Could Early Intervention Reverse Symptoms of Autism? An In-Depth Look at Current Sensory, Communication, Relationship, & Behavioral Treatments – Susan Hamre – PESI

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Exploring the Essential Features of “Could Early Intervention Reverse Symptoms of Autism? An In-Depth Look at Current Sensory, Communication, Relationship, & Behavioral Treatments – Susan Hamre – PESI”

Time is not your friend when working with children on the autism spectrum. Recent studies suggest the impact of early intervention can vastly improve outcomes, result in fewer communication and developmental delays, and possibly even eliminate symptoms – but timing is crucial.

This recording is designed to help attendees identify early indicators of ASD that are often missed and build time-critical support systems for fostering academic readiness, empathy, emotional regulation, and impulse control during the most formative years.

Interactive labs, videos, and case studies bring to life an effective multimodal approach as Susan Hamre, director of the Autism Trainer Center near Chicago, demonstrates real world applications and outcomes of today’s most effective early intervention strategies.

Speaker

Susan Hamre, MA, CCC-SLP

Susan Hamre, MA, CCC-SLP, is an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist with over 40 years of clinical, teaching and research experience with autism in the home, school, hospital and community settings. She owns and manages a private practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico that serves individuals from infancy to adulthood, with an emphasis on Early Intervention, autism and various other challenging conditions. A clinician at heart, Susan has personally provided treatment for children as young as nine months, on up. She has had the pleasure of working with some individuals and their families for over 20 years.

Susan is a national presenter teaching treatment strategies for autism to rehab professionals, mental health clinicians and educators. She provides autism trainings to First Responders (Crisis Intervention Teams, firefighters and EMT. Susan was the Director of the Autism Training Center at Giant Steps in Illinois, where trained first responders, transportation systems, park districts, small and large venues, nursing colleges, medical centers, parent groups and public school systems. Years of professional experience backs up her ability to speak on this subject with conviction and passion.

Susan has made five Operation Smile mission trips; four to the Philippines and one to Africa. While those trips were medical in nature (cleft lip and palate), on every one of those trips, she was privy to identify the existence of probable autism, then steering the families in the right direction. Those situations underscore her belief that with trained eyes, the unique set of characteristics that cloak autism can be spotted at a very young age, in all sorts of environments and even when the same language is not being spoken.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Susan Hamre maintains a private practice and is a National Seminar CE Trainer. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Susan Hamre has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Target Audience

• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Occupational Therapists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Early Childhood Special Education Teachers
• Physical Therapists
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Social Workers
• Counselors
• Psychologists
• Marriage and Family Therapists

Objectives

1.  Design critically timed support systems for individuals with ASD, combining evidence-based sensory, communication, relationship, and behavioral interventions
2.  Create an ASD user-friendly learning environment, seamlessly integrating tablets and technology with traditional interventions
3.  Distinguish between meltdowns and temper tantrums by understanding functions of underlying behavior
4.  Identify the dominating impact of environment, sensory, communication, and social challenges
5.  Evaluate the very early signs of possible ASD and identify treatment interventions
6.  Describe self-advocacy and de-escalation strategies that help parents and clinicians promote sustainable self-regulation and possibly prevent meltdowns

Outline

OVERVIEW

• Early intervention and bio-markers of ASD
• Latest research on possible causes of ASD
• Impact on families
• Case studies

STAYING CALM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM

• Distinguishing between a meltdown and temper tantrum
• Functions of behavior
• Differential management of meltdowns vs. temper tantrums
• Understanding the trajectory of the storm
• Identify meltdown pre-cursors
• Noting triggers from impacted sensory system or communication challenges
• Calming strategies 
• The repair period – post-escalation
• Managing YOU!
• Case studies

THE POWER OF SENSORY INTEGRATION

• Sensory systems impacted
• Neurological processing of input
• Seeking/avoiding sensory stimuli
• Sensory management strategies
  • Sensory breaks
  • Sensory diets
  • Examples of supports
• Case studies

WHERE IS MY VOICE? – COMMUNICATION

• Communication challenges
  • Apraxia
  • Auditory processing
  • Literal translations – black and white interpretations
  • Spontaneous (social) language
• Augmentative/alternative communication strategies and cognitive development
  • Picture communication system (PECS)
  • AAC (iPads, apps, etc.)
  • Gestural/ASL
  • Scripts
  • Choice boards
  • Straight talk
• Case studies

ASPECTS OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Relationship of social-emotional development on cognition
• 5 features of social-emotional development
• Development of empathy, emotional regulation, and impulse control
• What happens when these skills are delayed or missing?
• How to help?
  • Interacting at their level
  • Video modeling
  • Rules/expectations
  • Social stories
  • Pictures/sequences
  • Engaging with their interests
• Case studies

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPACT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

• Challenges (videos)
  • Lights – “too busy”/over stimulating/distracting/too bright/“can’t see” 
• Sounds – hallway noise/kids voices/ humming from technology/lights buzzing/pencils scratching
• Olfactory sensitivity
  • Case study
• Kinesthetic – too crowded/kids touching/bumping in lines/too hot or cold
• Supports
  • Organizing spaces
  • Lighting adjustments
  • Managing temperatures
• What to avoid

CURRENT INTERVENTIONS

• Early intervention
  • Treatment strategies for infants and toddlers
  • Case studies
• Relationship interventions
• Communication-based interventions
• Behavioral interventions
• Alternative interventions

VISUAL SUPPORTS – NOT JUST ANOTHER GIMMICK

• Who needs them?
• Benefits of using visual supports
• Examples of visual supports
• Case studies

DON’T FORGET MOTIVATION!

• Incorporating interests/fascinations vs. resisting them
• Building a bridge vs. dangling a carrot
• Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
• Don’t allow motivation to rule, but rather to guide   

Reviews 

Candace H
 “Well organized and delivered. Sound and video quality were exemplary. Was easy to follow the discussion and take notes on the handout. Presenter provided practical, usable, real-life situations and solutions.”

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