortical growth and myelination. Functional differences occur at all brain levels, from lateralization of cortical functions to the rhythmic activations of single neurons. Neuronal oscillations, in particular, could help explain disrupted language development by elucidating the timing differences that contribute to altered functional connectivity, complex information processing, and speech parsing. Findings related to implicit statistical learning, explicit task learning, multisensory integration, and reinforcement in ASD are also discussed. Conclusions Consideration of the neural differences in autistic children provides additional scientific support for current recommended language intervention practices. Recommendations consistent with these neurological findings include the use of short, simple utterances; repetition of syntactic structures using varied vocabulary; pause time; visual supports; and individualized sensory modifications.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 890-902
Author(s):  
Lynn Kern Koegel ◽  
Katherine M. Bryan ◽  
Pumpki Lei Su ◽  
Mohini Vaidya ◽  
Stephen Camarata

Purpose The purpose of this systematic review was to identify parent education procedures implemented in intervention studies focused on expressive verbal communication for nonverbal (NV) or minimally verbal (MV) children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parent education has been shown to be an essential component in the habilitation of individuals with ASD. Parents of individuals with ASD who are NV or MV may particularly benefit from parent education in order to provide opportunities for communication and to support their children across the life span. Method ProQuest databases were searched between the years of 1960 and 2018 to identify articles that targeted verbal communication in MV and NV individuals with ASD. A total of 1,231 were evaluated to assess whether parent education was implemented. We found 36 studies that included a parent education component. These were reviewed with regard to (a) the number of participants and participants' ages, (b) the parent education program provided, (c) the format of the parent education, (d) the duration of the parent education, (e) the measurement of parent education, and (f) the parent fidelity of implementation scores. Results The results of this analysis showed that very few studies have included a parent education component, descriptions of the parent education programs are unclear in most studies, and few studies have scored the parents' implementation of the intervention. Conclusions Currently, there is great variability in parent education programs in regard to participant age, hours provided, fidelity of implementation, format of parent education, and type of treatment used. Suggestions are made to provide both a more comprehensive description and consistent measurement of parent education programs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Gladfelter ◽  
Cassidy VanZuiden

Purpose Although repetitive speech is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the contributing factors that influence repetitive speech use remain unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if the language context impacts the amount and type of repetitive speech produced by children with ASD. Method As part of a broader word-learning study, 11 school-age children with ASD participated in two different language contexts: storytelling and play. Previously collected language samples were transcribed and coded for four types of repetitive speech: immediate echolalia, delayed echolalia, verbal stereotypy, and vocal stereotypy. The rates and proportions of repetitive speech were compared across the two language contexts using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests. Individual characteristics were further explored using Spearman correlations. Results The children produced lower rates of repetitive speech during the storytelling context than the play-based context. Only immediate echolalia differed between the two contexts based on rate and approached significance based on proportion, with more immediate echolalia produced in the play-based context than in the storytelling context. There were no significant correlations between repetitive speech and measures of social responsiveness, expressive or receptive vocabulary, or nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions The children with ASD produced less immediate echolalia in the storytelling context than in the play-based context. Immediate echolalia use was not related to social skills, vocabulary, or nonverbal IQ scores. These findings offer valuable insights into better understanding repetitive speech use in children with ASD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 586-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn A. Clarke ◽  
Diane L. Williams

Purpose The aim of this research study was to examine common practices of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with respect to whether or not SLPs consider processing differences in ASD or the effects of input during their instruction. Method Following a qualitative research method, how SLPs instruct and present augmentative and alternative communication systems to individuals with ASD, their rationale for method selection, and their perception of the efficacy of selected interventions were probed. Semistructured interviews were conducted as part of an in-depth case report with content analysis. Results Based on completed interviews, 4 primary themes were identified: (a) instructional method , (b) input provided , (c) decision-making process , and (d) perceived efficacy of treatment . Additionally, one secondary theme, training and education received , was identified . Conclusions Clinicians reported making decisions based on the needs of the child; however, they also reported making decisions based on the diagnostic category that characterized the child (i.e., ASD). The use of modeling when teaching augmentative and alternative communication to individuals with ASD emerged as a theme, but variations in the method of modeling were noted. SLPs did not report regularly considering processing differences in ASD, nor did they consider the effects of input during instruction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 314-325
Author(s):  
Kimberly F. Frazier ◽  
Jessica Collier ◽  
Rachel Glade

Background The aim of this study was to determine the clinical efficacy of combining self-management strategies and a social thinking approach to address the social performance and executive function of an adolescent female with autism spectrum disorder. Method This research examined the effects of a social knowledge training program, “Think Social,” as well as strategies to improve higher order cognitive abilities. Results and Conclusion Although quantitative improvement was not found, several qualitative gains in behavior were noted for the participants of this study, suggesting a benefit from using structured environmental cues of self-management strategies, as well as improved social understanding through social cognitive training.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 1410-1421
Author(s):  
Erica Ellis ◽  
Mary Kubalanza ◽  
Gabriela Simon-Cereijido ◽  
Ashley Munger ◽  
Allison Sidle Fuligni

Purpose To effectively prepare students to engage in interprofessional practice, a number of Communication Disorders (COMD) programs are designing new courses and creating additional opportunities to develop the interprofessional competencies that will support future student success in health and education-related fields. The ECHO (Educational Community Health Outreach) program is one example of how the Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Los Angeles, has begun to create these opportunities. The ultimate goal of the ECHO project is to increase both access to and continuity of oral health care across communities in the greater Los Angeles area. Method We describe this innovative interdisciplinary training program within the context of current interprofessional education models. First, we describe the program and its development. Second, we describe how COMD students benefit from the training program. Third, we examine how students from other disciplines experience benefits related to interprofessional education and COMD. Fourth, we provide reflections and insights from COMD faculty who participated in the project. Conclusions The ECHO program has great potential for continuing to build innovative clinical training opportunities for students with the inclusion of Child and Family Studies, Public Health, Nursing, and Nutrition departments. These partnerships push beyond the norm of disciplines often used in collaborative efforts in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Additionally, the training students received with ECHO incorporates not only interprofessional education but also relevant and important aspects of diversity and inclusion, as well as strengths-based practices.


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